Cha Grande, Brazil (photo from trekearth.com)
I am very busy with final PhD dissertation revisions and so I provide my third and likely final MPhil dissertation C.S. Lewis presentation. I am in greater agreement with this section of his work than with the other two sections I posted as blog articles. I will provide new material in the Additional 2008 section.
http://thekingpin68.blogspot.com/2006/01/mphil-wales-2003.html
Human Wickedness
Within this chapter, Lewis set out to show the reader that the western culture of his day (1940) had a misunderstanding of human wickedness. He stated that his culture put too much emphasis on kindness being the measure of good, and cruelty the measure of wickedness. Lewis pointed out that this kindness was based on the fact that: "Everyone feels benevolent if nothing happens to be annoying him at the moment." Lewis (1940)(1996: 49).
This is a good point, kindness or niceness is certainly not a measure of goodness. Being nice is a way of dealing with people which is most pleasurable, beneficial and brings about, generally, the most pleasurable and beneficial response. However, someone can be nice with evil intentions, an example would be Judas betraying Jesus with a kiss, or someone can act in unkind fashion but mean something for the good. For example, a Doctor re-broke my nose twice by hand without anaesthetic, after I had been assaulted by a bottle attack. This was cruel treatment and it caused me pain. The first attempt caused blood to pour out, however, the treatment straightened my nose and allowed me to look and breath better while lying down, providing me a better night’s sleep.
As well, kindness or niceness, as Lewis alluded to, often disappears when someone is annoyed. This hardly needs much explanation as we can relate to this with ourselves and others we know. I would think true goodness is an objective standard based on one emulating God, and thus one would be good to others regardless of circumstance.
Lewis also stated that human beings needed to better understand that they were sinful and that Christ and Scripture saw them as so.
He noted that a human being could misunderstand wickedness by comparing oneself with someone else, and making a favourable review. Lewis pointed out that: "Every man, not very holy or very arrogant, has to ‘live up to’ the outward appearance of other men." Lewis (1940)(1996: 53). The reviewer is not fully aware of the sins of the people under review, and at the same time, within public persona, is hiding from the world around him/her, the depth of wickedness within.
Lewis thought that people tend to desire to see wickedness in the sense of corporate guilt. He believed that this was, in a way, evading the problems of individual sin. He noted: "When we have really learned to know our individual corruption, then indeed we go on to think about corporate guilt and can hardly think of it too much." Lewis (1940)(1996: 54).
Yes, it seems rather easy for individuals to allow social systems to do wicked things, and thus have the blame for evil shifted to it. However, Lewis has a point, individuals must take responsibility for thoughts and actions, clean up their own act, and then set out to change systems, if possible.
Lewis also tackled the view that time cancels sin. He made an interesting point here:
The guilt is not washed out by time but by the repentance and the blood of Christ: if we repented these early sins we should remember the price of our forgiveness and be humble. As for the fact of sin, is it probable that anything cancels it? All times are eternally present to God. Lewis (1940)(1996: 54-55).
I agree that time cannot cancel sin, and that this is a huge error in thinking in today’s western world. The example of divorce comes to mind. It seems to me that an adulterer who has abandoned his/her mate after enough time often thinks that all should be forgiven, and that "we should stay friends." Although, I totally agree with God’s call for forgiveness, in the case of sin, friendship should be conditioned on things being set right with repentance, as well as forgiveness taking place. For things to be set right then, a wrong has to be admitted and seen for what it is, evil, and not simply overlooked after a certain amount of time.
Lewis pointed out that nothing could truly cancel sin. Interesting speculation indeed, as he points out Christ paid for our sins, but sin is sin and will have always have taken place. I think, however, that God, as well as paying for sins with Christ, can also render the power of these sins useless in everlasting existence.
Lewis warned against the idea that there is safety in numbers. Just because all people are evil does not make it right for individuals to do evil actions
Additional 2008:
Donald G. Bloesch comments that in philosophy a morally good life is inward satisfaction, peace of mind, and happiness in the sense of well-being. In theology a truly good life is vicarious suffering in service for others. Bloesch (1987: 25).
W.R.F Browning notes that both Testaments anticipate certain punishment for the wicked and there is the wonder of why the wicked prosper. There is often the Biblical idea that eventually punishment shall come for the wicked. Wickedness is a deep-seated evil in the heart of persons and inspired by Satan. Browning (1997: 394).
O.T. Allis explains that wickedness is a rendering of more than a dozen Hebrew words in the Hebrew Bible and five Greek, New Testament words. Wickedness always involves a moral state. Wickedness is used less in the New Testament, but is usually rendered poneros (πονηρoς). Allis (1996: 1171).
Please note that in 2006, I had to have nasal reconstruction surgery. My surgeon here in the Lower Mainland stated that the MD in England who had straightened the nose by hand had made it far worse!
ALLIS, O.T. (1996) ‘Wicked, Wickedness’ in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books
BLOESCH, DONALD G. (1987) Freedom for Obedience, San Francisco, Harper and Rowe Publishers.
BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
LEWIS, C.S. (1940)(1996) The Problem of Pain, San Francisco, Harper-Collins.
http://satireandtheology.blogspot.com/2008/03/theology-of-
common-sense.html
