Hey guys! To all of my frequent readers, welcome back! To those of you who may just be joining me in my read, welcome! I highly recommend hopping over to part 1 and starting at the beginning.
This is my personal study of City of God, by Saint Augustine, going point by point through the entire work. It’s gonna be a long one. In today’s read, we’re going to be reading points 16 and 17.
It’s important to note that these points cover some very heavy topics, including sexual assault/ rape, and suicide. I will not make light of these topics, I will not dumb down the language, because I believe the unserious culture surrounding these topics leads to immeasurable harm against those who are suffering.
If you are struggling, I hope you can read this and take courage and strength from it.
Part 16: Violation of Chastity, without Consent, Cannot Pollute Character.
At the time of Augustine’s writing, he makes it very clear that the churches enemy of the time would make light of the many abuses that women suffered in captivity as Christians.
Unfortunately, as is often the case of women held captive by men, this included abuses of a sexual nature. It was seen as a way of shaming women, and stripping them of their virtue, and their chastity.
Augustine doesn’t even bother arguing against this sickening attempt at scoring debate points. Instead, he turns to the women suffering, and seeks to offer them the smallest of consolation.
Augustine is very clear on this: though you may feel shame, the shame is not yours. Your value and your virtue, cannot ever be taken by actions forced on you. He states that virtue controls your actions from the mind, and that as long as your will remains strong, nothing that anyone does to your body can be counted against you.
Augustine also points out that even if the act being committed against you does invoke pleasure, that does not imply that you somehow “consent” to what is being done to you, although you may feel some sense of shame.
Purity culture has been an issue for a long time in America. There is this falsified, pseudo Christian notion that has caused a lot of harm; that if you have lost your virginity, you have lost your value. This is flagrantly false. It is a disservice to all women and men, it drives people away from the love of God, and it is shameful that it has been allowed to go on for so long.
Sexuality is an amazing thing in the right context, as it was intended. It’s incredibly destructive used in the wrong capacity. But it can NEVER destroy your value, it can never take the love of God from you, and if any man says it can, I would say he needs to look a lot deeper into scripture and into what the church actually teaches.
Point 17: The Question of Suicide to Escape Harm or Punishment
Continuing with the heavy topics, Augustine carries on to the women who ended their lives to escape acts of violence such as those mentioned above.
“Surely any man of compassion would be ready to excuse the emotions which lead them to do this.”
Augustine’s response to this is to tell people not to do it. He points out the logical fact that it is not legal to kill a man without trial for crimes he has committed. And if you have not committed any crime or wrongdoing, it is not right for you to punish yourself on the account of some violent offense which may be done to you.
He points out that one who has done no wrong should do no wrong to herself. Why kill an innocent to prevent a guilty man from condemning himself? Why sin against yourself to prevent someone else doing it?
I have seen, time and time again, the devastation that suicide causes. I’ve helped people that have attempted, I’ve heard the cries of family and friends who have to live without those who succeeded. My love for those people who are suffering with such thoughts runs deep, as does my sorrow for their affliction.
It may be my own perception bleeding through, but in the way Augustine writes, I believe he felt a similar love, a similar desire for all to be healed from such thoughts.
You are not bad. The things done to you cannot take your value, and the things you have done can and will be forgiven, if you will ask. No act of violence can take your value.
You are loved by God.
Modern Survival Arkansas 