Opinion of this quote

[The Mikado]

"Oh Lord, make me chaste and pure...but not yet."  -St. Augustine

I'm quite fond of it, as it has many, many real-life applications and is a sentiment we have all felt from time to time.

[dead0man]

Horrible-if what you're doing is fun and not hurting anybody, why is it wrong?  If what you're doing is knowingly wrong and hurting somebody else and you continue to do it you're a giant asshat.

[Alcon]

Horrible-if what you're doing is fun and not hurting anybody, why is it wrong?  If what you're doing is knowingly wrong and hurting somebody else and you continue to do it you're a giant asshat.

I don't think I'm reading the quote the same way as you, since I don't get anything about harm/non-harm out of it.

My interpretation:  I think the quote isn't meant to be taken literally, but rather to express the natural human tendency toward existential angst over purity -- and our perpetual unwillingness to do it quite yet.

In that, I think it's quite clever.  But maybe I'm projecting and totally misconstruing it.

[dead0man]

To me it's saying, I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I don't want to stop doing it yet.  I find that attitude disgusting and something to be avoided (even if we all do it).

And I always read the quote as a joke anyway.

[anvi]

I don't have a problem with Augustine acknowledging that he is a flawed human being in this quote or anything else that comes from the Confessions.  But what I don't like about it is also what I don't like about every other thing that came out of Augustines mouth or from his pen.  It's supposedly God's job to make him chaste and pure, and not his own.  (And on top of it, it's God's job to wait to make him chaste and pure until his is finally sexually satisfied.)  Once again, it's the orthodox Christian position that human beings can't do a thing to improve themselves and only God's grace will make or break one's fate.  Too much slavery for me.  Please, oh please give me Palegius and Abelard!