C.S. Lewis: The one thing Jesus is not -

The Spectator - UK ^ | December 17, 2005 | C.S. Lewis

[fish hawk]

O'Reilly is a Catholic. (thus)

I don't know what the percentages are of Catholics being "born again" but I doubt it is very high.

[cammie]

This was one of my favorite passages in Mere Christianity. The concept that you had to agree that Jesus was God or that he was a nutter had a great impact on me. I chose the former.

[RoadTest]

"God sent the human race what I call good dreams: I mean those queer stories scattered all through the heathen religions about a god who dies and comes to life again and, by his death, has somehow given new life to men."

Uh-uh. God didn't send those notions of false gods.

[cammie]

What point are you trying to make? If you're a practicing Catholic, you believe Jesus is Lord and he died for your sins. And you say a prayer repenting your sins every week at Mass (The Confitior). If you don't believe that, you're not really a Catholic. These things seem to be very close to what happens when many born-again Christians are born again (seems to be similar to what happened at the last Billy Graham Crusade I saw). So if that's the definition of born again that you accept, then all practicing Catholics are "born again."

[Conan the Librarian]

If I understand the tale correctly, the main characture in Hidious Strenght is Tolkein himself (Name changed of course). Lewis and Tolkien had a deal, one would write a Sci-Fi and the other a Ghost story, and find which would be more popular. Tolkien's ghost story lost, but, it did have Lewis as the protagonist (name changed of course)

[Bear_Slayer]

Excellet book as well as The Screwtape letters.

I've been thinking about Lewis much lately, I think I'll re-read those two.

[fish hawk]

"Born Again" means that one states to himself and God that he accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Hoards of "Christians" have not done this. I know many Catholics and Protestants that have never done this. You wonder how I know, I asked them.

[redrock]

Wonderful!!

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!!"

redrock

[TeenagedConservative]

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman is an excellent lamentation on this phenomenon.

[Aquinasfan]

My favorite book on Christianity (other than the Bible). I re-read it at least once a year and never fail to gain new insight.

It has been one of the most influential books on my life.

[Aquinasfan]

Someone should send this passage to Bill O'Reilly. He's always talking about how he regards Jesus as "a great philosopher",

Good idea. Who knows, it may even work.

[JamesP81]

"Born Again" means that one states to himself and God that he accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Hoards of "Christians" have not done this. I know many Catholics and Protestants that have never done this. You wonder how I know, I asked them.

Indeed. God isn't going to judge based on catholic vs protestant. It's going to be 'accepted Jesus' or 'didn't accept Jesus'.

[Aquinasfan]

I don't know what the percentages are of Catholics being "born again" but I doubt it is very high.

We've all been baptized, so we've all been "born again of water and the spirit."

Don't forget the Great Commission either: "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of..."

[fish hawk]

You are right. Many think that sin or say, the lack of it is the ticket. But we know that "all have sinned". But, not to worry as Jesus died for ALL sin. Even the ones we will do today. Sin is not the question but this is: "what did you do with MY SON"?

[don-o]

No doubt about it. Postman just nails it. A book that every consumer of the media should read. It's what, 30 years or more old? But, more relevent today than ever

[don-o]

Here we go!

[madconservative]

No offense!

It was definitely prophetic, but the Merlin stuff was too much for me. Mixing religion and sci-fi is enough for me; when you want to throw magic and Arthurian mythology onto it, it breaks this camel's back.

The extrapolation of the move from atheism to humanism, started with Westin in Perelandra is the best part of Hideous though. That scientist (forget his name) is a great bad guy, and very insightful.

I would like to see Silent in theaters, but IMHO you couldn't do justice to Perelandra's beauty on screen, even with all of the effects in the world. It would be like attempting to computer-animate poetry.

[gridlock]

I remember the feeling of blunt force trauma when I read these words the first time. The man is right and I was a fool.

[madconservative]

Ransom is a linguist, and I could see other similarities to Tolkein as well.

I love the character, but I thought he was better in the first two.

[fish hawk]

HHMmmmmmm, where are you going?