Temptation

1. Temptation & Vocation A Study Guide for CS Lewis’s Screwtape Letters With Special Emphasis on Calling and Vocation Issues for Daily Living A Lilly Grant Project Calvin College Paulo and Adriana Ribeiro Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Tallahassee Fall 2006

2. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. I Peter 5:8-9 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth … The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. II Co. 4:2-4

3. Temptation Vocation & Introduction • These letters were supposedly written by an experienced devil, Screwtape, to his young nephew, Wormwood. • When these letters first appeared in the Manchester Guardian during the World War II, a reader wrote as to cancel his subscription because “much of the advice given in these letters seemed to him not only erroneous but positively diabolical.” The objective is not to wonder about the diabolical life but to throw light from a new perspective on the life of man. • The letters cover many different situations, which Christians are faced with on a daily basis. • The objective is to encourage us to reflect on these “daily life” issues, trying to understand how they can affect our spiritual life and vocational struggles.

4. Temptation Vocation & Introduction • Screwtape is a senior devil in the “lowerarchy of Our Father Below” • The letters are directed to his nephew (Wormwood) on earth, working on a young Christian (“the patient”). • The goal is to “secure his soul forever” • To turn the patient against God (“the Enemy”) • To the devils, we humans are “primarily food.”

5. Temptation Vocation & Introduction • The Screwtape Letters is fiction with the Christian perspective presented in an upside down way . • World War II serves as the backdrop for the Letters, but the war does not affect the timelessness of the instructions. • It does not address evil on a grand scale, but evil on a small scale. • It deals with relationships with friends and family, the church, prayer, etc. • The letters entertains while it instructs. • It is a book to be studied with humility and prayer. "It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

6. Temptation Vocation & Introduction • Are you here just (as a spectator) for this bible study? • If yes, you came to the wrong place? • If no, are you prepared to face the consequences (of this, or any other bible study)?

7. Word of Caution • There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils: • One is to disbelieve in their existence. • The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. • They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. • When reading the letters we should not forget that the devil is a liar. Not everything that Screwtape says should be assumed to be true even from his own angle.

8. Temptation Vocation & The Book, etc. Dedicated to JRR Tolkien (instrumental in Lewis’s conversion) Who did not like the dedication - - - Lewis became instrumental in Tolkien’s publications - - - Tolkien did no like the Narnia Chronicles - - -

9. Calling – Vocation Temptation – Protection (Shielding) Dynamics Sovereignty of God Man’s Will Justice Fear of the Lord Temptations Mercy Shield (Eph 6:13-18) Virtues Competence Responsibility Temptation Vocation &

10. Temptation Vocation & A Vocation / Temptation Flow Chart Temptations Temptations Temptations Temptations Service Talents Vocation Calling (Holy Spirit) Re-Direction "What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could 'be like gods' - could set up on their own as if they had created themselves - be their own masters - invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history - money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery - the long terrible story of [humanity] trying to find something other than God to make [them] happy."

11. Temptation Vocation & The Voice of the Vocation “This is the very portrait of a vocation: a thing that calls or beckons, that calls inexorably, yet you must strain your ears to catch the voice, that insists on being sought, yet refuses to be found.” “To follow the vocation does not mean happiness: but once it has been heard, there is no happiness for those who do not follow.” Preface to Paradise Lost

12. Temptation Vocation & The Fundamental Process God’s Law God’s Will Obey? No Unhappiness • Hard Way • Virtues • Duty Yes • Easy Way • Rebellion • Rejection Joy (not necessarily happiness)

13. The Fundamental Questions Any Human Activity Has It Been Affected By Sin? Is It Beautiful? (Creational) No Fall Yes Yes Is It Good? (Moral) What Can I Do To Renew It? No Creation Physical Psychological Yes Is It Permanent? (Eternal) No Spiritual Redemption Yes

14. The Nature and Possibilities of Choices ‘Milton was right,’ said the Teacher. ‘The choice of every lost soul can be expressed in the words “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.” There is always something they insist on keeping even at the price of misery. There is always something they prefer to joy – that is to reality. You see it enough in a spoiled child that would sooner miss its play and its supper than say it was sorry and be friends. Every day we are - - - - -becoming or helping others to become Hellish or Heavenly creatures For Every Choice One Makes (In Any Human Activity) Does Not Conform to BGP Which Way? Conforms to BGP Leads to Hell Leads to Heaven Uncertain Two Possible Directions BGP = Beautiful, Good and Permanent

