C.S. Lewis on Suffering and Pain in the Christian Life - Research Paper Example

C.S. Lewis on Suffering and Pain in the Christian Life due: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Outline 3 I.Main Heading 3 A.First main point 3 B.Second main point 3 1.Sub point 3 2.Sub point 3 If a man chooses the wrong and has to suffer the consequences, it is not God’s fault that the suffering has occurred 3 II.Second Main heading 3 A.First Main point 3 B. Second Main Point 3 Based on this argument, it is logical to acknowledge that man and God cannot think the same 3 Introduction 4 Research question 4 Section I 5 Section II 6 Section III 9 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 12 Annotated Bibliography 13 Outline I. Main Heading The existence of suffering and pain in the world is not an effective excuse to refute the existence of God A. First main point Lewis argues that pain and suffering are essential in the life of a person and should not be used as a proof of the inexistence of God B. Second main point Pain is an inevitable part of life and its avoidance only leads to more suffering. 1. Sub point The nature of suffering is different in the perspectives of man and God. 2. Sub point If a man chooses the wrong and has to suffer the consequences, it is not God’s fault that the suffering has occurred II. Second Main heading That if God is wiser than man, then his judgment differs from ours, including the perception of good and evil. Man and God are different beings, despite man resembling God A. First Main point In the creation of man, Lewis argues that man was created in the likeness of God, not the same as God. B. Second Main Point Based on this argument, it is logical to acknowledge that man and God cannot think the same Introduction The mystery surrounding suffering, pain and evil is inevitable. The problem of pain is the most used argument against the belief in God. Most atheists would argue that an all-knowing God would know that evil exists. An all-loving God would also not allow evil to exist among his creation, and an all-powerful God would stop evil from existing. Yet evil is still present on earth. Taking these factors into consideration, either God does not exist or he is impotent, oblivious or wicked. As a Christian in today’s society, facing this challenge in our daily lives is inevitable. Clive Staples Lewis experienced anguish and pain, although he did nothing to deserve it. However, in his many writings,1 he maintains that God exists and pain and suffering are just parts of his great plan for mankind. Research question This paper will answer the question: does the presence of pain, evil and suffering in the world prove that there is no God? In the subsequent sections, I will argue that indeed, the existence of suffering and pain in the world is not an effective excuse to refute the existence of God. The first section will explore the painful experiences that Lewis had to undergo during his life while the second section will investigate the biblical foundations for his stance on pain and the existence of God. The third section will show how Lewis applied these theological teachings in his life, and the fourth section will conclude the paper. I will also identify several premises that will support the conclusion, including any counterarguments and evidence against them. The paper will be based on Lewis writings in ‘The complete C.S. Lewis Signature classics’. Section I Lewis was born in Belfast on November 29, 1898. Throughout his life, he directly witnessed pain and the evil in the world. His experiences with pain and suffering led him to question the existence of God, just like most other people. While growing up, Lewis was not fortunate enough to know the love of a parent, at least for the greater part of his childhood. When he was only ten years old, he experienced the death of his mother due to cancer. His uncle and grandfather also died in the same year, leaving him with his father and brother as his closest family. His father, however, was not emotionally supportive to his children. During his teenage years, Lewis volunteered in The British Army to fight in the First World War. During training, he met Edward Courtnay Francis "Paddy" Moore, with whom he shared a room. They became very good friends and even introduced each other to their families. However, Paddy was killed in the war in 1918. It was painful for Lewis to lose a close friend, especially since he had very few. He was also introduced to the hostilities of war at an early age. He was badly wounded in the war and had to be hospitalized to recover. During his convalescence, he suffered from depression and homesickness due to the loss of his close friend and the pain of injury. All these experiences contributed to his view of pain and suffering as proof of the inexistence of God as he explains in his first books.2 After the war, Lewis moved in with the Moore family, in a house that they collectively bought. With his brother, he took care of the family as he had promised his friend. He lived with them for