The Church Fathers Were All Ex-Pagans-Part Twoby Bolder Landry
Origen, born in Alexandria, Egypt, about 185 A.D., is the second "pater ecclesiasticus" in our present series of theological blundering luminaries. He was a learned person and one of the first Christian Fathers to apply Greek and philosophy acceptable to the Church. He was believed to be the first to be born of Christian parents. That has never been established. He did receive a good education in a pagan school. His father, Leonidas, was probably a convert, and in the year 200 a persecution arose in which, it is said, he was martyred. He earned his bread by teaching. In his lifetime Origen wrote some 6000 books on a variety of subjects. In all of the Church Fathers' writings, not one, including Origen, ever thought of recommending the abolition of slavery. Even Jesus and Paul, who were surrounded by slaves, never uttered a word against the ugly system. This is considered a terrible blot on the early Church. Origen is best remembered for his "Contra Celsum." But it was in his "De Principiis" that he revealed most of his mushy theology. "The Son is not mightier than the Father, but inferior to Him." That ignited a firestorm among the already existing heretical dissenters that was ripping apart the fabric of early Christian belief. He became an almost universal heretic, and was officially "anathemathized." He not only denied the literal truth of much of Genesis but treated "stories of the New Testament as fables." The "great pillar of the Church, St. Jerome," and others who translated the Bible, he called "Correcters." He went so far as to proclaim "Who wrote the Revelation? God only knows." A synod, composed of entirely of bishops, determined the fate of Origen-he was deposed from the presbyterial status. In his writings Origen declares that all living creatures, "even animals and fishes, have souls." He says that the problem of evil is due to "sin" committed in a previous incarnation. He even believed that it was the demons that produced famines, corruption of the air, unfruitfulness and pestilence. Much of this silly stuff is still believed in today's age of reason and science. Like his contemporary, Tertullian, Origen holds marriage in contempt. He calls those who marry a second time when the first wife was dead "Diagamists." And that those "are saved in the name of Christ, but are by no means crowned by him." Poor "Diagamists" of our time will never be crowned by Christ. How sad! The "learned Father" lived at a time when Christian communities enjoyed almost uninterrupted peace and held a high position in the world. He is credited with "founding the Church's science" and having been one of the "most traveled theologians" of the time. On the authority of Matt. 19:12, the text about eunuchs, Origen castrated himself that "he might escape the lust of the flesh." The poor wild fanatic afterward regretted this step. Author of many works on theology and other areas of theological interest, he bitterly complained of "falsification of his works and forgeries under his name." (Ency. Brit. Vol. 17. p. 841). The encyclopedia gives him five pages and it is clear that he is responsible for clearing the way for future dogmas to be established by the Church. "He commenced his great work on the textual criticism of the scriptures;" then he published his "commentaries on the Old Testament and his dogmatic investigation." He was suspected of heresy. "Origen was deposed, excommunicated, and bitterly persecuted, so that we cannot attribute to him much influence in developing the system of doctrine." He survived the "Decian persecution in the year 250, and died at Tyre, where his grave was still shown in the Middle ages." He was 69 years old when he died in 254. Bolder Landry is an exceptional scholar, speaking and reading several languages. He was a history teacher for many years and is a staunch Thomas Paine fan. He has written several books and currently resides in San Diego, California.
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