I am letting all you in on a secret: I never read CS Lewis in school! But our wondrous Lord has directed me toward Lewis and his wondrous wit at a the ripe old age of 31. Having discovered Mere Christianity, I am now delving into the deeper wit and story telling of Lewis' discovery of the Screwtape Letters. I am going to comment on a series of these letters in a few different articles. Lewis' "discovery" of these letters from uncle Screwtape to Wormword (two agents of the devil working on "patients" in the attempt to save them from the enemy---Heaven, or GOD!) Through this ironic fictional tale, Lewis strikes a flush blow on reality.
Screwtape focus first on his "pupil" and his wanting to distance themselves from "arguing". "Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping from the Church. Don't waste time trying to make him think that materialism is true! Make him think it is strong, or stark, or courageous--this it is the philosophy of the future...the trouble about argument is that it moves the whole struggle to the Enemy's own ground." He further points out that "arguing" awakes reason. Once reason comes into play--evil will undoubtedly loose: "even if a particular train of thought can be twisted so as to end in our favour, you will find that you have been strengthening in your patient the fatal habit of attending the universal issues and withdrawing his attention from the stream of immediate sense experience." The bottom line is that Screwtape uses mans view of "REAL LIFE", to avoid "reality".
With the Presidential race about, all the buzz is inevitably focusing on the "issues". We hear the results of Screwtape in comments from candidates and voters alike. "This is 'real life'! A woman SHOULD have the right to choose'"; "This is 'real life'! 'Iraq was much better off before Bush invaded and took about a stable leader.' "This is 'real life"! 'We can't expect mothers to get off welfare--it is just TOO TOUGH out there for them'. "This is 'real life!' We can't actually expect teenagers to NOT have sex...don't be ridiculous! We have to give them condoms, HPV vaccine (because NOW sex is safe), and embrace all forms of perverted sex- because this makes us "strong...stark...courages...this is the philosophy of the future"- if we don't embrace this, we will be stuck in the past- like "old men in robes telling us what we can and cannot do".
Lewis "discovered" this book in the 1940's, but he could just have well of "discovered" it today. Obviously the absurd statements above are thoughts planted by the devil. Screwtape, I'm sure is getting great bonus checks these days. Life is tough--that is true REALITY---GET OVER IT!!! No CROSS no GLORY. Look at your calendar!! Really go get a calendar! March 21, 2008 comes before March 23, 2008! (GOOD FRIDAY- always comes before EASTER Sunday- always and forever, that is the way God made it).
Abortion is evil---no matter what the circumstances. In reality, and "unwanted" child is inconvenient- but being murdered by your own mother is much more "inconvenient". Society is infatuated with sex- especially with the idea of young people having sex. Here is a quick lesson in human anthropology---the human body will not perish if it does not have sex---it is physically possible to NOT have sex when one is young and not married (call me an OLD MAN!). I could go on and on...how about the idea of "old men in robes" telling me what to do. AMEN, AMEN!:
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Mat 16: 17-19). I say, Mr. "old man wearing a robe" "Tell me more, tell me what I need to do! I will listen, because my Lord-the only begotten Son of the Father--tells us all that this is the way to salvation! "Real life" is not salvation! "Reality" is that salvation is only achieved by going through the cross! If we avoid "real life" and embrace the "Reality" of the cross- then, in the loving embrace of our Lord, we will here the words (Father Corapi ends many of his talks with) "Well done, my good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master's house". God Bless!
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