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Back to Subjects - Philosophy

Mere Christianity

Mere Christianity Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis, is written as set of guidelines of Christian belief. Lewis does not say there is any particular way to believe but he does make a point that the topic of religion itself is serious. As you consider whether you want to believe or not, you have to recognize how much thought it requires, and how thought provoking a process this decision is. Lewis covers Christianity in four different books within his book. In book one, Lewis discusses the Law of Nature and makes note of a tendency in humans of appealing to a standard of absolute truth in quarrels and arguments. He calls this standard the Law of Nature or the Moral Law. The Law isn't the same as the law of gravity because in the latter case, we have no choice but to obey physical laws. The Law that governs human conduct is distinct, then, from the "way the universe works." Lewis concludes that the moral law is alive and active in human lives. According to Lewis, science cannot be used to discover the mind behind the creation of the universe. In book two Lewis simply states what Christians believe. He talks about the major divisions within belief in God, and discusses what he calls Christianity-and-water. Lewis speaks on free will, Satan, and the nature of Christ. Book three contains The Three Parts of Morality. He discusses what he calls the cardinal virtues. According to old writers, there are seven virtues. Four are called cardinal and the other three are theological. Lewis argues for morality between man and man, and what a society would be like if it were completely Christian. He also discusses chastity, marriage, forgiveness, the great - sin pride and self-conceit, and gives another look at the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The fourth book is Lewis' argument for the doctrine of the trinity. Lewis’ argument in the third book is most important to the point I want to discuss. He argues through this chapter the Christian behavior. Morality is what he considers to be the basics of good Christian behavior. Lewis states that morality is not simply, "something that prevents you from having a good time", but rather morals are the “directions for running the human machine". Every moral rule is there to prevent wear and tear on the way machine operates. He realizes that is why the rules seem to be constantly getting in the way of are natural behavior. Lewis sees that some people think in terms of moral ideals not rules and obedience. Ideals suggest preference to personal taste. Something that subjective would be meaningless in practice. Idealistic notions are meaningless unless we try to carry them out. Acting on ideals requires rules. Lewis uses the analogy of the ship to show how ideals without rules can go wrong. If the ships keep on having crashes they will not be able to sail. If their steering gears do not work they will not be able to avoid crashes. The cardinal virtues are seven virtues that help guide us to have good morality. Prudence is the first virtue and is having the common sense enough to think about what you are doing and what are the consequences. Temperance is finding moderation in your lifestyle. Justice includes traits like honesty, the ability to give-and-take, keeping promises, and so on. Fortitude includes two kinds of courage: the kind that faces danger and the kind that endures pain. Lewis said the center virtue of Humility is to overcome the vice of Pride. Pride is at the root of many other symptomatic sins. Charity is Christian Love. Charity should not be ruled by emotions. It is a conscious choice to act as if you love someone. That goes for our love of God, too. Lewis next addresses the virtue of Hope. One profound point he makes is that "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." We were made for the Life to come, and we should nurture our hope for the time when we will be perfectly fulfilled in the presence of God. Beyond these virtues Lewis argues the importance of faith in moral law. It is faith that Lewis says will lead you to good action and over all good actions are all that matter in living out these virtues of a moral life. In essence only faith then, matters. These moral laws are Lewis’ most important message in the book because they provide the backbone for the Christian belief. The Laws both seem to be the tendency of human behavior but often times not the chosen actions of our behavior. Lewis refutes the fallacy that Christianity is about us performing to God's specifications that He has set down in the Moral Law. Our obedience to the Law does not bring about salvation. Our behavior is neither an exam on which we will be graded to gain entrance to Heaven, or it is not a bargain between humans and God that, if we keep our end of the deal by following the moral law then He will keep His end of the deal by granting us with eternal life. Following the laws merely gives us a way to chose a good virtuous life over the natural tendency to choose immoral things when it is inconvenient to do good and our desires call us in the other direction. In the beginning of the book Lewis compared situations where moral decisions were at stake, to keys on a piano. In some situations they keys were right and in others wrong, depending on the tune you are playing. In book three Lewis describes what the basic rudiments of “Moral music” thus defining the bounds of the songs we as humans can properly write and play and still be recognized as music. As in real music there is a structure and there are rules on how songs can be put together. When the structure is not followed it is very hard to play music that is beautiful to listen to because it would lack a melody with all the harmonies that are pleasing to the ear. As for the seven virtues and Moral law they guide the symphony of our life in which each day is new movement. Without the guidance of the Moral Laws, our life would be the same as jumbled notes on a page. Bibliography:

Word Count: 1089