It really is not important to me who made the statement in question first. I will say, however, that the Talmud was estimated to be written between 200 and 500 CE, which would place itself smack in the middle of Augustine's time, according to what you say, not a 1000 years off.
I wasn't even aware that the statement in question came from the Talmud, let alone Saint Augustine. The statement is in my Sabbath Prayer book in Hebrew, with no English translation. I did the translating since the prayer book came from Israel when I lived there. And there is no author to my prayer book that I can find in the book.
I have read a little bit of Saint Augustine, in particular, the Confessions and parts of the City of G-d and never came across that statement.
I never read the New Testament and have no desire to. The only reason why I have read some of the Saints in Catholicism and Luther is because it was required reading when I was a graduate student in Philosophy. And I never discuss Christianity with friends, who are mostly Jewish or family.
What do I think of Christianity? It's an interesting philosophy or vision of the universe, which I do not personally subscribe to, really no different in my assessment than Hinduism or Jainism. |