15. Good or Evil Multiplies as a Fractal:One Simple Structure Can Create a Beautiful Picture or a Hellish Design http://sparktography.blogs.com/blogtonia/Blue-cloud-render.jpg http://www.bergoiata.org/fe/fractal/Fractals269.jpg

16. "People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, 'If you keep a lot of rules, I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing.' I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing into a Heaven creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is Heaven: that is, it is joy, and peace, and knowledge, and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other." http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/~pbourke/fractals/clifford/

17. Reasons for the Lack of Stock Responses Decay of Logic Romantic Primitivism (preference for the natural rather than elaborated, the un-willed to the willed) Confusion between organization and pretense of response A belief that certain elementary rectitude of human response is given by nature herself. “That elementary rectitude of human response, at which we are so ready to fling the unkind epithets of ‘stock’, ‘crude’, bourgeois’, and ‘conventional’, so far from being ‘given’ is a delicate balance of trained habits, laboriously acquired and easily lost, on the maintenance of which depend both our virtues and our pleasures and even, perhaps, the survival of our species. ... While the moderns have been pressing forward to conquer new territories of consciousness, the old territory, in which man alone can live, has been left unguarded, and we are in danger of finding the enemy in our rear .”

18. The Fundamental Mechanism Vision Action Discipline / Habit Passion http://www.graphics-galore.com/images/Abstracts,%20etc/Abstracts,%20etc-2/Shalom.jpg

19. Outline • General Introduction • The Letters • How to read them • How it all begun – Lessons from Paradise (The Losing of the Original Calling / Vocation) • Defining Calling / Vocation • Considerations on Calling and Vocation • Letters (31 Letters) • Title, Topics and Issues • Vocabulary / Key Words • Analysis Matrix • Questions for Thinking, Discussions and Reflections • Resistance Strategy • Key Scriptures to Memorize (and repeat!!) • Virtues and Stock Responses to Cultivate • Concepts to Restore • Characters From The Great Divorce, The Pilgrim’s Regress, etc. • Conclusions • Steps for Restoring The Vocation Path / Road Map • Appendices • References

20. Outline • 1 - Reason / Truth, Material Needs and Science Books and Friends • Intellect, Philosophies, Doctrines Material Needs • Meaning of Life • Science & Knowledge • 2 - Appearance, Reality and the Church • Habits • Mental • Bodily • The Church • Appearance and Reality Emotions • Humility • Prayer • 3 - Relationships, Prayer and Faith and Action Relationship with Spouse and Family Common Ground and Actions • Prayer • Coffee and Heart Attack

21. Outline • 4 - Prayer: Why? And Does It Work? • Prayer • Form • Position • Attitude • Direction • 5 - War, Fear of Pain, Suffering, Death and Faith Pain, Suffering and Faith • Reaction to War • Death • Faith • 6 - My (Not Thy?) Will Be Done Life's Tribulations • General Activities of the Mind General Attitude to War General Attitude • 7 - Devil’s Existence, Church and War the Devil’s Existence • Church • Attitude to War (different ages) Church and War

22. Outline • 8 - The Natural Law of Undulation Human Nature • Human Freedom • The Continuous Struggle the Best Weapon • 9 - Undulation, Moderation and Phases Undulation and Pleasure Knowledge of Right and Wrong Religion • 10 - Flirting with the World, Friends and Acquaintances Attitudes • Christian Literature Parallel Lives • 11 - Human Laughter: Joy, Fun, the Joke Proper, and Flippancy Joy, Fun • The Joke Proper (Sudden perception of incongruity) Flippancy (frivolous, disrespectful, saucy, impertinent) • 12 - Lukewarm Behavior - The Safest Road to Hell Spiritual Condition • Prayer Life • Pleasures • Activities

23. Outline • 18 - Complete Abstinence or Unmitigated Monogamy Sexual Temptation • Philosophy of Hell • Sex • 19 - The Essence of God: Love • The Essence of the Devil Marriage and Being in Love • 20 - The Devil's Agenda: Sexual Insanity, Promiscuity and Pervasion Chastity • Sexuality and Marriage • Sexual Taste • 21 - Our False Sense of Ownership - All Belongs to Him Intellect • Claims on Life • Time • Ownership • Possession

