This essay was one of the ones that I enjoyed the most from the ones we have read so far. I liked that it was written for the purpose of non-believers, but believers can also get much pleasure from it. Lewis's arguments for answering the question of whether you can lead a good life without believing in Christianity are beautifully written, and so logical at the same time. His logical thinking is evident when he essentially answers this question in saying that "if Christianity should happen to be true, then it is quite im- possible that those who know this truth and those who don't should be equally well equipped for leading a good life. Knowl- edge of the facts must make a difference to one's actions. Suppose you found a man on the point of starvation and wanted to do the right thing. If you had no knowledge of medical science, you would probably give him a large solid meal; and as a result your man would die". This makes it clear that knowing the truth is what will enable one to lead a good life.
If the key then to leading a good life is the truth, then we must figure out what the truth is. I find it interesting that Christians are sure that God is the truth and are committed to living their lives as Christians, whereas people who do not believe in Christianity pretend to believe that that there is no God - and that to them is truth. Yet, they ask the question: "'Can't I lead a good life without believing in Christianity?'... If he hadn't heard of Christianity he would not be asking this question. If, having heard of it, and having seriously considered it, he had decided that it was untrue, then once more he would not be asking the question. The man who asks this question has heard of Christianity and is by no means certain that it may not be true". This is so interesting, and the fact that a person has tried to convince themselves that Christianity is not true, but continues to ask about it should tell us something, should it not? It reminds me of the bible when it says that we are created with the ability and conscience to seek out God, which is exactly what this unbeliever is doing when questioning their beliefs. This overlaps quite nicely with the discussion of honest error, and ignorance of God, and who will be the ones to go to heaven. I know there are many different ideas about this, about whether God will show mercy to those who honestly cannot believe in their hearts. But, overall I do not think we can decipher this, or find a definite answer, for we cannot look into their hearts. It is a good thing to discuss, but in the end, God will be the judge. He is the one that knows the truth about the secrets in our hearts. Since God is perfect, and he is a God of justice and grace, we should not be concerned about this. Let's leave it to the Creator.
A life of uncertainty is not a life worth living in my opinion. To me, it's like trying drive a car in two directions at once - impossible. So, for us as humans, we should get busy asking questions and finding what the truth is about our universe and follow that truth. "You may not be certain yet whether you ought to be a Christian; but you do know you ought to be a Man,
not an ostrich, hiding its head in the sand". I agree with Lewis that finding this truth is essential, but still just the beginning of living a good life. Without truth there is no morality, and "[m]orality is a mountain which we cannot climb by our own efforts; and if we could we should only perish in the ice and unbreathable air of the summit, lacking those wings with which the rest of the journey has to be accomplished. For it is from there that the real ascent begins. The ropes and axes are 'done away' and the rest is a matter of flying". I know this quote has already been overused in class, but it is such an elegant and true illustration of how beautiful and meaningful life is. But, to be able to live this life, the first step for every human being is to seek out the truth. We cannot live life going in two directions. We can't swim in an ocean of uncertainty forever. At some point we need land, solid ground, a truth that is dependable no matter what.
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" - John 14:6
No comments:
Post a Comment