God in the Dock: 6th 3 Essays

  Lewis is a superb apologist for Christianity, and in “What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ” he demonstrates irrefutably that Christ is precisely what he claimed to be and his followers confirmed him to be.  He was the Son of God become man, and his Resurrection shows that “a new mode of being has arisen in the Universe.”

In “The Pains of Animals” we have Prof Joad’s carefully posed objections to Lewis’s handling of the problem in “The Problem of Pain,” which is an excellent response to what is indeed a very difficult problem for the rationalist.  Then Lewis offers his response, which is certainly the best possible one.

I would like to observe that the whole interchange illustrates the limits of rational thinking.  Acceptance of Christianity and fellowship with God depends ultimately on repentance and faith, not reasoned understanding.  Certainly Christian apologists can come up with reasoned defenses of Christian thought which are superior to all atheistic positions, but it does not follow that all issues are completely satisfied to the mind and can be dismissed.

While God has endowed mankind with keen rational minds, the Bible is clear and human experience attests that reason has its limitations. Old Testament authors wrestle with the problem of why do the wicked prosper and the upright suffer, and they come to no rationally satisfying conclusions.  Instead, they place their trust in his wisdom, relying upon his will, and contemplating the eternal end of the wicked.

      One may recall, for instance, Isaiah 55:8,9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  It is faith, and faith alone, in God’s overriding love and gracious purposes that brings satisfaction  and inner peace.

In making the distinction that he does between Faith A and Faith B in the essay “Is Theism Important,” Lewis underscores how clearly he sees this vitally important distinction between the purely intellectual and the experiential..  In reading this essay, I expected Lewis to emphasize that essential Christian faith involves belief in and commitment to the significance of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but I’m confident he would agree.


Comments

Tim M said…
What are we to do with Jesus? From the sceptic he proposes two aspects of His life: one, that He was a great moral teacher ... And all seem to agree there so no argument. But that He was unique in His claims to be God, Lewis goes to great length to show that He was not in the same league as other"religious" leaders but made claims very much different and claiming to be one with God ... And His works and resurrection proved it. So it really isn't what we do with Him ... It's not our judgement call... But it is up to us to believe Him. It's what do we do with us.

Pain of animals ... I think I missed the point here. Pain to me is a bodily function the purpose of which is to preserve our life ... Not just the result of the fall. I believe that if Adam stepped on a sharp rock he would feel pain. An animal too would feel pain when something affected its being that was harmful to the preservation of its life.

Thank you for your thoughts on the limits of rational thoughts and arguments. I would agree. And I think that may have been at the heart of Lewis's thoughts about faith A and B. Faith is more than just acknowledgement but a heartfelt trust.

April 20, 2022 at 6:14 PM
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