It is no wonder that Christians should revere a miracle-working carpenter. I think one must be the son of a god to build an attic before the rest of the house.

There is no fundamental basis for Lewis' arguments. I was hoping to find something thought-provoking and convincing, but it just felt like the same old ideas Aquinas and Descartes bandied around. These are no longer sufficient in a world of thermodynamics and evolution.

Lewis has some skill and intellect, but the way he meanders about duality, truth, social darwinism, pathetic fallacy, comparative anthropology, and scientific process tends more towards self-justification than any profundity.

Lewis clearly wants to believe, and wants to bolster and justify those beliefs, but he never overcomes a reasonable burden of proof. He puts together the best indications he can find, but they don't add up to much.

Every time Lewis embarked on a thought, it would grow and blossom in intriguing ways until he would simply bunch together the whole bundle, tie it with a bow, label it 'god's handiwork' with a reverent nod, and move on, never reaching an insight. It made me think the allegory in Onan has been widely misread.

The righteousness of his belief contrasts hypocritically with the way he blithely writes off any other belief. To portray everyone else as faulty but still think yourself infallible is not only insulting, but a black mark on any otherwise reasonable mind.

I like Lewis, both his tone and his mind. I wanted to find something compelling in him. I wanted to find something that tied his observations together. I sense Lewis also wanted to find something he could attach himself to. After being alone and afraid in a grand world ripped by World Wars, who wouldn't feel a desperate need for meaning?

And he found one. He found a meaning he could cling to, but only with a tentative grasp. Since it is not a meaning he can communicate, it is not one I can share. He does not find tenacity in reason, but in romanticism, in idealism, in fear, and in a blindness to his own faults, even as he seeks out those of others.

Dear friends, this book is one of those that are beloved by Christians or the fearful. Because in this book, C.S. Lewis, who is also a devout Christian, has attributed everything in a way to Christ, even the ethical and moral points that have been borrowed from us Iranians and non-Iranians.

In this review, I will refer to some of Lewis's views.

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Dear ones, Lewis says that true joy and goodness come from surrendering oneself to God and obeying His commands without asking why. He writes: "Goodness is proper for a creature when it submits itself to its Creator. And only when it does so, is it happy and good."

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Lewis has spoken about "mood swings" and has based religious belief on reducing a person's dependence on external factors beyond his control, especially on water, air, and stomach... He has established and put reason in the middle, which from the perspective of naturalists, sages, and thinkers like Rasselas, this is wrong. Because in matters related to religion and faith, reason has no place, and the wise person, with great courage and high ability, frees himself from the bonds of superstitions and attains salvation. And in religious matters, instead of reason, emotions and fear of God prevail over a person. So reason is meaningless in religion and faith.

In this regard, Lewis writes things that are not clear at all whether they have a beginning and an end or not!! He writes like this: "Religious belief... is the art of holding on to that which your reason has accepted despite the changes in your mental states. Because mental states will change based on the perspective that your reason guides you. Now that I am a true Christian and a fearful one, I have a mental state that all of my being seems to be a believer: but when I was an atheist, Christianity seemed hardly believable to me. The rapid change in your mental states will take you away from the right path. This is the reason why religious belief is a necessary good... unless you learn from your mental states 'where they will not lead you'... you cannot be a good Christian or even a good atheist, only a confused human being, with beliefs that are actually dependent on water, air, and stomach, and are placed in the wrong place."

***********************

Lewis emphasizes to us that we should not judge the characteristics of others because we do not have the ability to do so. And he uses the term "raw materials" for humans, which it is not clear where he got it from, and he writes like this: "Evaluating the ethical characteristics of someone requires having complete knowledge of his inner psychology, inheritance, and upbringing and 'raw materials'. But we only see the result of what a person builds based on 'raw materials'... God never judges a person based on 'raw materials', but based on what a person has done with them."

