A Reflection on C.s. Lewis's Book Mere Christianity

The author, C. S. Lewis, gives an account of the Christian belief. Before writing this book he had used materials for an informal radio broadcast. The book is broken up into several chapters that are very detailed so that you understand each and every point Lewis is trying to make. Lewis starts this book with talking about the law of human nature. This talks about how humans behave in a certain way, and cannot figure out why. They know there is a right and wrong and they use this to their advantage. He talks about proving people really did know about the law of nature or they wouldnt know they were doing right or wrong. He discusses the Moral Law which he feels tells us the tune we have to play and that our instincts are merely the keys. This moral law isnt any one instinct to do right or wrong but rather directs these instincts.

In the early chapters it discusses the materialist view, which is the view that matter and space just happen to exist and always have existed, yet no one knows why. Then you have the religious view, which believes the universe is more like a mind than it is like anything else we know. Of course, Christians believe in the religious view and know that mind to be God in the third dimensional sense, which is later discussed.

Lewis then goes on to discuss what Christians believe and why Christians differ from other religions, but respect that religion because no matter what other things are involved everyone prays and worships the same God. Christianity believes God made the world and all its wonderful aspects, attributes, avenues, items, whatever. Lewis talks about Dualism, that being a belief that there are two equal and independent powers at the back of everything, one of them good and the other bad, example God verses devil. Lewis goes on to talk about how God leads each and everyone of us in our walk on earth and then onto everlasting life. He discusses that we all have rights and wrongs and that our choices are sometimes good and sometimes bad. He enforces our forgiving God. He says that in order for us to do right, we must sometimes do wrong, you must fail to eventually succeed. This teaches us and brings us closer to God. He discusses morality in several issues. One point he !

made was The Golden Rule of the New Testament, Do as you would be done by. He then goes on and talks about loving thy neighbor. He makes an interesting point that you dont love your neighbors actions but the actual being. He discusses the seven virtues, four of them are called Cardinal virtues and the remaining three are called Theological virtues. The cardinal virtues are ones that all civilized people recognize. The theological are ones that only Christians know about. Lewis discusses faith and its importance and then goes on to making and begetting. To beget is to become the father of: to create is to make. When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. He uses this in reference to God creating his son and begetting refers to how he is trying to have all his children mirror him. Lewis follows up this book by mentioning that if we give up ourselves we will find our true selves. Lose your life and you will save it. Look in yourself and you will find all those negatives, but look for Christ and you will find him and all his wonderful offerings.

One strength of the book was how well Lewis supported his points. He would state a point, explain and then use a story to make his readers understand how this fits into their lives. I have heard love thy neighbor several hundred times in my life, but now I have an entirely different feeling of this statement. I did not understand the way in which I should separate ones actions from their being. Its not as hard for me to forgive an action as the entire persons makeup. Throughout the book I was convinced that Lewis is a Christian and believes in his faith whole-heartedly. He stresses the need for God and for one to understand how God affects each one of us. I was particularly gracious in the way he explained the three dimensions of God: the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. His analogy of lines, boxes and dimensions helped me to see something Ive always believed.

I think Lewis had a hard life, especially in war times, and that he found comfort with God. I think that this book is almost like a testimonial with such a passion. I dont know if reading this book will make me a better person, even though I hope so, but I feel that I am closer in my understanding in certain areas with God. I feel like I have been given a different way to look at Gods teachings and I feel I can grow more in my own personal faith.

I cannot believe that this book was first on a radio program. I had to read several statements two and three times just to grasp the concept. I would have never been able to keep up if this was a radio show. It seems to me that the depth of this information is not radio friendly.

I felt that Lewis was very critical and lengthy when he discussed sex. I realize he is an older gentleman, but I felt that he made it sound dirty, deceitful and wrong. Children should not, in my view, be the only reason to be intimate with your partner. I feel the world today has over done it when they use sexual advertisement, comments, and ect. However God has given us that inner mechanism to filter the good and the bad out. One should ignore and turn the other cheek when another is doing wrong. Just because youre given information doesnt mean that you have to use it. Forgiveness will come to those who sin right?

I wasnt sure if the misspelling in the book was on purpose or something that is from the old school in English. It was quite irritating to me because Lewis seems so intellectual and misspelling shows ignorance. Luckily, this wasnt a big factor in my accepting the information I was given.

The one thing that leaves me thinking is the time issue. That God keeps no time, i.e. past, present, future. I know God is with me at any hour I need him, but Ive never really thought about him not being on the same time as me. If I am part of God I have a hard time separating that he doesnt have a schedule such as mine. Lewis made an excellent point that caught me off guard. I wasnt someone who questioned that God couldnt answer everyones prayers at one time. Now that Lewis has made a time issue I will reflect on this information and probably have a different outlook in my future with Gods frequent demands on his callers.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it made me go into waters that I did not know anything about. I accepted something, just because I had been told over and over in the past. Now I feel I have substantial evidence to back certain areas up. God is wonderful and everything he gives us is wonderful. I hope I can lead a life that gives back to God, since he has given so much to me.

