First I’d like to talk to say I have a lot of respect for Both C. S. Lewis and Jordan, even though I am about to disagree with them.
"love may cause pain to it's object, but only on the supposition that that object needs alteration to become fully lovable." ((Page 48)
Jordan brought up the point that sometimes as humans we get mad at or blame God for the bad things that happen to us, and that the blame shouldn’t be put on Him, but should instead be put on ourselves, for being sinners. But if we do this then we are treading into a dangerous area in theology. We tread dangerously close to becoming a glory based religion, were by works we can earn blessings. When we can never earn any blessings and God only gives them as gifts. And if God can only give blessings, and we can’t earn them then it stands to reason that we can’t “earn” curses as well.
Also let us remember my favorite story from the bible, Job. Who was “One who was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and eschewed evil.” And yet the Lord allowed a lot of pain to happen to him. So I am unsure as to whether or pain is always about being changed. But that doesn’t mean that God is bad just because He allows pain. I think that the idea that Lewis gives us that God can’t have free creatures, while at the same time protect them from harm.
"And when men attempt to be Christians without this preliminary conciousness of sin, the result is almost bound to be a certain resentment against God as to one always inexplicably angry." (Page 50-51)
This is another point were Lewis treads dangerously closely to creating a theology of glory. Which might I point out is what Islam is. Now in a theology of glory, then once again the better we are the more blessed, and conversely the more pain we suffer the worse people we must be. And this doesn’t fix the problem of pain it creates a problem with blessing. Because then do people who have easy lives, do they not need to be changed? Are they perfectly “lovable” in God’s eyes? No because we are all sinners.
I say all this not claiming I have the answers, but just thinking I have some issues with the arguments I was hearing.
God Bless and Keep you,
Victoria Howie
Friday, October 3, 2008
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