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Paper Topic B

Augustine believes that he was of G-d when he was born. He understood how to take milk from the breast. This he did not know on his own, for G-d had revealed it to him. Augustine discusses his childhood in the story of the confessions. During this time, he observes how adults use words and he grasped that a word indicated a certain thing. In learning language, Augustine joined human society. When Augustine was lazy, he was beaten and he found punishment miserable.

Had Augustine not participated in acts such as stealing, swearing and lying he might have lived his life with less sin. He was led away from G-d with the consistent interruptions from his own upbringing, whether it was his school, or just a child out at night misbehaving.

Eventually Augustine does convert to Christianity in a Garden in Milan. Before this can take place Augustine is inundated with many different ideas of an all-powerful deity. His studies are overwhelming, and he does not look at them with great alacrity. He is given many different works to read and interpret which distracts him from searching for his truth of G-d.

If Augustine could relive his childhood he would without question. He is sorrowful as he talks of the iniquities he committed during his childhood. He stole for the mere purpose of stealing, it created excitement in his life. Augustine understood that his actions were wrong and that he should not have stole, but he did it anyway. Later on in the story he realizes these things led him away from G-d which upsets him as he looks back on those times.

Augustine understood after his conversion that as a mortal he would make error and commit sin. It was the revelation that G-d is always there with him that probably made him even more sorrowful of the sins that he had already committed. As he reflects he is very apologetic to the invisible G-d that he is writing to. He also realized that celebrating his own ungodly accomplishments was taking away from G-d. This ungodly life Augustine was committed to walk away from even though he continuously stumbled along the path.

Augustine spent much time in school