The Poison of Subjectivism

I did have some trouble getting through this article. 

Today our a lot of society and culture is based off subjectivism. I can't tell you how many times people have discarded what I have said simply because "it's not true for them". Truth is truth. Good is good. Lewis warns us that we can not and should not try to create our own values. If we all have our own little values and beliefs, then what is true? What is the right one? I feel secular people may say: "Whatever makes you happy." But that does make an absolute truth, and it never will. Happiness can change. Truth cannot. 

However it is not just a secular problem. Christians too might start using subjectivism in their own ways. We have to be careful to remember the fall of mankind. 

"To say a that thing is good is merely to express our feeling about it; and our feeling about it is the feeling we have been socially conditioned to have."

This is warning from Lewis. Good will not be judged on the basis on what good actually is, it will be based on what "we have been socially conditioned to have." There are many things that are bad about this. 1) it gives way to much control to others and our environment. Because one sees something on TV and the producers have made a bad act looked good. This has happened with premarital sex. All of TV and movies we see people having premarital sex. And the producers make it seem good. And the result is most people thinking that it is okay to have premarital sex as long as you love person. It is a good thing. Which in reality is only a good thing when it is in the context of marriage. 2) "Our feeling about [good]" It's a feeling. Feelings change all the time. To judge whether or not something is good based on feelings is not absolute. One needs to judge on facts. If one judges on feelings the judgments can change. It's just a no good circle of nothing this subjectivism.

Engaging God's World - Plantinga (Fall)

"An addict, for example, partakes of a substance or practice that he knows might kill him. For a time he does so freely. He has a choice. He freely starts a 'conversion unto death,' and for reasons he can't fully explain, he doesn't stop until until he crashes. He starts out with a choice."

A good friend of mine and I were discussing why one or one shouldn't drink alcohol. She made the statement; "Nobody thinks they're going to become an alcoholic when they take their first sip." I have always remembered that. When I read this quote I was reminded of that. We all have a choice to take a that first sip and even the second sip. But after many more sips, we don't have a choice. We are a slave to alcohol. 

"We had a choice. We now have near -compulsion - at least that what we have without the grace of God to set us free."

I have recently been struggling with the idea that I am free because I have God. How I am living the free lifestyle when I have to follow these commandments? Yet, my neighbor can do whatever they want? How am I free one? And it's times like when I read something so simple yet so deep that I realize I AM FREE. I free from sin. I have that control that an alcoholic does not. Sin cannot grasp me and lead me to the path of evil. Because of the grace of God, I still have a choice. 

Mere Christianity

There was a lot of hesitation in deciding if I should be honest on what I thought about this C.S. Lewis reading. . . I will be honest. I did not care for it all that much. So far many of the readings we have read have been deeply personal, and have touched me in one way or another. I came out with a sense of: "If I really apply this to my life, I will become a better person." (A better person, in simple terms, means less selfish and more focused on God) And many friends had told me how great Mere Christianity was. So, it was to my great disappointment that it is not written as tid-bits of advice, although one might find very useful advice and apply it personally. But me, all I could see was the argument Lewis was making. When I started to read I was not prepared to read an argument, but another advice piece, something that would touch and affect me. I wanted the personal connection with reader that The Weight of Glory, The Screwtape Letters, The English Syllabus, or We Have No Right to Happiness had. I just really worked it up in my head to be Lewis giving advice to Christians, and it was not. So naturally, I was disappointed. 

However! Once I get over the fact that it was not what I expected, it was good. Lewis is creating an argument for Christianity. It's very interesting. The end point is; We all have a moral law/Law of Nature (an idea that we should behave a certain way), and that moral law is directed by the maker of the universe. 

". . . when you say a man ought not to act as he does, you only mean that same as when you say that a stone is wrong shape; namely, that  what he is doing happens to be inconvenient to you."

This quote (and the paragraph it came from) really got me thinking. Because so many times when I have an argument, it is because of the simple fact we do not have the same moral law. What one person thinks is appropriate, I might think is completely inappropriate. But is its it the action that we should fight about? No. The moral law is root of issue, and once that is discussed then we can address the action. 

My sister and I fight quite often. And most the time it is because we are not seeing eye to eye. I think she has all these feelings, which don't matter to me. I know it sounds bloody awful to say. Well, I care a little bit, but she has so many feelings on so many different things, and most of the feelings are illogical. (Well, coming from me, illogical!) She shouldn't have the feelings, and she needs to get rid of them because we can talk or discuss anything because her feelings get hurt. So instead of discussing the real issue we end up talking about feelings. Our moral laws are different. For me, when discussing something, feelings are not too important, the event that took place is. And for her, the event that took place is not that important but how she felt about it. It can be very exhausting. . . 

Sorry back to Lewis!

"When a word ceases to be a term of description and becomes merely a term of praise, it no longer tells you facts about the object."

I had a friend that once asked me; "Annie, am I a Christian?" and knowing this person for many years, I smiled a little and said; "No." And he said "I am a Christian". I raised my eyebrows and said "Oh, really?" in a mocking tone. I spent my whole summer with my friend AJ. We were sweetmates in Yellowstone, we worked together for 8 hours everyday and went on hikes together,  I knew him very well. And when he asked me the question, I judged. I regret it, that in that pivotal moment, I judged him. He eventually went on to tell me that he was just kidding, but that he was very curious how I could say was a Christian was and was not. I thought of that moment as I read this quote. And then I read this quote:

"We do not see into men's hearts. We cannot judge, and are indeed forbidden to judge. It would be wicked arrogance for us to say that any man is, or is not, a Christian in this refined sense."

