C. S. Lewis
British writer and literary scholar (1898 to 1963) who taught at Oxford and Cambridge, author of the Chronicles of Narnia and of Christian apologetics including Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters.
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What they believe
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Among the things Christians disagree about is how important their disagreements are
One of the things Christians are disagreed about is the importance of their disagreements.
books.google.comSaid c. 1952This on korrents
The bold line is korrents’ wording; the quote is theirs. These one: what they wrote before what they said aloud, one per source, newest first.
Beliefs
Korrents What they believe 18 beliefs — each backed by an exact quote.
Each is a — compiled by korrents.com, not by them: the one-line wordings are korrents', the quotes are theirs.
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Among the things Christians disagree about is how important their disagreements are
One of the things Christians are disagreed about is the importance of their disagreements.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1952
The moral law tells us which tune to play; our instincts are merely the keys
The Moral Law tells us the tune we have to play: our instincts are merely the keys.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1941–1952
Progress means getting nearer where you want to be, so after a wrong turning going forward brings you no nearer
We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1941–1952
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If God is like the moral law, then God is not soft
If God is like the Moral Law, then He is not soft.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1941–1952
Only a person can forgive
Only a Person can forgive.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1941–1952
Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness
Christianity tells people to repent and promises them forgiveness.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1941–1952
Christianity is a fighting religion
For Christianity is a fighting religion.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
Atheism turns out to be too simple
Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
Besides being complicated, reality is usually odd, in this writer's experience
Besides being complicated, reality, in my experience, is usually odd.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
Goodness is itself; badness is only spoiled goodness
Goodness is, so to speak, itself: badness is only spoiled goodness.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
Free will makes evil possible, but it is also the only thing that makes worthwhile love, goodness or joy possible
Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
One must choose: the man who claimed divinity was the Son of God, or a madman or worse
You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
Calling the man who claimed divinity merely a great human teacher is patronising nonsense; he left no such option
But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
Now is the chance to choose the right side, and that chance will not last for ever
Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last for ever. We must take it or leave it.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
This world is enemy-occupied territory
Enemy-occupied territory - that is what this world is.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
A faith with a good God but without sin, hell, the devil or redemption is a boys' philosophy
It is the view I call Christianity-and-water, the view which simply says there is a good God in Heaven and everything is all right—leaving out all the difficult and terrible doctrines about sin and hell and the devil, and the redemption. Both these are boys' philosophies.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1942–1952
Basic shared Christianity is not an alternative to the churches but a hall opening onto their several rooms
I hope no reader will suppose that 'mere' Christianity is here put forward as an alternative to the creeds of the existing communions—as if a man could adopt it in preference to Congregationalism or Greek Orthodoxy or anything else. It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1952
The writer's best, perhaps only, service to unbelieving neighbours is explaining and defending belief common to nearly all Christians
Ever since I became a Christian I have thought that the best, perhaps the only, service I could do for my unbelieving neighbours was to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.
Mere Christianity (HarperCollins, 2012 edition, in The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics) Said c. 1952
What is a korrent?
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