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We are in Book 3 of Mere Christianity

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In Book 3, titled ‘Christian Behavior,’

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Lewis addresses key aspects of"
the moral law within humans

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We must remember Lewis’s assertion

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that the law of right and wrong,
or the moral law is the key

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to understanding the universe

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This moral law, or natural law,

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or the law of human nature,

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is unique to humans
and not found in nature

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Its existence serves
as important evidence

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that the Creator, who made humanity,

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is an absolutely good being

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who governs the world

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through this absolutely good principle,

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or the Moral Law

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There is a moral law within humans,

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meaning we live under its influence

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and feel its pressure

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When we fail to live up to this law,

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we feel discomfort,

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and we often demand that others

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also live according to it,

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which can lead to conflict,
strife, and and even war,

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as explained in previous chapters

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Now, the question of what we believe,

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after explaining the basic
truths of Christianity,

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leads us back to the issue of morality

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It's because God’s purpose in saving us

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is to restore us as beings

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who resemble His goodness

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To fully restore us to the purpose
for which He created us,

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moral renewal within us is essential

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This is different from
legalism or moralism,

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that we are saved by morality

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or can approach God through moral law

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It is beyond our own strength

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The logic here is that only
by the grace of Jesus Christ,

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through the cross and precious blood

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can we receive forgiveness,
reach true repentance,

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and have the restored ability
to make right choices

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Only then can we live

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in obedience to the moral law

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Mere Christianity Book 3
Christian Behavior

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Chapter 1 The Three Parts of Morality

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Now, returning to the issue of morality,

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Chapter 1 begins with the title
‘The Three Parts of Morality'

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Morality,

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let's think about it

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What comes to your mind?

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C.S. Lewis uses the word ‘morality’

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to draw out the universal concept

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Asking an elementary school student,

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‘What is God like?’, the answer goes,

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'Who is always snooping around to
see if anyone is enjoying himself

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and then trying to stop it'

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This is a strict, dull figure

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who disapproves of our joy

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God is such a strict and boring being

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We share this thought

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of a non-believing elementary student

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When people think about morality,

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C.S. Lewis says

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they often view it as something
that interferes with their lives,

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preventing them from having fun

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This, he explains,

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is a misunderstanding of morality

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Seeing morality as an intrusion

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that robs life of joy reveals

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is a big misunderstanding that reveals

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how deeply humanity is

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not only flawed,

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but also entangled in sin

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A soul transformed by
the gospel of Jesus Christ

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finds the greatest joy in living

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by the highest moral standards

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Our true joy and fulfillment in life

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come from living as God intended,
upholding moral principles

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Jesus taught us,

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‘You will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free’ [John 8:32]

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That was his lesson

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By living in the truth

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and upholding true moral law,

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we find freedom, joy, and happiness

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That was Jesus' lesson

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C.S. Lewis explains two points

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as the purpose of morality

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First, morality serves as guidance for
maintaining the human machine

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We might feel uneasy
with the term ‘machine’

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used to describe humans

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You may think that

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‘machine’ feels too impersonal a word

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When Lewis says 'human machine',

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it is more of a literary device

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When considering whether

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humans function according to
God’s intended purpose,

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the analogy of a ‘machine’ is

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one of the most fitting ways
to convey this idea

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The second purpose is to
prevent the ‘human machine’

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from breaking down

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So what is morality?

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It is to ensure that humans
operate as God created them to

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and to prevent any breakdown

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or malfunction

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What was the very first moral directive

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that God gave to humanity after creation?

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'But of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, you shall not eat,

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for in the day that you eat of it,
you shall surely die’ [Genesis 2:17]

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It was a single prohibition

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Everything else was freely permitted

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The first moral law was simple,

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easy to follow,

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and highly effective

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God is not a being who delights in

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hindering our joy or interfering with us

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Rather, He grants us immense freedom,

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asking only one simple command

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(Disobedient humanity)
Do not eat the forbidden fruit

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By following this single rule,

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the moral law He required
would have been fulfilled

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By breaking this simple rule,

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[Fallen humanity]
humanity came under the rule

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of many complex moral laws

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The guilt we feel is because

