A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
If the universe is so bad...how on earth did human beings ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good Creator?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote questions the contradiction between the existence of evil in the universe and the belief in a benevolent Creator.
C. S. Lewis reflects on the paradox of how humanity can attribute the existence of the universe to a wise and good Creator, given the prevalence of suffering and evil within it. This contemplation prompts deep philosophical inquiry into the nature of divinity and the reasoning behind human existence in a world that can often be harsh and unjust.
Themes
UniverseEvilCreatorPhilosophySuffering
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical debate about the nature of good and evil.
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All quotes βI enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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