*For the first part of this series, click here.
I still love the title. I don't care that it takes me a minute to say it aloud.
In the first book, C.S. Lewis introduces the idea of the Law of Human Nature and how all humans are born with the knowledge to treat others decently or risk looking or feeling bad. He continues with this idea but merges it with Christian rules in Book Two: What Christians Believe. While Christian beliefs of human decency are showcased, they do reflect the rules of most major religions, namely to treat others how one wants to be treated.
To pick up where the last post left off, the ideas and rules of good and evil break down concretely into the ideas and rules of right and wrong. What a person perceives as good, another may see as bad, but if something is right, few can argue against its case. Good and bad are too subjective to measure human behavior, and so Lewis explains how to better understand human decency, or lack thereof, using the rules of right and wrong.
Book Two: What Christians Believe
Perceptions of Good and Evil
The word "nice" is a terrible adjective when used to describe anything but a person. Is the table nice because it folds, seats nine, or changes color at whim? Is a job nice because it's mindless, high-paying, or involves minimum contact with customers? The definition of nice changes for each topic and person, and therefore cannot accurately describe its subject for all listeners.
The words "good" and "evil" tend to fall under this category when discussing human nature. If a person believes in preserving human life, it is good for them to eat a plant-based diet. On the other hand, someone who suffers from a severe lack of iron should seek out more meat in their diet to aid their health, which is good for them. Neither of these ideas are bad for their respective people, but could be viewed as bad by each other.
While both of these ideas are good and bad, neither of them is wrong, and that is the argument Lewis brings to the table regarding right and wrong to determine human decency. In order for something to be right, it must conform to the maker; likewise, for something to be wrong, it must go against the maker (43). Christians believe that by acting in right ways, which constitutes being a kind, helpful, and forgiving person, they are following the rules that God has set in place as the third, or higher, power above right and wrong. This same concept applies to all people.
Treating someone with kindness is viewed as something good, but then, treating someone who has caused harm with anger is accepted by society because society says a person is justified to act out their feelings of anger and vengeance. However, no matter what a person has suffered, it is still wrong to intentionally hurt a human being and is why so many people admit to feeling guilty after acting in certain ways, including gossiping, yelling, or neglecting.
Society's perceptions of good and evil change with every century, every civilization, and every generation. At the core of right and wrong, nothing has changed from how human beings first lived to now. Each person has an individual view of good and evil, but if each person acted on what is right and avoided what is wrong, there would be fewer divisions between individuals as well as fewer internal wars for each individual.
The Ruination of Good
God did not create evil; He allowed it. This is proven by reminding the world that the Devil is labeled as a fallen angel (45). Just as God allows His children to exercise free will in choosing to follow Him, He allows wrongness in the world to give people a chance to choose what kind of person they want to be. Wrong is the perversion of right and is not independent of it.
The Devil started living in the right: He followed God and carried out His commands. Over time, the Devil decided his power, beauty, and intelligence put him above those around him, including God, and he made plans to rise above. While power, beauty, and intelligence are not innately bad things, he pursued good things in the wrong way by trying to overthrow his maker, and thus made these things bad for himself.
Seeking "good" things in wrong ways leads a person to do "bad" things (44). If an individual judges their kindness based on how a person physically looks, they are are using their good power of kindness in the wrong way. If a manager degrades an employee or an employee degrades an intern because of their status, they are using their good power of influence in the wrong way. Once again, if individual indulgence did not consume society's mind, the ruination of good might not be a problem within human relationships and interactions.
No matter what an individual believes or strives to emulate, hurting or overlooking those in need will not result in the right end result.
How Christian Beliefs Alter an Individual
To be Christian, a person must believe that God created them, that Jesus died and rose again for them, and that the Holy Spirit comforts them in every moment. While some people will question how this is possible, Lewis reminds the reader that to believe something is true, a person does not need to understand how it works.
His examples include knowing that oil runs a car but not knowing how that oil plays into each piece of the process and understanding that eating dinner helps fuel us but not knowing exactly how each vitamin and mineral plays into the aid of the body (54). In this same way, a person can believe Jesus died for our sins without knowing how exactly it works (55). God does not ask knowledge of His children, but trust and faith.
While the world breaks down people into good and evil, it doesn't help in determining what is the right way to live for all. Not every person is made to be a vegetarian, or a mechanic, or a parent, but each person is called for consideration, aid, mercy, and love. The first list is a list of good things; the second list is a list of how to live rightly.
If Christianity was lived according to its basic rules of behavior, it would be difficult to understand how wrongness could live so readily in society. Those in power would lend their influence to encouraging others, not eliminating competition. Those high in intelligence would teach their knowledge to the world, not horde it for the title of recognition. No one would view another as greatly handsome or greatly ordinary because each person would be seen as beautiful as a fellow human being.
Lewis says, "[God] lends [people] a little of His love into [them] and that is how [they] love one another" (57). If individuals focused less on themselves and more on their family, friends, and peers, they would transform themselves and society. The world is heavily concentrated on how "me" is and what "me" needs to the point that when something happens to an individual, no one bats an eyelash. Besides, how could a single person expect help from hordes of people when they themselves could not be bothered to help the one suffering in their home or work?
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