**********************

In general, dear ones, our non-Iranians have also said that we should not judge others until we have complete knowledge... but this reason cannot be that we leave judgment to the unseen entity that is neither seen nor has any trace of it... Therefore, according to the request of the religious people, such judgment falls into the hands of the lying institutions that say we should judge according to the divine commandments. When the judgments were in the hands of the church, history has shown what atrocities they brought to humanity and how many innocent, wise, and thinkers they executed, tortured, and burned in the name of Christ.

Dear ones, never leave judgment to superstitions because this is the work of the foolish and the unreasonable. And you see that in our own land, what inhumane and unmanly laws are being implemented in the name of God and what innocents are being executed and called the war against God.

Entities like Lewis have sold their reason and wisdom to religion and faith and do not have the ability to think about the truth, the right, and the correct.

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I hope this review has been useful for you wise people.

This is a book that is truly meant to be digested gradually, chapter by chapter. One needs to take the time to really let everything sink in. C. S. Lewis presents the fundamental truths of Christianity in a simple, conversational manner. He also uses practical metaphors that, even decades later, still hold true.

His style of explaining things in such a blunt and straightforward way was often very relatable. There were multiple occasions when I actually stopped and thought to myself, "he's such a kindred spirit." XD

I began reading this book at the start of this year and only just now remembered that I never finished it (thank you, Goodreads). But wow, when I reached the last chapter, I was literally getting emotional. The truths that Lewis expressed in the latter half of the book were so timely for me. God truly used this book during this rough season of my life to give me a fresh perspective, and I am extremely grateful.

Every Christian should read this book as it has the potential to offer deep insights and spiritual nourishment. It can help one to better understand the fundamental principles of the faith and apply them to their daily lives.

I don't know how it has escaped my notice that I've never written a review for Mere Christianity before, despite having read it at least four times by now.

It goes without saying that this book is a classic for a very good reason. C.S. Lewis's exploration of Christian virtue in this work is truly brilliant and stands out as the highlight for me. His insights and explanations offer a profound understanding of what it means to live a virtuous Christian life.

While it's true that Lewis starts to stumble a bit in the last section with some analogies that don't quite resonate as deeply as one might hope, this doesn't overshadow the overall excellence of the book.

I also have a great deal of appreciation for his original and thought-provoking arguments for the existence of God and the validity of Christianity in the first two parts of the book. His reasoning and presentation make for engaging and enlightening reading.

In conclusion, Mere Christianity is a truly excellent work that has withstood the test of time and continues to offer valuable wisdom and inspiration to readers of all ages.

C.S. Lewis is truly an incredibly prolific and highly articulate author. His works have been a source of great joy and inspiration for me. I find myself completely engrossed in his writings, constantly amazed by the seamless and often humorous way in which he is able to explain his deeply held beliefs and profound thoughts. Each page seems to unfold a new world of ideas and perspectives that I have never considered before. I am eagerly anticipating reading more of his works in the future. As I look back on the year 2016, I feel truly blessed to have spent it reading the works of C.S. Lewis. His words have touched my heart and expanded my mind, and I know that they will continue to have a lasting impact on me for years to come.

C.S. Lewis is such a prolific and articulate author. I'm really enjoying his works. I'm constantly blown away by the way in which he seamlessly (with humor) explains his beliefs and thoughts. I can't wait to read more from him. I feel bless having closed 2016 year reading his works.

I probably read this book 4 - 5 times between the ages of 16 - 20 and haven't picked it up since. Looking back, I don't know what I was thinking. It is truly an incredible work.

My memory of this book was that it presented a powerful apologetic argument for monotheism, likely Christianity, by exploring morality. And once that case was made, it described how Christianity "functions". That memory isn't wrong, but it doesn't do justice to even 5% of the book.

I was especially amazed by how Lewis addressed two themes that I've been pondering just in the last few months. First, the nature of unity, the role of theology, and how the Church could better understand its own diversity in thought. Second, the idea that Christ's purpose and achievement, while it did involve something like "substitutionary atonement", isn't best summed up that way. The New Testament seems more focused on the establishment of a Kingdom than the cancellation of individuals' debts. Consequently, Christ's imparting of a different kind of life to his followers is more the point than his "saving" them from Hell.

