Time goes by; and the longer I think about it, the more likely it appears that there are a lot of holes in C.S. Lewis’ theology. For instance:
I thought this was the berries, eight years ago–but it isn’t, is it? God’s Word is true whether we believe in it our now. Our belief does not make it true. Our disbelief does not make it false. It’s true because it comes from God.
But “Jack” Lewis was a devoted servant of God who had a long, long way to go even to reach the level of theology that informs his Narnia books. Those–and I do love them–contain some serious errors.
Let’s be charitable toward a fellow servant. And really, he did accomplish much that was good.
Reason the original post, from 2015, I got the impression that Puddlegum was bringing his argument down to the level of the witch, and not sincerely entertaining the idea that Narnia wasn’t real. Keep in mind, also, the context, that they were under a spell, and this is fiction, where contradictions occasionally sneak in.
I’ve actually had conversations with various friends which have certain parallels. A friend of mine once told me that one day, he realized that the lovely grandchildren in his life would one day grow old, and eventually die. He believes in God, and redemption, but his point was that if he was wrong about this, there was nothing he could do about it. If one posits that all of this is the product of random chance, and there is no Creator, and no Redeemer, there is nothing we can do to change that.
Romans, chapter one, tells us that God’s qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation, onward, and that makes failure to acknowledge God and inexcusable act. I agree. I would like to think of myself as a man of science, and I am continually seeking to learn more about the world around me. The more I learn, the more I take note of the hand of God. The beauty of God’s work displays His genius (genius seems too small of a word) and displays His kindness.
The deer which roam freely in my neighborhood are strikingly beautiful creatures, and the cat curled on my lap is not only a beautiful creature, but dispenses affection, freely. I cannot believe that these two examples came about by chance. How about the delightful nature of children, who can lighten any mood with their sincerity, humor and innocence? Most adults are kindly disposed towards children, and in the animal kingdom, it’s common for adult animals to have a nurturing attitude towards young animals, at times even crossing species boundaries. Are these not attributes from God? If not, why do humans find this so heart warming? It’s because we value life, itself.
If there were no purpose, no Creator, and no hope for a better future in the Kingdom of God, would we be better for imagining these things? Well, at the very least, these would provide a reason to strive for to be better people. Of life is only survival of the fittest, how far do we take that?
With strict adherence to survival as the only governing force, how long would it be before someone would choose to eliminate the lives of anyone that they felt stood in their way? We need only to look at history, or to the news of recent crimes, to find the answer. Humans can be as brutal as any natural predator, if they have no sense of serving a higher cause of justice and respect for lives. Recent notorious crimes Bear this out in the smaller, personal scale, but evil men of history have caused the death of literally millions. That’s a lot of blood on one pair of hands.
I am an imperfect man. I’ve made mistakes which I regret, even decades after the fact, but I’ve always understood that there is a Creator, and I want to do what is right. Sometimes, I even succeed. If you were to balance the scales of even very good men, they would still be found wanting. We are born into a sinful state, and our only hope is in Christ. That’s it: Christ is the way, and the truth and the life. We can only approach the Father, through Christ.
Is this true? Is there really a Redeemer, who can close the gap of my shortcomings and make me acceptable to our Heavenly Father? It’s tempting to say that time will tell, but that falls short in its own right. We can see the power of this at work in today’s world. The greatest rate of growth in Christianity happens in places that seek to oppress it, such as Iran and China.
While I’ve considered myself a Christian, all of my life, as my understanding grew, and I was able to cast away some false impressions garnered from the milieu in which I was raised, I’ve seen the power of this in my own life. I’ve also seen this at work in the lives of others, around me. I cannot honestly deny this power, or seriously entertain the thought that it is imaginary.
Persons whom decisively accept Christ and reject manmade doctrines see growth and a greater sense of direction operating in their everyday lives, while the indecisive fall into a state of confusion and inner conflict. Indecisive ones go around in circles, their opinions in a constant state of flux, and every aspect of their lives is negatively impacted.
It reminds me of a former coworker, who was about as innocuous as a person could be, but he was so obsessed with offending no one, that he was ineffectual, even to the point of not defending his own legitimate interests. I’ve seen this phenomenon in a number of people, driven about by the waves, and floundering through life, and this describes the darkened underworld of the witch in Lewis’ book. With no light, and no direction, even the most powerful eventually flounder. Have you ever noticed how many villainous rulers end up seeking shelter, literally underground?
Well said; I hope it does some good. We need it around here.