chapter 1
what is the fundamental difference between how christian's and athiest's view other religions
atheists believe that every religion is completely wrong while christians can believe that some other religions have a hint of truth
Why does lewis argue that we cannot look for a simple religion
because real things are not simple "if a religion is so simple we humans can understand is that means it was simple enough for us to make it up"
If God knew that free will would lead to evil why did he grant it to human beings
authentic love and genuine relationships require the real capacity to choose or reject Him rather than forced obedience.
what is the central belief of the christian story regarding christ's death
Christ's death has put us right with God and given us a fresh start
What are three specific things that spread christ-life to human beings
baptism, belief, and Holy Communion
how do Pantheists and Theists differ on their views of morality
Pantheists believe God is beyond good and evil while Theists believe that God is separate from this world and some of the things we see in the world are contrary to his character
What is C.S lewis’s answer for why a good God made a world that has gone wrong
because he gave humans free will, which makes both genuine love and the choice to do evil possible
What was satans biggest lie to humanity
the idea that human beings can be like gods and invent their own happiness apart from God.
What distinctions are there between the fact of atonement and human theories about atonement
the fact of atonement is Christ's death somehow washed out human sins and reconciled us to God, other human theories are not Christianity but explanations about how it works
How does lewis defend authority in believing things we cannot see or test for ourselves
the vast majority of what everyone including strict skeptics accepts as daily fact comes from trusting others rather than direct personal testing
what did lewis realize about his own argument against God being based on the world being unjust
that if someone could see the world as unjust they must have an idea of justice but where would they get this idea if the world has always been unjust
Why does dualism fail to explain why the universe is at war
because it locks good and evil into a permanent, equal stalemate, offering no logical reason why the conflict started or how it could ever truly end
Why do humans who attempt to find peace and happiness without God always fail
because God is the creator of peace and happiness without him it does not exist
Why is humanity incapable of achieving repentance on their own
because the very flaw that makes us need repentance also ruins our ability to do it.
What is the analogy used to explain how a christian handles sin and failure
a living body healing itself
why does injustice imply that there is a standard of right and wrong
because you cannot call something wrong unless you have and idea of what right is
What does it mean when the book describes our world as enemy territory
the world is in a civil war with God its maker
Why is it illogical to view Jesus as a great moral teacher and not the son of God
a regular human who claimed to be God cannot be a good teacher, but must instead be a liar or a madman
How does God help humanity accomplish repentance and suffering when it is something he cannot do because of his nature, without becoming man
he became a man
Why does God choose to land in disguise in this world rather than arriving immediately with his full power
because an immediate arrival in full power would mean judgment day, leaving no room for humanity to choose Him freely.