mere christanity
C.S. Lewis begins his book, "Mere Christianity", by introducing the Law of Right and Wrong or the Laws of Nature. This, however, arises a question. What is the Law of Nature? The Law of Nature is the known difference between right and wrong. That is, mans distinction between what is right and what is wrong. "This law was called the Law of Nature because people thought that everyone knew it and did not need to be taught it"(18). Lewis relates the law to how we treat others. We treat others the way we want to be treated and if they treat us poorly in return we become agitated and annoyed with them. He states that we become a society of excuses when something goes wrong. He goes on to say that we want to behave in a certain way when in reality we do the opposite of what is right or what is wrong. We are humans and humans have primal instincts. We are all capable of using our instincts to do right or wrong. Lewis uses an example of a drowning man to prove this point. When one sees a man in trouble two desires or instincts kick into play, to save the man or ignore him because the situation at hand could endanger you. However, there in another impulse that says help the man. With this comes a conflict of instincts. Do
Lewis now raises the question about Christianity being hard or easy. Lewis believes "that the more you obey your conscience the more you conscience will demand of you"(169). This will lead to anger and then you will either give up totally or live for others needs and not the needs of yourself. Lewis says that the Christian way is both harder and easier then giving into your conscience. Lewis goes on to ask if we as Christians should be nicer then non-Christians. We as men are all the same. It is all on how man lives his life. Lewis ends the book with the question; If a nice world would be easier to save than a miserable one? A nice world would be in as much need from God as a miserable world, its all how man lives his life. Lewis then moves to a discussion of the divine personality, the three personal God. Most people believe in a personal God, a mysterious something behind a mysterious force. Lewis describes God's personality as being on a divine level. Theology is practical and the one instrument for learning about God is the whole Christian community. This leads us to believe that God is in three parts: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. "God is love." In Lewis' view this statement is not true unless there are a Father and a Son because love is for another person. "Love is God" on the other hand describes God's creation of us and all that we do. The Trinity is in fact God both as Supreme Being, son made flesh, and as a spirit. This in Lewis's view is what all of Christianity is about. Social morality is a discussion of morality between man and man. Lewis believes that Christ did not preach anything in new regards to morality. The real job of a moral teacher is to bring us back to old principles we do not care for. Lewis introduces the phrase "The church ought to give us a lead"(80). When he says church he means the whole body of Christians. This means that he wants see these Christians to govern the others who are farther behind in their faith. This leads him to begin talking about charity and who should give and how much they should give. He believes that we should give more then we can spare. He seems to express that we are a society of cheap and greedy people. I feel that in the eyes of God all we give does not add up to all he returns.
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Approximate Word count = 6193
Approximate Pages = 25 (250 words per page double spaced)
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