Not every religion has to have St. Augustine's attitude to sex. Why even in our culture marriages are celebrated in a church, everyone present knows what is going to happen that night, but that doesn't prevent it being a religious ceremony.

The quote "Not every religion has to have St. Augustine's attitude to sex..." by Ludwig Wittgenstein offers a critical reflection on how religious perspectives on sexuality vary and evolve. Wittgenstein references St. Augustine, a foundational Christian thinker whose views on sex were notably strict and often associated with guilt, original sin, and the belief that sexual desire needed to be restrained or morally justified only within marriage. By challenging this attitude, Wittgenstein points out that not all religions share such a negative or repressive view of human sexuality.

When he remarks that "marriages are celebrated in a church" even though "everyone present knows what is going to happen that night," Wittgenstein illustrates the paradox in many religious ceremonies: sexual intimacy, while natural and expected in marriage, is still cloaked in a layer of ritual and sacredness. His point is that sex and spirituality need not be in conflict. The religious significance of marriage does not disappear simply because it includes a physical, human component.

Wittgenstein’s observation is also a commentary on cultural hypocrisy or the tension between public morality and private understanding. He challenges the assumption that religion must reject or suppress sexuality, arguing instead that it can acknowledge and integrate it meaningfully. This statement encourages a more nuanced and honest discussion about how religious practices reflect human nature rather than deny it.

As a philosopher who deeply explored ethics, language, and human experience, Wittgenstein often questioned assumptions embedded in tradition. This quote likely stems from his later philosophical reflections, where he became increasingly concerned with how everyday life, ritual, and belief intersect. Here, he invites readers to reconsider how religious doctrines can evolve and how attitudes toward sex can be both realistic and reverent without being morally rigid.