The best books (and songs, foods, and friends) offer a new kind of enjoyment every time you revisit them. Mere Christianity definitely belongs in that category. It's one thing to be a good read, but it's even more impressive to be a great re-read.

I never would have thought that I would come across a book like this.

I have a great passion for my Young Adult books, but it was my sister who urged me to read this particular one.

Surprisingly, I actually found myself really enjoying it and, to my pleasant surprise, I also learned a great deal about Christianity.

This book had a profound impact on me as it made me deeply reflect on myself and the path I'm currently on in life.

It has left an indelible mark that will surely stick with me for many years to come.

In fact, I know that I'll keep going back to this book whenever I'm in need of some valuable advice and guidance.

It has become a precious resource that I'll cherish and turn to time and time again.

Lewis's work "Mere Christianity" has received some criticism, with some giving it one or two stars. Some argue that he doesn't justify his explanations well enough or that his writing is offensive. However, Lewis himself states that the book is more of an explanation of what all Christian denominations hold as truth rather than an argument for why these are true. As for the offensiveness, Christianity itself can be offensive to modern thinking, but that doesn't make it any less true. Lewis is more readable than Nietzsche, and while both are critical of their modern societies, Lewis reasons in the third person rather than asserting his views as fact. The book also addresses the concept of "works-based repentance," emphasizing that salvation is by faith alone. Lewis's statements, like "The Christian way is different: harder and easier," show the confronting nature of Christianity. He begins by discussing the Law of Human Nature and the need for spiritual help, and also addresses morality and Christianity, explaining the Cardinal Virtues and the sin of pride. Overall, "Mere Christianity" is a complex and simple book, like Christianity itself, and is a great resource for those looking to affirm their faith and understand the questions Christianity attempts to address.

\\n  “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”\\n

Lewis's work is full of quotable statements that help make Christianity more accessible and understandable. It's a classic of faith that shows "mere Christianity" as it should be,抛开大多数教派和个人的信仰差异.

In conclusion, "Mere Christianity" is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the Christian faith. It challenges our thinking, makes us question our beliefs, and ultimately helps us to better understand the complex and beautiful nature of Christianity.

Whether you're a believer looking to deepen your faith or a non-believer curious about the Christian perspective, Lewis's work has something to offer. So pick up a copy, sit down, and prepare to be enlightened.

Remember, as Lewis says, Christianity is a fighting religion, and in a world that often tries to undermine its truths, we need to be prepared to stand up and defend our faith.

So go forth and read "Mere Christianity" with an open mind and a willing heart, and may you be blessed by the wisdom and insights it contains.

Amen.

There are not enough stars to accurately give this book the rating it deserves.

Now, whenever I am confronted with the question, "What is a book you think everyone should read?" I feel an intense compulsion to say Mere Christianity. This holds true for both Christians and non-Christians alike. If you are a Christian, this book will not only fortify your faith but also reveal to you the "why" and "how" underlying your beliefs. It will deepen your understanding and make you more confident in your spiritual journey.

If you are not a Christian, this book will still prompt you to engage in profound思考 about humanity, our fallen world, and the perception of life after death. It will lead you to grapple with the fundamental questions of "Who is God?" and "Who are we to Him?" You will be challenged to examine your own beliefs and worldviews, and perhaps gain a new perspective on life.

C.S Lewis is undoubtedly a "jewel amongst the dirt" writer. I have not come across many authors who can provide not only sound reasoning for the Christian faith but also present it in a manner that is accessible to anyone. His writing style is as smooth as a conversation with a close friend, making it easy to follow and understand. There are no boring topics or unnecessary chapters in Mere Christianity. Everything Lewis discusses is fleshed out with the appropriate weight and significance, ensuring that the reader gains a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

Lewis' analogies are truly my favorite aspect of the book. I am in awe of his ability to come up with such recognizable yet impactful ways to explain complex theological concepts. His explanations enable readers to view familiar ideas from a different angle and to engage in deep思考 and meditation. As I read in a friend's review (love you, Ella M!), this book explores matters that most Christians already know, yet reading it in Lewis' rationale makes you feel as if you are encountering those matters for the first time. I wholeheartedly agree. Lewis simultaneously makes me confident in what I know to be true while also challenging me to think about the truth in a way I never have before.

