Chapter 2 THE GHOST OF SAINT AUGUSTINE or
THE SKELETON IN YOUR BEDROOM CLOSET or HANGING UP THE HANG UPS
Before we get to the ‘juicy’ parts, we would like for you to bear with us in a little background information on why there are so many “hang ups” in our lives today. From our counseling experience and observation, we would estimate that among evangelical Christians, there are in excess of 90% of these couples that have sexual maladjustments and hang ups of one kind or another! In this area also, the words of Christ are true: “The children of this generation are wiser than the children of light.” (a) But there are some concrete, explainable and specific reasons for this. Iii this chapter, we will explain perhaps the greatest reason.
GREEK MANICHEAN GARBAGE
God’s people, the Hebrews, thought that the human body was not evil, or bad in itself. They thought that the body and its functioning was good or bad depending on the use to which it was put. And so, for the first several centuries after Christ, the Christians were free from many of the “hang ups” that have developed. It is important for us to stay with this line of thinking in order for us to see some very important foundational stuff, so please bear with us.
The Lord’s attitude toward our bodies is reflected in Romans chapter 6, verses 13 & 16: “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are, to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness.” In other words, Paul was saying that the human body was neither sinful or righteous in itself, but was good or bad, depending upon the use to which it was put.
Please stay with us in this matter. Now on the other hand, there came into the Church, during the fourth century after Christ, a type of thinking that is different - much different than the Lord’s thinking above. It all started when a well known Greek Manichean philosopher came into the Church with all of his learning and smarts. The problem was that this very brainy fellow brought his monstrous manicheism into the Church with him.
Some of you may be asking, “What in the world is this ‘Manicheism Monster’?” Here we quote from the World Book Dictionary, - “Manichean: (man’ e ke”en)- n, a member of a Gnostic sect~ arising in Persia in the 200’s A.D., compounded of Christian, Buddhistic, Zoroastrian, and other beliefs, and maintaining a theological dualism in which the body and matter were identified with darkness and evil, and the soul, striving to liberate itself, was identified with light and goodness.”
In other words, while the Hebrews believed the body to be bad or good, according to the use to which it was put, — the Manichiests believed and taught that the body was evil. They believed that everything that the body did, or was, or said, was only always exceedingly sinful. Sound familiar??? In the modem confessions, catechisms, liturgy and prayers of much the “church” today, this Greek manicheist dualism is prayed, “We confess unto Thee, oh God, that our highest, noblest thought, word and deed, is only, always, and exceedingly sinful in Thy sight.” I ask you: What happened to Jesus’ command that we be “as perfect as the Father” and Peter’s promise that “without holiness, no one shall see the Lord.”!
In contrast, the Hebrews said that matter — a pencil, a rock, a human body — was not bad in itself, but that its goodness or badness was determined by what one did with that matter, rock, pencil or human body. The Manicheans, on the other hand, said that the rock, pencil, and the human body, were evil in themselves because they were made of substance, of material, of matter. They reasoned this way, and their argument sounds sound (but it isn’t). Don’t you agree that this Manicheism philosophy is spastic silliness and religious deception? We really hope that we haven’t completely confused you by now, but this is an important foundational fact if you are to get “the Ghost” or “the Skeleton” of this Greek Manichean philosophy out of your bedroom closet, a “ghost” who peeks out or sneaks out to shame, hinder, and inhibit you in your love giving and receiving.
This philosopher came into the Church during the fourth century after Christ and hideously contaminated Church thinking on the subject of sex, and fun, in general. Guess what? he brought all of his Greek Manicheist garbage along with him!!! In his writings, you’ll find words like these. “It is a sin to watch a dog chase a rabbit.” The reason he said it was a sin was because there was fun involved. Bodily fun. There was a visceral thrill involved. The body would be saying, “Let’s see now, is the dog gonna catch the rabbit, or is the rabbit gonna catch the dog!” The reason they said this was sinful was that the body is sinful because the body is matter and thus, anything that the body did or felt was wrong!
