I don't & I have run across a quote from St Augustine. I have a possible translation from the web but want to make sure. Factum eram ipse mihi magna quaestio.
It's "Factus" "Factus eram ipse mihi magna quaestio” translated as “I had become to myself a huge question.”
The source is indeed from St. Augustine, more specifically his auto-biographical work: Confessions, consisting of 13 books. Written about 1,600 years ago. Long before the Big Bang Theory, St. Augustine wrote that God had created the Universe...ex nihlio. "From Nothing"
Got it. Thanks. That's what another source said. I think it's sort of funny that the author of the book I got it from, someone a lot more educated on the subject than I am, misspelled the word. I've read the Confessions, but in English. As for ex nihlio, I think Augustine may have goofed, at least from my (non-believer) reading of the Bible. Organizer? Yes. Creator ex nihlio? No. Not that my opinion (shared by other sources) matters. If memory serves, once you get past ex nihlio, Augustine's treatment (again, this is from memory) is compatible with evolution. Again, my opinion. Again, thanks.
No problem. He was a smart guy, (Augustine of Hippo) I'm not about to tackle reading his Confessions in it's entirety...too heady for me, I prefer St. Thomas Aquinas. Another brilliant guy and Christian Apologist, was Blaise Pascal.... As much as the adamant non-believers like to label the religious as "dumb"...some of the greatest minds in history pondered the same questions regarding God's existence and still found faith to be a reasonable endeavor.
I read Pascal about 50 years ago. I couldn't find my (old) copy recently, so I re-ordered it. I've also read Montaigne & a course I took recently compared M & P, so I plan to re-read P. Another author (mentioned in the same course, Spinoza, caused me to order & read his 2832. Spinoza, Baruch, trans by Samuel Shirley. Theological-Political Treatise, Second Edition. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2001. (P). Interesting. I think the "dumb" label has two sources. One, coming from the scientific perspective (AND THAT'S MY PERSPECTIVE!!!), is partially unfair in that I don't think we can blame people from thousands of years ago for not having the benefit of 20th century science. It's sort of like blaming Custer for not calling in air support. Of course, the "dumb" part (again, my opinion, and this is the second source) is the insistence on ignoring the fact that we now have air support. I just finished 282. Berger, Peter L.. The Sacred Canopy, Elements of A Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Anchor Books, 1967. (P) which deals with that subject, among others. As a "non-believer," I may have read more on religion than some believers. All this proves nothing. It all boils down to one's basic assumptions. I do not share Augustine & company's, either as relates to religion of Augustine's emphasis to Plato. If nothing else, all this has kept amazon.com profitable.
Technology has changed, but human nature has not. Take the 20th Century for example...by all accounts advances in medicine and surgery saved countless lives and prolonged human life...it was also the bloodiest 100 years in human history. 150 million deaths as the result of direct human action...war, starvation or out and out genocide. Whatever advances civilization has made to enhance life are offset by an equal advancement in killing our fellow human. Our basic nature, the human condition if you will...is the same as it was in Augustine's time in the 1st Century, as it is now in the 21st Century. Religion addresses the human condition, it's not meant to replace Science...all one has to do is look at the 20th Century and see mankind is far from having things all figured out and religion is a crutch that should be thrown away.
No offense meant, but I'm going to delay my response. I have to go pick up a couple of prescriptions (speaking of medicine). I want to get them today just in case we get snow & they close the Post medical facility.
You don't have to reply. Your question was asked and answered, and I've gone off-topic. I don't see many requests for Latin translations and wanted to answer. The "Religion" sub-forum is probably better suited for discussions on philosophy and the like...I just added a bit more than the question required.