many years until he met Helen Joy Davidman, a poet and novelist from New York. They got married in 1957, but Joy was diagnosed with cancer and died shortly after their wedding (which was done while she was on a hospital bed). Lewis’s life was of constant endurance of pain from the loss of loved ones. In a world consistently experiencing evil and suffering of innocent people, it was difficult for him to believe that an all-loving and omnipotent God existed. The presence of pain, suffering and evil in the world was the main reason he chose to abandon his Christian upbringing. Ironically, it was also the same reason for his conversion back to Christianity later in life. Lewis was a brilliant scholar and interacted with many other scholars in his life at Oxford. Through their arguments and his extensive reading, Lewis began to look into the relation between pain and belief, or disbelief, in God. After a long struggle with his conscience, Lewis reluctantly converted back to theism in 1929 and later joined the Church of England in 1931. Section II Lewis based his beliefs of suffering and pain on several biblical foundations. His main argument was that pain is an inevitable part of life and its avoidance only leads to more suffering. He explained the nature of suffering as different in the perspectives of man and God. From his works, he explains the importance of suffering using three arguments derived from the Bible. He uses the story of the creation of man in the first chapter of Genesis, the concepts of Heaven and Hell and the story of the fall of man in the second and third chapters of Genesis. In the creation of man, Lewis argues that man was created in the likeness of God, not the same as God.3 Based on this argument, it is logical to acknowledge that man and God cannot think the same. Lewis likens the situation to a man who makes a sculpture of a man. The sculpture is similar to the man in many aspects but still lacks essential characteristics of a man such as life and conscience.4 In the same way, we are simply images of God; we do not bear the same perfection that God possesses. For this reason, we cannot fully understand God’s motives behind pain and suffering. Also, Lewis states that God views pain and suffering differently from us, and intends to use it for our own good. He argues that if God is wiser than man, then his judgment differs from ours, including the perception of good and evil.5 Therefore, since God is omnipotent, He only allows that which is beneficial to human beings to happen. The presence of suffering is only because it is beneficial in the long run, or it is mandatory in one way or another. Lewis also uses the concepts of Hell and Heaven to explain the existence of suffering and its relation to the existence of God. He states that Hell is prolonged suffering and is a result of the denial of pain and suffering, which are essential components of human nature just as happiness. He says that Hell and Heaven are personal experiences in the life of a person. When a person rejects the ‘bad’, in an effort to prolong the ‘good’, he only prolongs the suffering, and this experience is what he compares to hell.6 He also acknowledges that the experience of hell, resulting from an avoidance of what is essentially part of human nature, is not permanent. Any person is able to change their response to suffering at any time, thus redeeming themselves.7 He also claims that all suffering has the capacity to improve a person.8 Heaven, according to Lewis, is the attainment of the state that suffering is meant to develop us towards achieving. He claims that it is a deeply personal state that cannot be understood by anyone apart from the individual, neither can the person explain it to someone else. He likens heaven to vocation (or life purpose) only that while our vocation is determined by material things such as work, spouses, and friends, heaven surpasses material items.9 Heaven is the ultimate good that provides motivation to withstand suffering,10 while hell comprises of everything that removes the means to achieving this vocation. Suffering that is capable of improving us is, therefore, necessary and important. Lewis also uses the story of the fall of man in the second and third chapters of Genesis to explain why suffering is inevitable and mandatory for our improvement. Three lessons can be learned from the story that is man has free will to make choices, the repercussions of disobedience, and mistakes constitute attainment of knowledge. In the story, both Adam and Eve had the chance to choose between good and evil, and they chose evil. The suffering that resulted was because of their choice of evil over right. Since God always wants the best for humans, the best choice would be to obey God because his counsel cannot result in unnecessary suffering. Another lesson is on disobedience. He claims that disobedience is the choosing of self over God (in this case demonstrated by the choice Eve and Adam made to eat the fruit, ignoring God’s command against it).11 Disobedience, according to Lewis, is