Who was this guy that came into the Church with his spastic reasoning? Why, he’s the “father” of all modem Christian philosophy and theology. Almost without exception, every Christian theologian and philosopher since the fourth century has gone back to this man and built their theology or philosophy upon his faulty thinking and reasoning about this subject of fun and sex. I believe that he did more to plunge the Church into the dark ages than perhaps any thing else! His name is our beloved, SAINT AUGUSTINE!!! Please understand, we are not personally against Augustine. He was probably a dear brother in the Lord. But his thinking in this regard was Greek, not godly. Our thinking needs to be godly, not Greek.
When it comes to this thing of sex, we want nobody saying, “It’s Greek to me!”
COD LIVER OIL
Here’s another quote from Augustine, “I have learned to take my food as medicine.” In other words, Augustine apparently disciplined himself to the place where a great big piece of juicy beefsteak tasted just like cod liver oil!!! Why? Because, according to his manicheist philosophy, the body was sinful.
Therefore, this “Neo-Zoroastrianism” said that which the body did was sinful and THAT WHICH THE BODY ENJOYED WAS SINEUL!!!!!!!
According to this “father” of all our modem Christian philosophy and theology, enjoyment of food is sinful, and sinful also was, the enjoyment of sports, art, music, dance, life, religion, and SEX!!! This “father” of our theology had one important thing to say, and he said it in such a way that the Catholics, Baptists Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Pentecostals and virtually every major denomination (and many others) can trace their roots back to the theology of our friend Augustine. He still speaks today.
Remember your catechism? “All of our noblest, highest, fondest thoughts, words, and deeds are only, ever, and always exceedingly sinful in Thy sight!!!!”
In conclusion, the message is clear: It has beep drummed into us through the catechism, through confessional, the singing, the preaching, the ~ literature, the theology, the liturgy, the Christian philosophy and doctrine, the Sunday School, the parochial school, and through parents who were taught and affected by these things; through the pastors and priests and nuns and missionaries and teachers and professors, the lie still comes through...”PLEASURE IS SINFUL!!!!!” “If it’s fun, it’s wrong.” And though you may think this is silliness, we respectfully submit that this kind of thinking exists to a great extent in every one of us, and to the extent that we were exposed to this false doctrine.
Jesus Christ, on the other hand says, “I am come so that you will have Life, and have it more abundantly!” (b) Christ says again, “I am come that My joy will be in you and that your joy will be full!”
(c) and in another place, “God gives us all things richly to enjoy!” (d).
COTTAGE IN THE CLEARING
Picture with us a cottage in the clearing. It’s a happy scene in the forest, the birds are singing, the children are playing, and a lovely stream is softly winding by. Through the open door of the rustic Hansel-and- Gretel -Iike cottage we can hear the mother singing as she prepares the evening meal. Across the tiny bridge and down the forest pathway comes the happy woodsman home from the work to join his joyful little family. He has an axe in his hand and a turkey over his shoulder. He’s whistling a happy tune as he walks along. The children laugh and squeal with delight, and they run to meet him.
Then as they all sit down to supper, they are interrupted by a priest, whom they welcome to the table. When the supper dishes are cleared, they are all eager to hear the latest news as to how they can really please the Lord and be especially close to God. While they love God, and are trying to love Him more, they respect the counsel of the “man of God” and so are ready to do as he suggests. And so they do.
A year later, we look again at the cottage in the clearing. No singing, whistling or laughter. No smell of supper from the hearth. The place has been falling apart from neglect, and is growing up in weeds. For the “man of God” told them the latest theology: that “sex is sinful, the enjoyment of good food is sinful, laughter and whistling is sinful, marriage is a hindrance.” etc. The mother has moved to a convent and puts broken glass in her shoes, the children have been put in parochial orphanages, and the father now lives in a cave, wearing burlap or camel’s hair and whips his body to be more holy. It looks as though the “Ghost of St Augustine” got to them, doesn’t it?
