Friday, January 14, 2011

Mere Christianity

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis takes on a whole different approach to Christianity than most people had ever thought of before. Lewis takes a step back and presents Christianity in a way that is not demanding, forceful, or degrading in any way for people at all levels of their faith walk.

What was interesting to me was how Lewis started at the very basics. Instead of some blunt statement which states that Christianity is the only possible answer and anyone who thinks differently is crazy, Lewis calmly explains things such as a law of human nature, moral law, and law of decent behavior. He then logically explains how there must be a higher being, but does not rush into saying that the God of Christianity is the only choice: "Do not think I am going faster than I really am. I am not yet within a hundred miles of the God of Christian theology." In the first four chapters, Lewis logically concluded that there must be a higher being that controls the universe, because of the moral law that humans have regarding right and wrong.

These chapters really got me to think about Christianity logically. I think so often Christianity is thought of as some far fetched religion that serves a God that cannot even be seen. There is a lot of faith and trust required for Christianity, but Lewis also shows that there is also evidence that can put away doubts people have about Christianity. Lewis, with his conclusions, is coming at Christianity from the bottom up, which may satisfy even the most logical thinker. I really admire Lewis for this, because I tend to be more of a logical thinker. I have a strong faith in God and believe strongly in His existence; however, I really like it when things make sense based on reason. Lewis is able to prove that a higher being exists by logical reasoning, and these four chapters really make me want to continue reading Mere Christianity so that I can hear the rest of his explanations for him believing what he does. After all, he must have pretty strong arguments after being a devout Atheist and then being converted to Christianity.

4 comments:

  1. I think that as christians we usually want to say that everything other than what we believe is absurd on face value, or if that does not work, say it is a matter of faith that cannot be proven either way. I think the value of Lewis is that he is willing to straddle those two positions. He argues logically, but he takes the other positions seriously. He is also points out the exceptions and incongruities that would usually be used by his opponents, and attempts to explain them, rather than hoping no one will notice. The rest of the book is really good, and would definitely be worthwhile reading.

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  2. I like your initial comments about how lewis doesn't touch the topic of denominations. which is very smart for him, because often times Christians argue over doctrine instead of just enjoying fellowship

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  3. I really like how you commented about Lewis' logical explanation of why God exists. I think as Christians we take for granted that we understand that God exists and therefore assume that everyone should understand this. Because of this assumption we jump off into the idea that God sent his Son to save us from our sins by death on a cross. This is the key to Christianity, however, I think it can be confusing for non Christians if they don't understand the foundation of God existing, creating the world, and our sinfulness. I think this misconception is what leads up to focusing more on doctrine than evangelism.

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  4. Great thoughts on Lewis' first four chapters. I would completely agree that Lewis' logical thinking was quite refreshing. I'm so used to thinking of Christianity as an emotional choice, and we tend to explain it to others in this same tone. Though I think emotion-based 'evangelism' is very important, this logical thinking that Lewis presents shows a new perspective on the whole story.

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