Mere Christianity BK 2 Chapter 2 (NOTES AND THOUGHTS)

 

BOOK 2

Chapter 2

"It is a real recognition of the fact that evil is a parasite, not an original thing."

Most people don't like religion because it is too complicated. Atheism is pretty simple and if you merely say that there is a good God in Heaven and everything is alright, Christianity becomes pretty simple. But it isn't really Christianity without Jesus and his work. 

People that try and prove Christianity wrong will say things like, "If God is really real He would have made 'religion' simple, because simplicity is so beautiful, etc." They say these things as if God created religion. 

God is a reality and realities aren't simple. The more you learn about reality the more odd and complicated it becomes. You can't guess about reality. Christianity has odd twists and turns to it that no man would be able to come up with. As well as no man could come up with reality. 

There is a belief called Dualism that believes that this world is a battle field for two powers. One power is good and the other evil. But how can we tell which one is really bad or good? Is it merely preference? That would ruin the whole idea of good. Good means what you ought to prefer. There is truly an ultimate good and bad. 

"Some law or standard or rule of good which one of the power conforms to and the other fails to conform to."

So the ultimate standard of good and bad must be God. The good power is in line with God and the bad power is merely bad? This is why Dualism doesn't make sense. Why would the bad power be bad without any motive? People that do bad things always either do it for money, power, safety or pleasure. All of these things don't have to be bad though. It is the way that they are getting them that is bad.

"You can do a kind action when you are not feeling kind and when it gives you no pleasure, simply because kindness is right; but no one ever did a cruel action simply because cruelty is wrong--only because cruelty was pleasant or useful to him." 

Now we can see why Christianity calls the devil a "fallen angel". Evil wasn't created. Evil is goodness gone wrong. In order to be bad you must have a longing for something which were originally good in order to be able to pervert them. 

(I highly recommend that you read this book for yourself. If you would like to purchase the book, CLICK HERE)

Happy Reading!

-Ariana :)