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We are in Book 2 of Mere Chrisitanity

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Book 1 was title ‘Right and Wrong as
a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe'

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Lewis explained

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the ‘Moral Law,’ or the
‘Law of Right and Wrong,’

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that exists within humans,
which can also be referred to

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as the ‘Law of Human Nature'

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He presented various evidence to argue

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that this law could not exist within us

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without something behind it

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Ultimately, Lewis revealed that the being

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behind the Law of Human Nature

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is God the Good Lord

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Book 1 served as a preliminary
explanation to prepare for Book 2

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where Lewis explained foundational
truths of Christianity,

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or the question of what we believe

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Mere Christianity Book 2
What Christians Believe

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Chapter 1 The Rival Conceptions of God

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Now, in Book 2, Lewis presents
the core truths of Christianity,

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the pure message of the gospel,

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of what we believe

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Ultimately, Lewis begins by
explaining various concepts

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that compete with the idea of God,

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the being behind
the ‘Law of Right and Wrong'

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Chapter 1, titled
‘Rival Conceptions of God,’

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explores these competing ideas

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As he outlines various
human ideas about God,

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Lewis first discusses atheism,
the most common view

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It argues that God does not exist

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and is merely a human illusion
or a misconception

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However, believing that
God does not exist

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is a much harder claim and belief

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than believing that He does

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Atheism is also a form of belief,

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where they believe God does not exist

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C.S. Lewis has already argued

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why one can't assert God’s non-existence

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It is because ‘Law of Right and Wrong’,

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the Moral Law inherent
within human nature,

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serves as evidence that
points to God’s existence

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He briefly dismisses atheism as

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not worth discussing

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Next, he explains another
competing concept of God

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that is hidden within religious forms

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It is called pantheism

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Pantheism equates the universe with God,

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merging the idea that
God transcends good and evil

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and is immanent in all things

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within the material universe

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This is a different form of
naturalism, known as deism,

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which worships the laws of nature as God

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It acknowledges no existence of God

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and venerates the universe as a god

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So it is a form of atheism

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Pantheism is atheism
in religious disguise

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In contrast to this is deism,

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which was popular in the Middle Ages

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It believes in a God the Creator

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but no longer intervenes,

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leaving the laws of the universe

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to operate as if they were
divine in themselves

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This is the logic of deism

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C.S. Lewis does not mention
naturalism in the book,

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but he discusses atheism and pantheism

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He explains pantheism,

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which suggests God appears to exist

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but actually does not,

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distorting God’s true nature

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To understand what God is like,

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many people wonder about the reasons

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behind various occurrences in the world,

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especially the presence of evil

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During C.S. Lewis’s time,
World War II was taking place

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He questioned why wars occur,

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why people kill each other,

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and what drives individuals

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to take others’ lives

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in pursuit of their own power

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These questions led him to

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deeply ponder the origins of evil,

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which arose from the era’s circumstances

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C.S. Lewis addresses these questions

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by explaining the good
and evil in coexistence

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and the nature of God

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So the question in Chapter 1 goes,

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If, as the Bible claims,
a good God created the world,

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why is the world still so flawed?

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This is a common argument

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made by atheists based on such claims

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'Seeing the injustices in this world,

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I cannot believe that God exists'

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'If God exists and is good,

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why does He allow injustice in the world?'

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Seeing injustice leads one to believe

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that God does not exist,

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Even if He does, He cannot be good

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These are some examples

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C.S. Lewis addresses these questions

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by challenging their
underlying assumptions

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If the world is unjust,

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doesn’t that judgment require a standard

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of goodness to make such a determination?

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How can one judge the world
as unjust without presupposing

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a standard of goodness and a good being?

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When people judge the world as unjust,

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it reflects their belief

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in the Law of Right and Wrong in Book 1

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This judgment presupposes
a good God behind that law

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Therefore, claiming

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that God does not exist in light of

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the world’s injustice is logically flawed

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This means that whenever
we make a judgment,

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there must be an underlying standard

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The philosopher Immanuel Kant,
an Enlightenment thinker,

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said ‘Dare to Know'

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This philosophical phrase inspired many

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"Test all against reason”
It argues

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“Doubt sacred traditions"
that we should engage in skepticism,

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uestioning everything

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and verifying it through reason

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But when evaluating a thought or event,

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there must be a standard,
or a reference point

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Whether we call it a
worldview, value system,

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or belief, the problem lies in the fact

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that humans lack the ability

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to interpret

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 and assess these premises simultaneously

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The claim by philosophers

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that we should doubt, evaluate,

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and accept everything

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through reason is self-contradictory

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So, when we view the world as unjust,

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that judgment requires a standard

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Declaring something unjust
assumes the existence

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of a righteous being

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or standard as a reference

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Thus, that God does not exist

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 because the world is unjust
is inherently contradictory

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This is how C.S. Lewis makes his argument

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Mere Christianity Book 2
What Christians Believe

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Chapter 2 The Invasion

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The title of Chapter 2 is 'The Invasion'

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The word 'Invasion' is interesting

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Here, the term ‘Invasion’
is a combative expression

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Lewis often enjoyed using the phrase,

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‘Christianity is a fighting religion'

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“It is a worldview term that reflects

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the state of this world

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Here lies a perspective
on history and worldview,

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the idea that the world is at war

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God and Satan are at war,
good and evil are at war,

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and God’s people are at war
with the forces of Satan

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We are living in the midst of this war

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But why use the term ‘invasion’?

