Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Clive Staples Lewis 2011

A couple of things for the remembrance of CS Lewis.

on the Clergy

It is your duty to to fix the lines (of doctrine) clearly in your minds: and if you wish to go beyond them you must change your profession. This is your duty not specially as Christians or as priests but as honest men. There is a danger here of the clergy developing a special professional conscience which obscures the very plain moral issue. Men who have passed beyond these boundary lines in either direction are apt to protest that they have come by their unorthodox opinions honestly. In defense of those opinions they are prepared to suffer obloquy and to forfeit professional advancement. They thus come to feel like martyrs. But this simply misses the point which so gravely scandalizes the layman. We never doubted that the unorthodox opinions were honestly held: what we complain of is your continuing in your ministry after you have come to hold them. We always knew that a man who makes his living as a paid agent of the Conservative Party may honestly change his views and honestly become a Communist. What we deny is that he can honestly continue to be a Conservative agent and to receive money from one party while he supports the policy of the other. -- Christian Apologetics, C. S. Lewis, Easter 1945

A quote to remember as I contemplate the fact that I made a vow in the Baptismal covenant to live within the tradition, and twice upon ordination.

And a nice video portraying Jack and JRR Tolkien on a memorable after dinner walk.

2 comments:

  1. Well said! That all were as honourable as Jack on this point.
    Bill+

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  2. I didn't know you blogged. Awesome! Thanks for posting that Lewis quote. Well said, indeed.

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