Over the course of this interim study period, I had the privilege of studying some of the works of C.S Lewis, a wonderfully smart and humble Christian author. With every one of his works that we read, I had the opportunity to have my thinking challenged in many ways as Lewis wrote on several engaging subjects. Some of the highlights of this course included readings from Mere Christianity and the Law of Nature, the eternal state of man’s spirit in the Weight of Glory, as well as several other articles such as the Poison of Subjectivism and Man or Rabbit. In addition, our readings from Cornelius Plantinga’s book, Engaging God’s World which focused on the Christians’ place in modern society, nicely complemented our readings from Lewis.
Though there were many interesting and engaging themes which we read from Lewis, the overarching theme which has stood out to me has been Lewis’s emphasis on avoiding foolish intellectual mistakes and opinions. In many of his articles, he gives examples of the mistakes different people make regarding faulty logic, their perception on relationships, the identity of man, etc. Through his sharp wit and systematic thinking, Lewis has inspired me to think with a more critical mindset towards the validity of my ideas and opinions. Along with the readings from Plantinga’s book, the readings of this course have given me further revelation on how to better live a life that is dedicated to God. Below are some of the points which stood out to and challenged me to think in new ways.
In his essay on Bulverism, Lewis briefly discusses the idea of how our thoughts are shaped by the “source” within us, that is, our core beliefs and presuppositions. He questions whether or not our “tainted” thoughts, stemming from our source, are prematurely influenced and thus invalidated when he asks:
“…are all thoughts thus tainted at the source, or only some? Does the taint invalidate the tainted thought-in the sense of making it untrue-or not?”(Lewis, Bulverism par 4)
Now this quote really challenged me to reflect on my own ideas and thoughts, causing me to question which of my ideas on truth were based on honest and thorough research and which ones were either “tainted” or biased as a result of their source. Because of my desire to approach ideas with an objective mindset, the idea that my thinking had somehow tainted the lens through which I viewed the world caused me to question my integrity. I detest the very thought of approaching new perspectives in presumption because a great many mistakes are made when we don’t have all of the facts. In sum, reading Lewis’ essay on Bulverism encouraged me to further keep in mind that the source of one’s thoughts may taint the ideas that follow the source or “lens” through which a person interacts with the world. Therefore, we must be careful to make sure that we do not operate in presumption when engaging with new ideas and instead do our best to approach new ideas with sincere objectivity.
Just as how we should not make presumptions when we are confronted with new ideas, another mistake that Lewis encourages his readers to avoid is that of assuming their right to happiness. In “ Have no Right to Happiness”, Lewis warns of the dangers that come with endowing every one with the “right” to happiness:
“If we establish a 'right to (sexual) happiness' which supersedes all the ordinary rules of behavior…the fatal principle, once allowed in that department, must sooner or later seep through our whole lives. We thus advance toward a state of society in which not only each man but every impulse in each man claims carte blanche.”( Lewis, Happiness par 21,23)
Basically, Lewis writes that if a right to happiness is allotted to the citizens of a society, the condition of that society will be as such that each individual will be endowed with unconditional authority. Any of their actions may be allowed simply on the notion that they had the right to seek whatever they believed would give them the most joy. The dangers of this idea are that this “right” can be used to justify numerous acts of crime or selfishness. The threat of a selfish and self-centered society eventually comes to destroy itself. Therefore, a right to happiness becomes the bane of a society. Through his logic and sound reason, Lewis shows that these humanist ideas will be the downfall of a society and that it should not make the error of making the supposed right to happiness a legitimized pursuit.
Another misconception which Lewis exhorts us not to have in “the Weight of Glory” is that our lives end when we die on earth. For as eternal creatures we should not entirely spend ourselves in pursuit of earthly things when we have eternity and our future glory to think about. For whether we ascend into Heaven or descend into Hell, our spirits will last for eternity. Therefore, we must work at preparing ourselves according to our desired eternities, and not only for ourselves but also helping along others with their eternities as well. Lewis emphasizes this point when he writes:
“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations…There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.” (Lewis, Glory 9)
Therefore, as we’re not mistaken of the reality of our eternal presence, we cannot spend the substance of our beings focusing on our earthly happiness, for it is only temporary. On the contrary, we must continue to keep in sight the reality of our futures and adjust ourselves accordingly.
