I found a copy of C.S. Lewis' book, Mere Christianity, in a box at work (containing books left by clients at the Mission). Years ago, I had read the introduction and found some things in there very offensive. Last night, I was skimming through it to find those parts, and started reading and skimming other parts of it too. So far, I haven't found any Scripture in it (from all that I have read in the book, he certainly has a low view of the inspiration of Scripture - believing it is simply men writing their religious experience down, not as the Word of God and the only source of objective truth) - and he is so off the wall it isn't funny. Where are Christians' discernment?!?
Aside from various references about believers being/becoming Christs themselves (rather than becoming more Christlike), this was quite disturbing:
"The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor it is a command to do the impossbile. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible), that we were 'gods' and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him - for we can prevent Him, if we choose - He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful, but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said." (Taken from pages 205-206 of the edition I have, the last 2 pages of chapter 9.)
If you read C.S. Lewis or have ever promoted his books - or especially this book - Wake up people!!
C.S. Lewis also believed in Universalism:
This is taken from pages 202, and 204-206 of The Last Battle, the seventh book in the Narnia series.
In chapter 15, one evil character, Emeth, finds himself through the door (representing Heaven), surprised to be there. He thought he was going to meet Tash (the god of evil - and yes, the series does teach dualism and does refer to Tash as a god) in there. Instead, he runs into Aslan. (This is not the account of some evil person repenting and turning to the Lord - ie. Aslan, according to the novel - in faith, but of someone who was still determined to pursue evil [going through the door specifically to meet/see Tash face to face] and was surprised at where he was and at Aslan's attitude towards him.)
"For always since I was a boy I have served Tash and my great desire was to know more of him, if it might be, to look upon his face. But the name of Aslan was hateful to me...
Then I looked about me and saw the sky and the wide lands and smelled the sweetness. And I said, By the Gods, this is a pleasant place: it may be that I am come into the country of Tash. And I began to journey into the strange country to seek him...
...there came to meet me a great Lion... Then I fell at his feet and thought, surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him... But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me... I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him... But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."
So, according to Lewis, if we serve Satan all our days, as long as we are sincere, God accepts that as service to Himself. What blasphemy!!
Aside from various references about believers being/becoming Christs themselves (rather than becoming more Christlike), this was quite disturbing:
"The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor it is a command to do the impossbile. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible), that we were 'gods' and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him - for we can prevent Him, if we choose - He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, a dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful, but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said." (Taken from pages 205-206 of the edition I have, the last 2 pages of chapter 9.)
If you read C.S. Lewis or have ever promoted his books - or especially this book - Wake up people!!
C.S. Lewis also believed in Universalism:
This is taken from pages 202, and 204-206 of The Last Battle, the seventh book in the Narnia series.
In chapter 15, one evil character, Emeth, finds himself through the door (representing Heaven), surprised to be there. He thought he was going to meet Tash (the god of evil - and yes, the series does teach dualism and does refer to Tash as a god) in there. Instead, he runs into Aslan. (This is not the account of some evil person repenting and turning to the Lord - ie. Aslan, according to the novel - in faith, but of someone who was still determined to pursue evil [going through the door specifically to meet/see Tash face to face] and was surprised at where he was and at Aslan's attitude towards him.)
"For always since I was a boy I have served Tash and my great desire was to know more of him, if it might be, to look upon his face. But the name of Aslan was hateful to me...
Then I looked about me and saw the sky and the wide lands and smelled the sweetness. And I said, By the Gods, this is a pleasant place: it may be that I am come into the country of Tash. And I began to journey into the strange country to seek him...
...there came to meet me a great Lion... Then I fell at his feet and thought, surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him... But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, Son, thou art welcome. But I said, Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash. Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me... I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him... But I said also (for the truth constrained me), Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days. Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek."
So, according to Lewis, if we serve Satan all our days, as long as we are sincere, God accepts that as service to Himself. What blasphemy!!
You've made some excellent points. Yes, Lewis was brilliant but also was mistaken in some doctrine. He read 10's of thousands of books but I don't know how many Christian doctrinal books or sermons. Perhaps that flawed his understanding.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the Last Battle book, when I read it years ago I thought this was weird too. The worst of the 7 books by far. But "The Horse and His Boy" I thought was the best story and that took place mostly in the fictional country where "Emeth" was from. A country which worshipped "Tash" as their god.
I thought that Lewis was attempting to say that a member of every tribe and tonque would be saved. But you made some good points that maybe Lewis was saying something else. The character that was thrown through the door was someone trying to find God, but never had a knowledge of who He really was, by name. He thought it was the fictional "Tash" character. I didn't think that this character "Emeth" was seeking evil. "no service which is vile can be done to me" So apparently in the book Emeth didn't do vile things. Regardless, this was a stupid thing to put in a children's book that could have been left out.