Mere Christianity not only presents a strong argument for the Christian faith but also interprets what it means for Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and how we are meant to live because of Him. This book has helped me to realize many aspects of my beliefs that I had previously overlooked or been ignorant of. Lewis' discussion of the Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - is particularly remarkable. He manages to explain this深奥的 concept in a way that is easily understandable, which is no small feat.

I wish I could铭刻 all that I highlighted in this book upon my heart, but I am certain that it is a book I will read again and again. C.S Lewis is, truly, "amongst the angels", and Mere Christianity is an absolute must-read for everyone. It has the power to transform your life and deepen your understanding of the Christian faith, regardless of your current beliefs or background.

I had to put a stop to reading this, as it was making me feel unwell. It seems that perhaps every single sentence in this book is either incorrect, offensive, inane, or all three. Here's a passage from page 45. CS is discussing what he refers to as Dualism (i.e., Manichaeism), where the existence of evil is accounted for by there being two equal forces in the Universe that are in perpetual conflict, the Good one and the Bad one. CS states:

"If Dualism is true then the Bad Power must be a being who likes badness for its own sake. But in reality, we have no experience of anyone liking badness just because it is bad. The closest we can come to it is in cruelty. But in real life, people are cruel for one of two reasons - either because they are sadists, that is, because they have a sexual perversion that makes cruelty a source of sensual pleasure for them, or else for the sake of something they are going to get out of it - money, or power, or safety. But pleasure, money, power, and safety are all, as far as they go, good things. The badness lies in pursuing them by the wrong method, or in the wrong way, or too much. I do not mean, of course, that the people who do this are not extremely wicked. I do mean that wickedness, when you examine it, turns out to be the pursuit of some good in the wrong way. You can be good for the mere sake of goodness : you cannot be bad for the mere sake of badness."

I was never that well-versed in the subtleties of philosophical debate, and it's true that my brain has been gradually weakened by a constant diet of Old Peculiar, chicken tikka masala, and Italian exploitation movies. Yet, even I can see that this amounts to a mountain of nonsense of colossal proportions. Dualism is wrong because it's impossible to "like" badness for its own sake, huh? Because when you do bad things, you're really trying to achieve ends that are actually good, but you're going about it the wrong way, huh? Well now, let's take our old devilish acquaintance Adolf Hitler. He was quite convinced that he was doing a GOOD THING by ridding Germany of all Jews. The idea was to eradicate every last one of them. The ultimate goal (though he recognized this was something for later generations and he would not live to see the happy day) was to murder every single Jew throughout the world because, in the depths of his racist insanity, he thought the Jews were Evil. So getting rid of them was Doing the World a Favor. As in – eventually, they will thank me for this arduous but essential task. Okay, C S Lewis – ANALYZE THAT! How, in any grotesque rhetorical contortion, could that be construed as pursuing a GOOD thing in the wrong way?? There was a classic multiple murderer in 1972 in California called Herbert Mullin – he was a schizophrenic who was obsessed with the impending Big Earthquake and went around randomly beating 13 people to death because his brain told him THAT WAS THE WAY TO STOP THE EARTHQUAKE! I get it, CS, he was trying to do a GOOD thing in a BAD way. So he's your example. But uh-oh, what about Josef Fritzl and the family in the basement? He knew what he was doing was Very Bad and it gave him a big thrill. He would go to friends' barbecues and fry steaks and chuckle to himself "if only they knew about my incest family in the basement!" Or anyway, take the case of any common or garden wife beater – what GOOD are they trying to achieve in the "wrong way"? Oh, wait – CS says that "power" is as far as it goes a good thing. So it must be that the violent man's partner is preventing him from feeling adequately powerful and so he wishes to restore his power over her – which CS thinks is good – but "in the wrong way". My brain is reeling from the enormity of the wrongness of all of this. I'm a little shocked.