24. Outline • 22 - Beatific and Miserific Visions Love • Character Traces Pleasures • Witness • Music and Silence • The Devil • 23 - Liberal Theology Spirituality • Theology and • Politics • Historical Jesus • Prayer and Sacrament Resurrection & Redemption Christianity and Politics • 24 - Spiritual Pride and Inner Circles Armor of God • Color of our Faith • Pride • Inner Circles

25. Outline • 25 - The Horror of the Same Old Thing - Replacing Mere Christianity by Fashion and Christian Coloring • Fashions • Feelings • Experience of reality in time • Emotional Changes • Intellect • The Future • 26 - Love, Unselfishness: Charity and Conflict Relationships • Unselfishness • Generous Conflict of Illusion • Mrs. Fidget (The Four Loves) • 27 - Prayer, Love, and Truth • Prayer • Love and Petitionary Prayer Time, Prayer and Predestination the Historical Point of View

26. Outline • 28 - Time, Aging, and Perseverance • Life and Death, Body and Soul, Time and Eternity and Youth • Longing, Optimism, Perseverance • Middle Age, Adversity and prosperity, • Worldliness, Old Age, Pride, Experience, Death • 29 - Virtues and Vices Danger and Virtues Love / Hatred Fear, • Cowardice Courage • Despair • 30 - Fear, Fatigue, Emotions, and "Reality" Self Knowledge • Emotions • Fatigue • Reality • 31 - Death: Is that The End? Eternal Life: Everlasting Glory or Eternal Damnation Death • New Life • In God's Presence

27. A Suggestion on How to Read Them I note what you say about guiding our patient's reading and taking care that he sees a good deal of his materialist friend. But are you not being a trifle naïf? It sounds as if you supposed that argument was the way to keep him out of the Enemy's clutches.That might have been so if he had lived a few centuries earlier. At that time the humans still knew pretty well when a thing was proved and when it was not; and if it was proved they really believed it. They still connected thinking with doing and were prepared to alter their way of life as the result of a chain of reasoning. But what with the weekly press and other such weapons we have largely altered that.Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head. He doesn't think of doctrines as primarily "true" of "false", but as "academic" or "practical", "outworn" or "contemporary", "conventional" or "ruthless". Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church.Don't waste time trying to make him think that materialism is true!Make him think it is strong, or stark, or courageous—that it is the philosophy of the future. That's the sort of thing he cares about. Red – Devilish Comments and Advices Blue – Dubious Devilfish Comments and Advices Black – Connecting Sentences

28. A Hint on How it all began – Lessons from Paradise The Losing of the Original Calling / Vocation The Steps towards the first misdirection on our vocation road map: • Feeling of self importance • Sense of insatisfaction • Desire for more (power) • Lusting with prohibited things • Falling (active participation) into temptation • Realization of the deadly consequences • Rejection of sole responsibility • Recognition of obedience and disobedience • Provokes others to follow similar action of disobedience - spreads evil • Hides the motivation behind the actions • Exploits the secret motivation to gain control • Rouses transgression for promoting its own benefit • Action causes death, in other words: an act of murder is committed • Becomes blind to the real meaning for the action (No man / woman, perhaps, ever at first described to himself the act he was about to do as murder, adultery, perversion. When he hears it so described by other men he is sincerely shocked and surprised” ) • Hides from the presence of God References: Compiled from readings from Genesis, Paradise Lost, and Preface to Paradise Lost

29. Defining Calling / Vocation Considerations on Calling and Vocation Vocation, profession, gifts, work, trade, talent, aptitude, calling, etc.: What are their meanings? What is a talent? What am I supposed to be and do? What should I be doing as an agent of renewal? What is their significance in our choice of studies and professional life? What is the most significance factor in our calling to be salt and light? What will I be when I grow up? What and how should I live out my professional life as to be a blessing and help forwarding of God’s Kingdom? We pray daily: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). But how does this apply to my living, working, and how do I incorporate play? Before we go on let us just remind ourselves the meaning of vocation: career: profession, job, occupation, work, trade, craft, art or calling: aptitude, inclination, talent, natural ability, ability. With these definitions in mind let us work through a few examples of people in the bible who where called to serve. How did they fare under God’s guidance? In the Old Testament we see for example of Abraham, some of the artisans of the first tabernacle, Barak and Debora, Isaiah and Jeremiah. In the New Testament, we see the examples of Maria, Philip and Paul. You add more examples from the bible and of your circumstances. - - - - - - - - - - Reference: Callings, etc.