the means by which humans learn the responsibility that comes with having to choose between right and wrong. Suffering from disobedience teaches us to make the right choices i.e. obeying God. The third lesson, knowledge, also comes from suffering. Throughout history, mankind has learned through trial and error. We suffer by making mistakes for us to learn to differentiate between what is bad and what is good. In a nutshell, embracing our imperfection and learning to accept suffering is essential for constant improvement of our human nature which is essentially flawed.12 Section III The lessons learned from suffering contributed a lot in the life of Lewis, especially regarding his conversion back to Christianity. From the influence of his fellow scholars and wide Christianity literature that he read, Lewis learned several things that would help him later in life. He learned how to accept suffering, and that the presence of pain and evil in the world was not proof of the inexistence of God. Even though most of the scholars of his time adopted rationalism instead of religion, Lewis and his group of scholars maintained their belief in Christianity and used their knowledge to defend the Christian faith. Lewis, previously an atheist, became one of the most outspoken people to defend Christianity. He applied his teachings on Christianity and pain and suffering, which helped him a lot in his later life. One of the lessons that Lewis advocates is the difference in perspectives of pain between man and God. He learned that the intentions of God are always good and He would not make man suffer unless it is absolutely necessary. As he says, our perspective of suffering is very different from God’s. Just like in his analogy of a man and his sculpture, it is impossible for man, a finite being, to think in the same way as God, an infinite being. In his writings, he shows how this understanding helped him to embrace pain and suffering in his later years, as well as the pain that he had undergone in his early life.13 Lewis also learned that pain is an inevitable part of human life. Most of the time, pain and suffering are brought to man by his own deeds. For instance, he gives the example of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden where they decided to choose disobedience over obedience. The consequences that followed were as a result of their choices, and God had nothing to do with it. Lewis also maintains that humans prolong suffering by choosing not to change their ways and accept to live according to God’s will. Although not all suffering is as a result of our bad deeds, most of it is. As a result, it is our responsibility to change our evil ways and end the suffering in our lives. Lewis realized this and converted back to Christianity. Lewis also applied his teachings later in life when he was faced with the loss of a loved one. He loved Jane Moore so much and regarded her as his mother. When she fell sick and died, it must have been very painful for him. Also, his wife died shortly after they got married which was also painful for him. However, instead of blaming God like he did in his teenage years, he accepted the pain and suffering, knowing that God had a greater plan for him. He wrote a book after the death of his wife, titled A Grief Observed. In the book, he explains the anguish and pain that he went through, his gradual acceptance that pain is part of life and the hope that everything will be alright. In addition, Lewis expresses his deepest feeling in the book, where he came very close to despair. Amid the tribulations, he managed to maintain his faith in the Lord and acknowledge that everything happens for a good reason. In the same book, Lewis notes that it is difficult for a man to realize the truth when he is still clinging to his beliefs. It is only through suffering that a man can know that he is wrong and change his ways. Lewis gives two analogies to explain this concept. First, he likens the situation to that of bridge players. No one takes the game seriously unless something very valuable is at stake. When the players realize that they are not playing for counters or sixpences but for every penny they own in the world, then they can realize how serious the situation is. Similarly, he explains in the form of a house of cards, which represents his previous beliefs. Only when it is knocked down by suffering can he know that he was wrong and start rebuilding it afresh.14 He proceeds to explain that the initial shock will make a man howl and curse but later on he starts putting it back together patiently and carefully. He says that the situation he was going through after his wife’s death was similar to that one. Conclusion Lewis argues that pain and suffering are essential in the life of a person and should not be used as a proof of the inexistence of God. He backs this conclusion with several premises. First he explains the concept of free will. It was possible for God to create a world totally void of sin, inhabited only by righteous people. However, he gave mankind the power