This was written in 1952 and CS comes across as a wise old man in a cardigan speaking to an earnest younger man. Both their wives are bustling around in the kitchen, rustling up something to eat and chatting about whatever mysterious things women find so interesting. Meanwhile, the men hash out the deep questions. Here's a gem I think we all ought to cherish:

"there are situations in which it is the duty of a married man to encourage his sexual impulse" (p.25)

Here's another:

"the reason we do not execute witches is that we do not believe there are such things. If we did… surely we would all agree that if anyone deserved the death penalty, then these filthy quislings did?" (p.24)

Surely we would, us avuncular old fools in cardigans, puffing on our pipes and living in the real world as we do.

I think a copy of Mere Christianity should be provided free to every impressionable schoolchild in the country. It'd put them off for life.

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WHY I THOUGHT OF READING THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE

Originally, Pink Floyd was Syd Barrett's band - he was the lead guitarist, lead singer, and only songwriter. Then he consumed 5000 gallons of LSD and fried his brains. The other boys in the band were perturbed by his strange behavior, but he was still the golden goose for them. They would visit his house and he would teach them his new songs. One day, just before they decided he was too crazy and kicked him out, they went over and he taught them a new song with lots and lots of chords in it. Syd told them it was called "Have You Got It Yet?". He played it again and gleefully sang the chorus (have you got it yet, have you got it yet). They were confused. He played it again. They still couldn't figure it out. Then they realized that every time he played it, he was changing the chords completely. "Have you got it yet?" - good one, Syd. Very funny.

For me, Christians are like Syd Barrett and I am one of the duller Pink Floyd members. Every time the Christians play me their song, they change the chords. So I still can't figure out what they mean when they speak these simple phrases with those little big words - "God", "saved", "life", "sin" - that kind of thing. Are the Christians deliberately vague and terminally woolly or are they subtle and insightful? Are they serious or do they just want to be in a big club? So I thought I would go back to C S Lewis and try to figure it out again.

This book was initially broadcast as talks on the radio by the BBC in Britain from 1942 to 1944. It was directed at people who were extremely discouraged by the war.

C.S. Lewis aimed to explain some of the complex concepts of Christianity in simple terms and rationalize the reasons for belief to those who were grappling with the destruction of war and the loss of loved ones.

As a new Christian himself, he desired to share what he had learned and offer hope and purpose to others. He elaborates that living as a Christian entails choices we make starting from the moment we wake up each morning and throughout the day. This requires effort, gives purpose, and over time, leads to our transformation.

From the Foreword written by Kathleen Norris: "Perhaps it assists us just as surely as it helped the war-weary British people who first heard these talks to recall that God plays a great joke on those who would pursue power at any cost. As Lewis reminds us with his customary humor and wit, how monotonously similar all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously distinct the saints."

C. S. Lewis wove doctrines and lessons regarding the Christian faith throughout his other works, notably the Chronicles of Narnia.

Ergo, I was surprised when reading this novel to learn that he used to be an atheist.

\\n  A religious book, written by an ex-atheist?\\n I was alight with curiosity.

What caused the switch? By studying the faith (as an effort to become better at atheism) he found religion. A strange, roundabout way to go about things but nonetheless thoroughly interesting.

Lewis slowly, but surely, explains the hows and whys he found himself converted. He starts with a long (and slightly difficult to follow) discussion regarding the reasoning behind there being a God (opposed to many or none).

From there he narrows slightly, circling closer and closer until he reaches Christian doctrine (i.e. the holy trinity). However, he never pinpoints on the differences between Catholics or Lutherans (etc). He does not preach only one denomination. Rather, he expounds on core truths and beliefs of Christianity as a whole.

His explanations put to rest several questions I had and answered ones that I hadn't known to ask.

As admirable as this novel is, he does preach a few beliefs and interpretations that were common back then but are not shared by as many nowadays.

For example, there are a few anti-gay statements and a few about women belonging in their places. A clear example of that is when he touches on the subject of men being the heads of households.

So, taken with a grain of salt, this book does provide a fascinating look into the core beliefs of the Christian religion.

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