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we violated even the simplest moral law

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We cannot fully uphold this moral law,

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and this leads us to seek God

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Moral law guides us toward God,

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who has placed this law within us

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and calls us to seek what is right

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This is the function of the moral law

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Sometimes, those who
strive to live by moral law

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are labeled as idealists

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and are associated with moral idealism

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(Places the meaning of life
only in moral or social ideals)

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Lewis cautions against
dismissing such people

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The term ‘ideal’ is used in the sense

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of something desired

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yet seemingly unattainable

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Saying something is ‘too idealistic’

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implies it cannot be achieved

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In truth, it’s accurate to say

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we are not morally perfect

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However, this does not mean

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that we shouldn’t pursue it

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While perfect morality is impossible,

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it remains a continual goal of a task

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for all humanity to strive toward

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This book explains that

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we should not dismiss
this pursuit as ‘too idealistic'

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In the next section,
Lewis explains that there

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are two ways humans can go wrong

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The first way is when individuals act
separately or clash with each other,

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causing harm to one another

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The second way is with an internal flaw

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of personal issues within an individual

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Humans can go wrong in all cases,

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whether individuals clash,

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act separately, or have personal issues

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To explain this, he gives two examples

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The first is a fleet of ships

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on a long journey

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For the ships sailing together

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to navigate correctly,

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two conditions are necessary

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First, the ships must maintain

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proper formation, avoiding
collisions or deviations

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Second, each ship’s engine and machinery

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must function properly
for the fleet to move forward

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Another analogy he uses is an orchestra

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Just as in an orchestra,
where various instruments

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must play in harmony without clashing,

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it is crucial that each
instrument is well-tuned

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For this harmony to be achieved,

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each instrument must be properly tuned

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Each instrument must be properly tuned

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to produce the correct sound

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However, C.S. Lewis does not stop

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with just two aspects

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He adds a third, more crucial element

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Whether the fleet is sailing together

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or instruments are playing in harmony,

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the most important question is,

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‘Where is the fleet heading?’

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For example,

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if the fleet heading to America

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are in perfect formation, operating well,

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but in the opposite direction
towards Africa, that is a wrong course

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Similarly, if the orchestra
is playing perfectly,

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but they don’t know what piece
they are playing, it’s also wrong

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Lewis takes the three elements
of morality as follows

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First, the relationship
between individuals,

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how each person treats others fairly

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and creates harmony with others

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That is the first element of morality

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Second, the inner harmony
of each individual,

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how their inner self is
organized and aligned

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Third, the relationship between humans

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and the force that created humans (God)

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The universal purpose of humanity,

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what is our relationship with God
who gave us that purpose?

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What is the purpose of our creation?

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What is the goal of our lives?

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What is the song we are to play?

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What is the destination of our journey?

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To answer these questions is
to complete true morality

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Even if the first aspect of
morality is well maintained,

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it cannot be fully achieved
without the second

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And for the second to be realized,

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the third element of morality
must be established,

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which is our relationship with the Creator

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Once we understand
the purpose of human life,

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(The inner relationship)
the second aspect of morality is resolved

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which in turn leads to

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(The relationship between individuals)
the resolution of the first aspect

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Lewis points out that people

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often dismiss morality,

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viewing it as outdated
or mere moral idealism,

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because they overlook the third element,

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the relationship between

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humans and their Creator

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This is Lewis' point

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Humans should not view life
solely in terms of this finite world

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If we consider our earthly lives

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in light of eternity

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and our relationship with the eternal,

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we can live both morally

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and as beings destined for eternity

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This is precisely

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the fundamental difference
between Christian morality

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and non-Christian morality,
as discussed in Chapter 1

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In Chapter 2, we will explore
specific virtues in more detail

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Chapter 1 The Three Parts of Morality

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1.	Purpose of Morality

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1) Guide for the human machine

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2) Prevention to avoid its breakdown

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2. Causes of Breakdown
in the Human Machine

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1) Individuals clashing
and harming one another

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1) Internal issues within each

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3.	The Three Elements of Morality

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1) Relationships between individuals

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2) Internal harmony within one

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3) Relationship with the force
that created humans (God)