30. A Lesson from OT Biblical Botanical Parables The Old Testament is full of stories, full of warnings, occurring as “examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did” (1 Corinthians 10:6). What a richness and wealth is available to us as we read under the guidance of the Holy Spirit! In the midst of a nasty development after Gideon’s death, some of his mistakes came with consequences to his sons. He had taken a slave girl from Sechem as a wife and had a son with her. This son after his death killed, in a plot, all other sons except one. This is part of the complaint of the only son still alive. Judges 9:8-15 One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.' 9 "But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?' 10 "Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.' 11 "But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?' 12 "Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.' 13 "But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?' 14 "Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.' 15 "The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thorn bush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'

31. A Lesson from OT Biblical Botanical Parables The plants express honor in the work God had assigned to them. Their natural gifts accepted as worthy of full engagement. There is no desire to rule, just an intense desire to continue doing what they could do best. What should our vocation be? In Genesis God made “man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule” (Genesis 1:26) we where made rulers -each with our own, specific, God given gifts. Then, we hear our Lord Jesus, in Mark 10:42-44 when he sates "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all”. We here have an excellent guideline to our vocational choice. Not forgetting that: we need to serve in love (Galatians 5:13) wholeheartedly (Ephesians 6:7), It is actually a liberating experience not to be in need to be the best (even if I have no gift for the job) as to achieve that specific, most desired ruling job. Our rule should be one of servitude. And, if God gives us a position of leadership, we should be humble and serving, following our master, always aware of proverbs 16:18 which says: “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” King Solomon himself being one of the outstanding examples. As an addendum it needs to be said that 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. Adriana

32. Letter I Title: Reason, Truth, Material Needs and Science Fundamental Principles For Seeking Direction In this letter CSL covers many subjects related to seeking direction for life. From books and friends, to intellectual attitudes; from material needs to the meaning of life and the popular understanding and use of science and knowledge, he briefly brings all these issues into light. Since the advice proceeds from a devilish perspective the approach is to put us into a state of confusion and emphasize what Lewis calls it “chronological Snobbery” (ref..). “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” I Peter 5:8-9 “Like a good chess player he (Satan) is always trying to maneuver you into a position where you can save your castle only by losing your bishop.” CSL

33. MY DEAR WORMWOOD, I note what you say about guiding our patient's reading and taking care that he sees a good deal of his materialist friend. But are you not being a trifle naïf? It sounds as if you supposed that argument was the way to keep him out of the Enemy's clutches. That might have been so if he had lived a few centuries earlier. At that time the humans still knew pretty well when a thing was proved and when it was not; and if it was proved they really believed it. They still connected thinking with doing and were prepared to alter their way of life as the result of a chain of reasoning. But what with the weekly press and other such weapons we have largely altered that. Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head. He doesn't think of doctrines as primarily "true" of "false", but as "academic" or "practical", "outworn" or "contemporary", "conventional" or "ruthless". Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church. Don't waste time trying to make him think that materialism is true! Make him think it is strong, or stark, or courageous—that it is the philosophy of the future. That's the sort of thing he cares about. The trouble about argument is that it moves the whole struggle onto the Enemy's own ground. He can argue too; whereas in really practical propaganda of the kind I am suggesting He has been shown for centuries to be greatly the inferior of Our Father Below. By the very act of arguing, you awake the patient's reason; and once it is awake, who can foresee the result? Even if a particular train of thought can be twisted so as to end in our favour, you will find that you have been strengthening in your patient the fatal habit of attending to universal issues and withdrawing his attention from the stream of immediate sense experiences. Your business is to fix his attention on the stream. Teach him to call it "real life" and don't let him ask what he means by "real". Remember, he is not, like you, a pure spirit. Never having been a human (Oh that abominable advantage of the Enemy's!) you don't realize how enslaved they are to the pressure of the ordinary. I once had a patient, a sound atheist, who used to read in the British Museum. One day, as he sat reading, I saw a train of thought in his mind beginning to go the wrong way. The Enemy, of course, was at his elbow in a moment. Before I knew where I was I saw my twenty years' work beginning to totter. If I had lost my head and begun to attempt a defense by argument I should have been undone. But I was not such a fool. I struck instantly at the part of the man which I had best under my control and suggested that it was just about time he had some lunch. The Enemy presumably made the counter-suggestion

