A Random Thought

Well, Happy Saturday!

I thought that I would do something entirely different today, and run with a quote from C.S. Lewis who is one of the foremost Christian theologians of the 20th century.  Here, Lewis expresses his thoughts about those who would seek to force others to behave “properly”; applied theology if there ever was such:

“Of all tyrannies a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be ‘cured’ against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals. But to be punished, however severely, because we have deserved it, because we ‘ought to have known better,’ is to be treated as a human person made in God’s image.”

I think this deserves some thought, how about you?

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About Don Merritt

A long time teacher and writer, Don hopes to share his varied life's experiences in a different way with a Christian perspective.
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2 Responses to A Random Thought

  1. Chris Kelly's avatar Chris Kelly says:

    Thanks, Don. Love reading Lewis. But it’s a little cruel of you not to cite where this came from. I’m going to guess it’s from The Abolition of Man. But I don’t remember it now.

    It IS worth a good deal of thought, especially as we start trying to pick a presidential candidate to give our votes to in various places.

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