St Augustine – 5th Century A.D. – was one of the pillars of what later became the Roman Branch of the Christen (Catholic) Church. Two of his most renowned writings – which continue to influence modern day theology, were: “Confessions” written in his early life, and “City of God” in his later days - circa the Fall of Rome to Alaric the Goth in 410. He helped to formulate the ‘Doctrine of Original Sin’ – and formulates an explanation for “The Trinity”.

Augustine promotes the idea that original sin is passed along in the fluids of procreation and that sexual intercourse, because it involves a loss of control, is always at least venially sinful – and should be indulged in as little as possible. By the end of his life, Augustine “deems a woman’s embraces as ‘sordid, filthy and horrible’”.

As background – at that time, he is surrounded as are all African Bishops of his day, by Donatists – declared ‘heretics’ who “deny that the grace of the sacraments can be conferred through the offices of an unworthy priest” (an interesting topic even today given the Roman Church’s recent ‘sex scandals’). To Augustine, sacramental efficacy simply cannot hinge on the character of the administering priest.

To solve the controversy, Augustine goes outside the Church and “aligns himself with the civil arm to persecutes the Danatists and bring them forcibly within the walls of Catholicism.

He “subsequently writes the first Catholic justification for state persecution of those in error; error has no rights; to disbelieve in forced conversions is to deny the power of God; and God must whip the son he receives – per molestias erudition” (“true education begins with physical abuse”).

The doctrine Augustine spells out “will echo down the ages in the cruelest infamies, executed with the highest justification. Augustine, the father of many firsts, is also the father of the Inquisition.

From “How the Irish Saved Civilization” – 1995 - Thomas Cahill – Nan A. Talese, and imprint of Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc – 1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036 Pages 63-66

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