of free will; to choose between right and wrong. Consequently, if a man chooses the wrong and has to suffer the consequences, it is not God’s fault that the suffering has occurred. It is the same case with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Second, man and God are different beings, despite man resembling God. He explains using the analogy of a man and his sculpture, which makes sense. It is impossible for man and God to think the same since they are not exactly the same. Suffering and pain according to man’s perception means a different thing to God. Since God is all-loving, he allows us to suffer because it is ultimately aimed at the good of mankind. Lewis also argues, in many of his works, that pain and suffering are aimed at improving man’s life. Knowledge, for instance, is gained through many instances of trial and error, which is mostly a painful experience.15 Also, in his analogy of a house of cards, he claims that every time the house of cards (older beliefs) is knocked down, the man rebuilds it based on better beliefs.16 The debate of an all-knowing, all-powerful God allowing suffering to exist in the world is the most common counterargument to the existence of God. However, it does not mean that God is oblivious of His children’s suffering. In fact, He is completely aware and lets us go through the distress to make us even better because He loves us beyond our definitions of love.17 The story of Job in the Bible explains this fully.18 Bibliography Fisher, Renee. Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me. Harvest House Publishers, 2013. Lewis, Clive Staples. The four loves. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1971. Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1984. The screwtape letters. Zondervan, 1996 “The Last Battle” in The Chronicles of Narnia, 1956, HarperCollins Publishers; London, 1998 Mere Christianity. New York: HarperSan Francisco, 2001 The Problem of Pain. New York, NY: HarperOne, 2001 A Grief Observed, Faber & Faber, 2012 Moate, Lisa. Is Pain Really God’s Megaphone? Responding to CS Lewis. (2008). Peck, M. Scott, The Road Less Travelled, Rider; Sydney, 2008 Annotated Bibliography Fisher, Renee. Forgiving Others, Forgiving Me. Harvest House Publishers, 2013. This book by Renee Fisher is intended for people who are undergoing suffering and are questioning the existence of God. The author talks about her experiences with grief and how she managed to overcome pain. Lewis, Clive Staples. The four loves. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1971. The book is about the different kinds of love. Lewis talks about four kinds of love and concludes that agape (unconditional love) is the best of all. Its intent is a guide to Christians and non-Christians alike. Lewis, Clive Staples. Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1984. The very first of Lewis’s publications, the book is a collection of poems with various themes ranging from romantic love to pain to the existence of God. He had written them before he converted to Christianity. Lewis, Clive Staples. The screwtape letters. Zondervan, 1996 This is a fictional apologetic novel written in a satirical style. The plot and characters are used by the author to explain several Christian theological issues. Lewis, Clive Staples. “The Last Battle” in The Chronicles of Narnia, 1956, HarperCollins Publishers; London, 1998 The Last Battle is the final book in the series The Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis uses fictional characters in a fantasy world to teach, both children and adults, the importance of several Christian values. Lewis, Clive Staples. Mere Christianity. New York: HarperSan Francisco, 2001 It explores the origins and beliefs of Christians. The book is an excellent apologetic for Christianity and combines lessons from three other books by the same author. Both Christians and non-Christians will discover the book as resourceful. Lewis, Clive Staples. The Problem of Pain. New York, NY: HarperOne, 2001 The problem of pain is a book intended to answer the question why God allows his creatures to suffer pain. It offers hope and shares wisdom to readers who are trapped in the dilemma of pain and the existence of God Lewis, Clive Staples. A Grief Observed, Faber & Faber, 2012 The book is an honest reflection by Lewis on life, death and maintaining faith while undergoing the loss of a loved. He shows how even the most faithful of men can sometimes come close to despair but still regain their faith in God.. Moate, Lisa. Is Pain Really God’s Megaphone? Responding to CS Lewis. (2008). In this thesis, the author defends the claim by C. S. Lewis that pain and suffering is capable of improving people, and attempts to evade painful experiences are not appropriate. Peck, M. Scott, The Road Less Travelled, Rider; Sydney, 2008 The book was initially published in 1978 and has remained a source of spiritual inspiration and understanding to most people for many years. It is a guide for the reader towards another level of self-understanding. Read More