Well, you may be wondering what all this has got to Do with you. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps more than you know. Have you looked into your closet lately? Let’s take a look at this modern cottage.
STRAIGHT LACED, SOBER, AND SAD
We once knew a couple that we’ll call John and Mary. Neither one of them had been exposed to negative things sexually, but at the same time, they had not gone to church much either. Their earlier married life was characterized by a great deal of creativity and happiness, sexually~ Then our Mary started going to church. Now it may seem to you that
we are against church. Wrong!!! We are against satan’s theft, murder and destruction of the wonderful gift of God. And he’s used some churches to do it.
Anyway, Mary started going to church where she became exposed to some modernized sugar coated “manicheism”. She found out that it was wrong to kiss her husband here or there, that too often was too often, that sex was only for procreation, (to produce babies), and that it was wrong to be naked in front of her husband, especially with the light turned on.
Then she joined a stricter church, and “found” out that sex had to be done with the lights turned off, and in the missionary position. She was taught that she shouldn’t use suggestive language in their love making or make so much noise, or enjoy it quite so much, or so often; that birth control was wrong, that she shouldn’t have so much fun; that she shouldn’t... mustn’t...shan’t...durst...can’t...ain’t
Then the husband wonders, “What happened to the fun loving and creative love-giver I married?”
Listen to us, those of you who are scoffing at these developments - the couple you’re scoffing at may be your own friends. We often counsel otherwise intelligent and mature people that have problems exactly like this!!!
SELF PORTRAIT
One couple we know very well. The wife had years of post high school training and was never told anything about sexual things, though she came from a godly family that was otherwise “normal”. During her twenty some years at home, she had only seen her parents kiss or embrace on one occasion. When the husband was growing up, he had asked his “well-. balanced” parents about sex. His total sex education from them consisted of six words, “Just do it like the dogs!” He jokingly remarked later that he had been married for five years before be learned any different!!!
“Dear Heavenly Father; we ask that You will open our hearts to be teachable and not hard hearted or stubborn, willful or stiff-necked Oh help us to enjoy to the supernatural maximum, this wonderful gift that You have given to us, so “richly to enjoy.” We thank You, dear Yahweh God that “to the pure all things are pure’ and that You came , “that our joy will be full”!
Help us now, Oh Father, to live happily ever after!!! In Jesus’ Name we thank You Amen
BEAUTIFUL SEX!??
Now, we are going to mention something we mentioned before: That, for married couples, God Himself intended that sex should be really, really:
BEAUTIFUL SEX!!!
Enjoyable, wonderful, happy, incredible, Glorious, delightful, satisfying!
Intense, fantastic, creative, uplifting, Comforting, fantastic, relaxing!
Exquisite, fabulous, super, healing, Beautiful, delightful, exhilarating!
Encouraging, special, creative, good, Sensational, terrific, invigorating!
Effervescent, happy, guilt-free, fun, Lovely, super, fulfilling!
Adventuresome, fabulous, precious, memorable, Planned, spontaneous, refreshing!
Euphoric, abandoned, unabashed, unrestrained, Frequent, ablaze, abounding!
Aglow, tasty, accessible, accordant, Accumbent, unselfish, stimulating! Arousing, erotic, sexual, sensual, Interesting, innovative, edifying!
Respectful, affirming, rapturous, affecting, Uninhibited, pleasurable, climaxing
ETCETERA!!!
Scriptural Footnotes
- Luke 16:8
- John 10:10
- John 15:11
- I Timothy 6:17
REVIEW FOR CHAPTER 1
- Who invented sex?
- What is manicheism?
- Do you believe that our bodies can be other than sinful while in this body?
- Complete these sayings of Augustine: “It is a sin to watch a dog “& “I have learned to take my food
- Has your religion caused you to be wrongly inhibited in your love making?
- Did your parents demonstrate much outward affection for each other? For you?
- Do you think that their patterns of affection have affected yours?
- Without looking at the book, write down as many good things as you can think of that God intended sex to be.