The author, C. S. Lewis, gives an account of the Christian belief. Before writing this book he had used materials for an informal radio broadcast. The book is broken up into several chapters that are very detailed so that you understand each and every point Lewis is trying to make. Lewis starts this book with talking about the law of human nature. This talks about how humans behave in a certain way, and cannot figure out why. They know there is a right and wrong and they use this to their advantage. He talks about proving people really did know about the law of nature or they wouldnt know they were doing right or wrong. He discusses the Moral Law which he feels tells us the tune we have to play and that our instincts are merely the keys. This moral law isnt any one instinct to do right or wrong but rather directs these instincts.

In the early chapters it discusses the materialist view, which is the view that matter and space just happen to exist and always have existed, yet no one knows why. Then you have the religious view, which believes the universe is more like a mind than it is like anything else we know. Of course, Christians believe in the religious view and know that mind to be God in the third dimensional sense, which is later discussed.

Lewis then goes on to discuss what Christians believe and why Christians differ from other religions, but respect that religion because no matter what other things are involved everyone prays and worships the same God. Christianity believes God made the world and all its wonderful aspects, attributes, avenues, items, whatever. Lewis talks about Dualism, that being a belief that there are two equal and independent powers at the back of everything, one of them good and the other bad, example God verses devil. Lewis goes on to talk about how God leads each and everyone of us in our walk on earth and then onto everlasting life. He discusses that we all have rights and wrongs and that our choices are sometimes good and sometimes bad. He enforces our forgiving God. He says that in order for us to do right, we must sometimes do wrong, you must fail to eventually succeed. This teaches us and brings us closer to God. He discusses morality in several issues. One point he !

made was The Golden Rule of the New Testament, Do as you would be done by. He then goes on and talks about loving thy neighbor. He makes an interesting point that you dont love your neighbors actions but the actual being. He discusses the seven virtues, four of them are called Cardinal virtues and the remaining three are called Theological virtues. The cardinal virtues are ones that all civilized people recognize. The theological are ones that only Christians know about. Lewis discusses faith and its importance and then goes on to making and begetting. To beget is to become the father of: to create is to make. When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. He uses this in reference to God creating his son and begetting refers to how he is trying to have all his children mirror him. Lewis follows up this book by mentioning that if we give up ourselves we will find our true selves. Lose your life and you will save it. Look in yourself and you will find all those negatives, but look for Christ and you will find him and all his wonderful offerings.

One strength of the book was how well Lewis supported his points. He would state a point, explain and then use a story to make his readers understand how this fits into their lives. I have heard love thy neighbor several hundred times in my life, but now I have an entirely different feeling of this statement. I did not understand the way in which I should separate ones actions from their being. Its not as hard for me to forgive an action as the entire persons makeup. Throughout the book I was convinced that Lewis is a Christian and believes in his faith whole-heartedly. He stresses the need for God and for one to understand how God affects each one of us. I was particularly gracious in the way he explained the three dimensions of God: the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. His analogy of lines, boxes and dimensions helped me to see something Ive always believed.

I think Lewis had a hard life, especially in war times, and that he found comfort with God. I think that this book is almost like a testimonial with such a passion. I dont know if reading this book will make me a better person, even though I hope so, but I feel that I am closer in my understanding in certain areas with God. I feel like I have been given a different way to look at Gods teachings and I feel I can grow more in my own personal faith.

I cannot believe that this book was first on a radio program. I had to read several statements two and three times just to grasp the concept. I would have never been able to keep up if this was a radio show. It seems to me that the depth of this information is not radio friendly.

I felt that Lewis was very critical and lengthy when he discussed sex. I realize he is an older gentleman, but I felt that he made it sound dirty, deceitful and wrong. Children should not, in my view, be the only reason to be intimate with your partner. I feel the world today has over done it when they use sexual advertisement, comments, and ect. However God has given us that inner mechanism to filter the good and the bad out. One should ignore and turn the other cheek when another is doing wrong. Just because youre given information doesnt mean that you have to use it. Forgiveness will come to those who sin right?

I wasnt sure if the misspelling in the book was on purpose or something that is from the old school in English. It was quite irritating to me because Lewis seems so intellectual and misspelling shows ignorance. Luckily, this wasnt a big factor in my accepting the information I was given.

The one thing that leaves me thinking is the time issue. That God keeps no time, i.e. past, present, future. I know God is with me at any hour I need him, but Ive never really thought about him not being on the same time as me. If I am part of God I have a hard time separating that he doesnt have a schedule such as mine. Lewis made an excellent point that caught me off guard. I wasnt someone who questioned that God couldnt answer everyones prayers at one time. Now that Lewis has made a time issue I will reflect on this information and probably have a different outlook in my future with Gods frequent demands on his callers.

I really enjoyed this book, even though it made me go into waters that I did not know anything about. I accepted something, just because I had been told over and over in the past. Now I feel I have substantial evidence to back certain areas up. God is wonderful and everything he gives us is wonderful. I hope I can lead a life that gives back to God, since he has given so much to me.