34. (you know how one can never quite overhear What He says to them?) that this was more important than lunch. At least I think that must have been His line for when I said "Quite. In fact much too important to tackle it the end of a morning", the patient brightened up considerably; and by the time I had added "Much better come back after lunch and go into it with a fresh mind", he was already half way to the door. Once he was in the street the battle was won. I showed him a newsboy shouting the midday paper, and a No. 73 bus going past, and before he reached the bottom of the steps I had got into him an unalterable conviction that, whatever odd ideas might come into a man's head when he was shut up alone with his books, a healthy dose of "real life" (by which he meant the bus and the newsboy) was enough to show him that all "that sort of thing" just couldn't be true. He knew he'd had a narrow escape and in later years was fond of talking about "that inarticulate sense for actuality which is our ultimate safeguard against the aberrations of mere logic". He is now safe in Our Father's house. You begin to see the point? Thanks to processes which we set at work in them centuries ago, they find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things. Above all, do not attempt to use science (I mean, the real sciences) as a defense against Christianity. They will positively encourage him to think about realities he can't touch and see. There have been sad cases among the modern physicists. If he must dabble in science, keep him on economics and sociology; don't let him get away from that invaluable "real life". But the best of all is to let him read no science but to give him a grand general idea that he knows it all and that everything he happens to have picked up in casual talk and reading is "the results of modem investigation". Do remember you are there to fuddle him. From the way some of you young fiends talk, anyone would suppose it was our job to teach! Your affectionate uncle SCREWTAPE

35. Truth Materialism Reasoning Philosophies Doctrines True / False Academic / Practical /Outworn Contemporary / Conventional Jargon Church Argument Stream Spirit Ordinary Atheism Actuality Unfamiliar / Ordinariness Science Economics / Sociology Real life Modern Fuddle Vocabulary Key Words Letter I Imagination Science Reason

36. Analysis Matrix – Letter I Reason, Truth, Material Needs and Science continues

37. Analysis Matrix – Letter I Reason, Truth, Material Needs and Science continues

38. Analysis Matrix – Letter I Reason, Truth, Material Needs and Science

39. Letter I Characters From The Great Divorce An interview with an apostate cleric ... ... "My dear boy, I'm delighted to see you," it was saying to the Spirit, who was naked and almost blindingly white. "I was talking to your poor father the other day and wondering where you were." "You didn't bring him?" said the other. "Well, no. He lives a long way from the bus, and, to be quite frank, he's been getting a little eccentric lately. A little difficult. Losing his grip. He never was prepared to make any great efforts, you know. If you remember, he used to go to sleep when you and I got talking seriously! Ah, Dick, I shall never forget some of our talks. I expect you've changed your views a bit since then. You became rather narrow-minded towards the end of your life: but no doubt you've broadened out again." "How do you mean?" "Well, it's obvious by now, isn't it, that you weren't quite right. Why, my dear boy, you were coming to believe in a literal Heaven and Hell!" "But wasn't I right?" ----------

40. Questions for Discussion - Letter I 1 –How enslaved are we to chronological snobbery? How can we use reasoning to grow spiritually? 3 – How enslaved are we to the pressures of the ordinary? 4 – How can argument and reason bring us close to God? (Gods ways are not our ways, but should we use our God given intellect?) 5 – Is science (real science) a help or a threat to our understanding of God? 6 – How do these issues affect my perspective on my spiritual life and personal vocation plans and goals? 7 – How do these issues affect my DAILY walk with God? For Further Reading and Reflection How does this chapter shows a light on how I relate to God and see my vocation? Reading: The Weight of Glory..

41. Letter I Think About This! – Arguing From Reason (against naturalism and materialism) 1 - No proposition is valid if it can be fully explained as a result of non-rational causes. 2 - If non-rational causes are the only existing causes, then all propositions can be fully explained as the result of non-rational causes. 3 - But if non-rational causes are the only existing causes, then no proposition is valid. 4 - If no proposition is valid, then the proposition that non-rational causes are the only existing causes is not valid. 5 - Therefore, if non-rational causes are the only existing causes, then the proposition of non- rational forces is not valid. 6 - Any proposition that entails its own denial must be rejected. 7 - Therefore, the non-rationality of causes ought to be rejected and its denial ought to be accepted. Think of an independent argument for premise 1. Why exactly do you think it is true? What reasons could be given to support it? If you could do that, I think that maybe you would be getting at the real core disagreement between yourself and the naturalist/materialist.