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It implies that this world
is a rebellious realm,

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occupied by forces of rebels

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or rebelling forces,
a world claimed and held by rebels

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God desires to reclaim this world,

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which has been occupied by rebels,

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and to restore His Kingdom
and His sovereignty

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Thus, God is the invading God

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Therefore, Christianity is not about

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comforting someone through ideas

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It is a faith that reveals

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(Between Good and Evil)
a monumental, hidden war in history

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He explains that

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Jesus entered the territory
of His enemies in disguise,

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into the world as the Commander
to restore it to God’s kingdom

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He explains that if one wishes

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to receive ally news or
understand the mission,

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they should go to church

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The church, therefore, is
composed of the people of God

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who, together with Jesus Christ,
the Commander of the church,

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infiltrate this world
occupied by enemy forces

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to reclaim God’s kingdom

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This view directly rejects dualism

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that has persisted throughout history

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Dualism claims that good and evil coexist,

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that these forces coexist in the world

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as equal and opposing powers

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Augustine, in his youth,
(Great thinker of the early church)

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was once influenced by
the Manichaean dualist heresy

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In his Confessions, Augustine addresses

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the problem of dualism,

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explaining evil’s origin as
'a distortion of the human will’

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Reading C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity,

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I was certain he read
Augustine’s Confessions,

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'Turning away from God (pride)'
where Augustine repents

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of his involvement with Manichaeism

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and critiques the problem of dualism

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This is because Lewis

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reflects Augustine’s insight into

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the origin of evil in Mere Christianity

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What is the problem with dualism?

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It claims that good and
evil exist as equal forces

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But, good can exist for its own sake,

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while evil can't be evil for its own sake

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This is Lewis’s explanation

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Good exists in itself,

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but evil is not its own entity,
but a corruption of good

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Good can be good for
the sake of goodness itself,

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but evil cannot increase
for the sake of being evil

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Let me take an example

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Evil must draw strength
from good to succeed,

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even when striving for an evil purpose

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Without relying on good, evil cannot succeed

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Let's take theft as an example

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When someone steals or robs a home,

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even for wrongdoing, they still need

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a good plan, diligence, and teamwork

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Thieves should work together

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and coordinate,

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and sometimes stay awake
while others are asleep

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These are all good qualities

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Do those committing fraud

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reveal their lies from the start?

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Since evil cannot exist as evil alone,

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it must rely on trust, a be good,

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to accomplish its deceptive goals

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So trust, the good,
must be established first

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In this way, a successful evil

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must draw its strength from good

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Thus, evil is the corruption
or departure from good

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Or as Augustine would say,
the absence of good

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Or it is parasitic on good

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As the movie Parasite

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St. Augustine described evil
as a ‘parasite on good,’

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a concept that C.S. Lewis also
adopted in his explanation

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This is why the Bible
describes the devil (Satan)

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as a fallen angel

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C.S. Lewis also says,

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'This Dark Power was created by God,

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and was good when he
was created, and went wrong'

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'This is not a war

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between independent powers'

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'it is an evil civil war, or a rebellion'

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And finally he says,

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'This world is occupied by enemies'

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'Christianity is the story of how

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the rightful king has landed,
and is calling us all

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to take part in a great
campaign of sabotage'

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'Church allows for secret
wireless from our friends'

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That's how he concludes Chapter 2

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The Christian worldview is one of warfare,

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where the world is ruled by forces

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rebelling against a good God

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Jesus Christ, as part of the Trinity,

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came to invade, reclaim,

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and conquer this territory held by evil

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That is how Lewis concludes Chapter 2

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In Chapter 3, ‘The Shocking Alternative,’

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Lewis will continue on
how we must respond in faith

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and make a choice in this situation

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Chapter 1 Rival Conceptions of God

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1.	Worldly Views of ‘God’

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1) Atheism
Belief that denies the existence of God

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2) Pantheism
Atheism in religious disguise

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3) Deism
Ignores God’s involvement in creation

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2.	Standard of Goodness
= Moral Law (Law of Human Nature)

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Chapter 2: The Invasion of God

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1. Why 'Invasion'?

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1) Forces Rebelling Against God
Occupy the World

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2) Jesus (Good) Opposes
the World’s Forces (Evil)

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2. Perspectives on Good and Evil
1) Dualism

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Good can be good for
its own sake, but evil can't

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2) Evil as the Corruption of Good