I love this, perhaps because judging others is one of biggest downfalls. I can always use a good kick in the rear end. I admit I have judged many on whether they were Christian or not. Or even more if they were good Christians. What is a good Christian anyway? I can not know, only God can. 

Show and Tell

Everybody want's to be loved and to be known. 

"Pain that keeps me in own private jail."

"Maybe we've been living with our eyes half open."

(mud pies)

I was originally going to show and tell this song, but changed my mind last minute. 

"We want more than the world's got to offer"

(the yearning) 

The Screwtape Letters

Reading The Screwtape Letters is such a reminder of the spiritual battle that is happening in the unseen world. I seem to forget that there is unseen world. In living my day to day life I have forgotten that there is something evil constantly trying and urging me to be distance from God. 

I couldn't help but think of this verse while reading:

"Since you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth." - Revelation 3:16

Screwtape is not giving advice to make the patient 'cold' towards God, but lukewarm. The patient will think that he is okay going to church and making new friends, although his spiritual state hasn't changed in six weeks. It seems so clear and evident to us (the readers) yet many many people fall into this trap. I would even day to say that many Calvin students fall into this trap. I feel I have even during class. 

We are talking about God so much and really learning a lot of really good wisdom to help me live a christian lifestyle. But then as I was falling asleep last night, I thought; "When was the last time I prayed?" It certainly had been a while. I feel into the trap that my demon set for me. I got distracted feeling so close and learning so much about God, that I forgot the relationship with Him. I'll tell ya, it's such a good thing that God is graceful and merciful. 

Reading Screwtapes really helped to notice that. 

"Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turning, without milestones, without signposts."

As Christians, we all need to walk on a tip toes, constantly being on the look out for gradually getting away from God. The small sins count just as much as the big ones. This is one reason fellowship and community are so important in a Christian's life. When you have good, honest, 'not afraid to tell you the hard truth' kind of friends in your life, it's hard to slowly stray away from God. We need that honest accountability in our lives. 

I think I would like to read more of The Screwtape Letters. I don't know what more can be said, so much was in this one letter. I would be interested to Lewis' creativity. 

Spiritual Warfare is real.

Engaging God's World - Plantinga (Creation)

I found this chapter a little bit repetitive of what I have learned so far at Calvin. That being that God created the wonderful and beautiful earth, he made all miraculous creatures, and lastly he made humans. He rested on the seventh day, which means that if God needs rest most certainly we do too. 

I will admit (even after reading the chapter), I am still a little bit confused about why God created us. I understand that it was not "a necessity nor an accident", but there are so many other options. Did God want to create us? Yes, but he didn't need to. Why did God want create us? I feel that this book does not give a very good explanation. 

I have always believed and told people that God made us for the same reason a couple will have kids. God knew that it was going to take a lot of work and selfless acts once we were made, in same way that a couple knows that it's a lot of work and takes selfless acts to raise a child. So why does a couple want to have a child? Well, assuming that it was not a mistake, the best reason I can think of is to love it and be loved in returned. In the same way, God made us to love us and be loved in returned. 

I've always thought the idea of God creating everything a bit confusing. And when I say God creating everything I mean in it a sense of everything, even things man created, they were God's idea first. This means cities, televisions, water bottles, ipods, birthday cakes, hiking socks and even post-it notes. But what about the items that were made just for evil? Perhaps an AK-47 or abortion utensils? Where these God's idea too? I don't know what I think on this subject, it is something that I need more wisdom to really stand my ground and say yes or no. 

"According to God's intelligence, the way to thrive is to help other thrive; the way to flourish is to cause others to flourish; the way to fulfill yourself is to spend yourself."

I love the idea putting all the energy I have into other people. And even more I love the idea of gaining so much from it. It's like a secret that not many practice, but the ones that do practice this divine secret have found something so holy and joyful, and most importantly pleasing to God.

The Weight of Glory

I loved reading this sermon that C.S. Lewis gave at the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford. I don't even know where I should begin. There was just so many quotes that I liked! Here are my favorite: 

"Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."

This quote really resonated with me. This is not the first time I have seen the quote, but I always seem to get something new out of each time I re-read it. I love it so much because it is just so true that we are far too easily pleased. I feel like another good analogy is that we are walking around with bad eyesight, and we are in need of glasses. But do we get glasses? No, because all we have ever known is blurry objects, we don't know the wonders of the world because we have never experienced them. We all need to get out of the mud and open our eyes to the Lord and see the infinite joy he trying to offer us. 

"And you and I have need of the strongest spell that can be found to wake us from the evil enchantment of worldliness..." 

The words strongest spell really stood out. This is because I know that in order to get out of the rut of living in a worldly mindset and into in an eternal mindset is not easy. I would need a very strong spell. And acknowledging that I need that "spell" is the first step to christianity. 

"Indeed, how we think of Him is of no importance except in so far as it is related to how He thinks of us."

I love this one also. So many people try to define what and who God is. I personally have gotten wrapped up in conversations of what or who God is. But that is not what is most important. What is important is how God thinks of us. More importantly is He pleased with us? Because once I die on earth it won't matter who I thought God was. He will not change based on my thoughts, but my eternity will be based on what he thinks of me.

C.S. Lewis put's it so well that we will one day be judged, and that judgement is either going to be very harsh or very wonderful. And it order to achieve the wonderful judgement we have to bring glory to God. Lewis goes into great detail about what this means. What it comes down to is "being 'noticed' by God".  And to be noticed by Him, one needs to love Him; take delight in Him, worship Him, notice Him.