Sandro Botticelli, “St. Augustine in his Cell,” circa 1490 to 1494, Uffizi, Florence
2,384 words
Confessional literature is nothing new. Saint Augustine wrote one of the groundbreaking works in the genre, describing the long process of his conversion from Manicheism to Catholicism. When he’s not denouncing the odd doctrines of his former belief system, he’s bemoaning his sinful past. He really beats himself up over stealing some pears as a teenager, for waiting until the end of the semester to quit his professorship to become a monk, and even for being fascinated by a spider without acknowledging the work of the Creator. Hey, at least Saint Augustine wasn’t responsible for The Force Awakens. . .
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7 comments
Father Merrin “he mixes lies with the truth to confuse us.”
Excellent piece. We’ve all experienced the kind of liars that you described. You forgot to mention that when dealing with Indians or blacks every word out of their mouths is to be taken with scrutiny.
I’m still flabbergasted how someone can lie that egregiously and shamelessly. Do words have no meaning for these people? Do they mentally not comprehend what makes truth true?
Fair enough. I’m aiming mostly at sellouts with this.
The Christian ideas of repentance and “prodigial sons” give dysfunctional and anti-social individuals a way to reinvent themselves and even adopt a morally superior position. I think this did a number on white people’s inherent desire to be nice and give a person a second chance.
Pre-Christian literature and stories (e.g. Aesop’s fables) instead tend to emphasize that a being’s nature should not be assumed to have changed – a view that conforms with the modern understanding of heredity (and timeless common sense of course).
Indeed; the way I see it, talk is cheap.
Great article! Well, I know I am good; I will match my rectitude with anyone, and come away clean. 🙃
Excellent! So should we all.
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