42. Letter I Think About This! - What is Argument "You see he is trying to argue. Now tell me, someone, what is argument?" There was a confused murmur. "Come, come," said the jailor. "You must know your catechisms by now. You, there" (and he pointed to a prisoner little older than a boy whose name was Master Parrot), "what is argument?" "Argument," said Master Parrot, is the attempted rationalization of the arguer's desires." "Very good," replied the jailor, "but you should turn out your toes and put your hands behind your back. That is better. Now: what is the proper answer to an argument proving the existence of the Landlord?" "The proper answer is, 'You say that because you are a Steward.'" "Good boy. But hold your head up. - - - - Now just one more. What is the answer to an argument turning on the belief that two and two make four?" "The answer is, 'You say that because you are a mathematician.'" "You are a very good boy," said the jailor. The Pilgrim’s Regress

43. Letter I Think About This! Herman Dooyeweerd - Modal Aspects of Reality

44. Letter I Think About This! Inter-disciplinary Modes and Issues Impacted by and Impacts Transcendental / Religious Worldview Population Morality / Ethics Politics Globalization Economics, Aesthetic, Juridical, Ethical Justice Politics Employment Prosperity Food Sensitive, Analytical, Formative, Lingual, Social Culture Population Life Style Technologies Globalization Biotic Life Environment Globalization Politics Life Style Technologies Food Population Spatial, Kinematics Motion, and Physical Energy Population Food Life Style Technologies Globalization PF Ribeiro

45. Letter I Think About This! TRUTH Revelation Wisdom Meaning Creation The Pathways to TRUTH truth Metaphysics Literature Com. Sense Science Religion Philosophy Can you think of a better ways to describe this search? Imagination Creation Reason

46. Faith Theory / Law Religious Method Yes Yes Scientific Method Good ? Good ? Observe Life Observe Nature Not Yet Not Yet No No Infer Is There A First Cause? Construct Scientific Model Construct Theological Model Collect Hard Data Physical Collect Soft Data Ethical, Spiritual Test Model Math - Analytical Test Model Meaning, Value Think About This! And Discuss? Science vs. Spiritual Methodology

47. A Rational Approach to Mere Christianity End of the Story A Force/Power is a sort of a tame and convenient God . An inconsistent Power Yes Do you believe in the existence of a Moral Law? What Kind: A Force (Power)? No End of the Story No Yes No Are you tricking me with a religious talk? A God ? Yes No Is there anything or anyone behind the Moral Law? No We are trying to find truth and the meaning of the universe. End of the Story Yes Are you interested? Yes No End of the Story

48. How can we find out more about the thing behind the moral law and the meaning of the universe? The Moral Law ells you to do the straight thing and it does not seem to care how painful, or dangerous, or difficult it is to do. The Moral Law does not give us any grounds for thinking that God is “good” in the sense of being soft and nice.. The Moral Law is as hard as nails. If God is like the Moral Law, then HE IS NOT SOFT. Looking into the The Universe He Made Looking inside ourselves, where He wrote the moral laws He is quite merciless. The universe is a very dangerous place. He is a great artist No Do you want to proceed? at your own risk? But you cannot know a man by looking at the house he built. End of the Story End of the Story Yes End of the Story

49. Is He an Impersonal Absolute Goodness ? No Is He a Personal absolute Goodness ? If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run hopeless. Yes Yes Absolute Goodness is either the great safety or the great danger - according to the way you react to it. God is the only comfort and supreme terror No exceptions, or allowances permitted. Do you want to find out more about God End of the Story No End of the Story Yes Christianity tells how the demands of the Moral Law, which we cannot meet, have been met on our behalf, how God Himself becomes man to save man from the disapproval of God. Have you broken the Moral Law? Do you think you need Forgiveness? No Yes Beginning of Chapter 1 of the Great Story ... Which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before. End of the Story

50. Letter I Resistance StrategyVirtue and Stock Responses to CultivateBlogging Your Experience Passion for Truth www.blogging.your.experience.com