In the Poison of Subjectivism, Lewis discusses the dangers of installing reason as a substitute for the Law of Nature and morality. I agree with him. Observing the extent of how human values, tendencies, and laws, worldwide are based on the Law of Nature, such as honor or self sacrifice, an attempt completely separate ourselves from the Laws of Nature and come up with new ones would not only be extremely difficult, but extremely foolish. Lewis illustrates the folly which human’s fall into when he compares a human attempt at improving the Laws of Nature with attempting to replace them:
"You like your vegetables moderately fresh; why not grow your own and have them perfectly fresh? and a man who says "Throw away that loaf and try eating bricks and centipedes instead." (Lewis, Subjectivism par 14)
Attempting to separate ourselves from God’s standards of morality by setting up a faulty system of laws based on human understanding only results in hardship and toil for much of mankind. Humans should never attempt to step away from God's standards of morality because without His guidelines we will deteriorate as a species.
Finally, in his essay on Man or Rabbit, Lewis discusses the need for several individuals to step out of their intentional ignorance of the nature and character of God and instead to courageously examine the truths of Christianity. He condemns the behavior of those who dishonestly avoid confronting their curiosities as he gives an example of someone he imagines is committing this sort of folly:
“He is deliberately trying not to know whether Christianity is true or false, because he foresees endless trouble if it should turn out to be true. He is like the man who deliberately 'forgets' to look at the notice board because, if he did, he might find his name down for some unpleasant duty. He is like the man who won't look at his bank account because he's afraid of what he might find there. The man who remains an unbeliever for such reasons is not in a state of honest error. He is in a state of dishonest error…” (Lewis, Man or Rabbit 111)
Lewis explains that the man who does not attempt to discover the validity of Christianity is operating in dishonest and harmful folly. The consequences of such an error ultimately end in eternal damnation, all because of one ridiculous act of cowardice! In my heart I was disturbed by such folly for I have observed these exact attitudes within many people whom I’ve met. With such severe consequences, our lives on Earth must be approached not out of foolish ignorance, but with sound discernment and good judgment. We must never intentionally walk in folly, for the consequences of our decisions hold much more in store than we’d like.
In conclusion, what I’ve come to discover is that although the various misconceptions that humans have are the result of the fallen world in which we live in, God offers each one of us redemption from these errors and more. His redemption spreads into every facet of fallen society and transforms it. In an excerpt from Engaging God’s World, Cornelius Plantinga writes:
“If all has been created good and all has been corrupted, then all must be redeemed. God isn’t content to save souls; God wants to save bodies too. God isn’t content to save human beings in their individual activities; God wants to save social systems and economic structures too…The whole world belongs to God, the whole world has fallen, and so the whole world needs to be redeemed-every last person, place, organization, and program”(Plantinga 97-98)
Therefore, as there are many intellectual traps and misconceptions within ourselves and the world around us, we must be sure to be wary and on guard against folly, pride, and selfishness, lest we become idiots. Our lives in eternity and the quality of our relationships with God and people are at risk so we need to prepare and protect ourselves. Reading the essays of C.S Lewis, and to a smaller degree Cornelius Plantinga, have all helped me to mature in my perception of the world around me. In addition, I’ve also become more adept at evaluating my own ideas and opinions. This Interim course was a very thought provoking experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking forward to developing a Christian mind.
Works Cited
Lewis, C.S, “God in the Dock: Bulverism.”
Lewis, C.S, “Have no Right to Happiness.”
Lewis, C.S, “Man or Rabbit.”
Lewis, C.S, “The Poison of Subjectivism.”
Lewis, C.S, “The Weight of Glory.” Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Oxford. 1942. Lecture.
Plantinga, Cornelius Jr. Engaging God’s World. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Co., 2002. Print
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