C.S. Lewis was one of the most beloved Christian authors of the twentieth century. In this best-selling classic, Lewis's aim was to articulate and defend the fundamental beliefs that are common to all Christians. He begins with arguments for God's existence, then turns to the basics of Christian doctrine. To ensure he was speaking on behalf of Christians across denominational lines, Lewis sent the original script to four clergymen (Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic) inviting their critique. The result is the presentation of a common, or "mere" Christianity.
1. There is a moral dimension to reality that points in God's direction.
When people argue, they often make implicit appeals to a standard of behavior that they expect the other person to know about. For example, they'll say things like, "That's not fair!" or "You should have known better!" Without question, we all expect each other to behave a certain way. And whenever we argue, attempts are made to hold each other accountable. Of course, instead of denying that there is a moral standard when we're accused of violating it, we invariably claim that we haven't really violated it after all, or we make up some kind of excuse for our behavior. Such responses only underscore the point—there is a standard of behavior above and beyond our personal preferences, and each of us knows it.
Just as physical objects are governed by the law of gravity, so man's behavior is governed by the law of morality. The key difference is that man has a choice to either obey or disobey the moral law. Nevertheless, we have all failed to consistently practice the kind of behavior we expect from others.
The fact that we all know the moral law (and break it, anyway) serves as a striking indication of what reality is really like. There is a moral dimension to the universe that one wouldn't expect unless something like Christian theism is true.
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Mere Christianity - Key Insight 1 of 12
Mere Christianity - Key Insight 2 of 12
Mere Christianity - Key Insight 3 of 12
