Jan 3, 2008

C.S. Lewis was an idiot

C.S. Lewis has had an enormous impact on the evangelical mind. His books still top the charts in bookstores. But what about the substance of his arguments? Once critically examined, it becomes apparent that this great apologist extraordinaire wasn't as smart as everyone thought.

For instance, Lewis really shoots himself in the roof of his mouth when he states “I am not asking anyone to accept Christianity if his best reasoning tells him that the weight of the evidence is against it” (Mere Christianity p. 123). Now, why would a Christian apologist write such a thing? Why would a defender of the Christian faith try to divert his audience from his personal beliefs? Why not just say "I am asking everyone reading this to have a fair and balanced consideration for Christianity and its truths." Now, why didn't C.S. Lewis write something intelligent like this?

Why you ask? Because he was stupid. If Lewis had been smarter, he would have wrote those exact words. I just know it because I am smarter than he ever was. When one examines the credentials in comparison and contrast, I'd have to say a Ph.D. equivalent in Religious Philosophy outdoes anything in 'English Literature.' I mean 'blech!' Can somebody say "booorrrrrring!"

Another reason not to like C.S. Lewis is his books. C.S. Lewis was a herroundous writer. He fills his book with nonsensical things like talking lions, coat closets that serve as a portal to another dimension, beasts from Greek mythology, etc, etc, etc, the list goes on. If Lewis was a serious thinker, why did he insist on writing such garbage? Magical fairies and mystical monsters? Sorry Lewis, no serious thinker would take you seriously after reading your books and watching those movies. Especially me, and that says allot right there.

Lewis’ Moral Argument is basically that all people have a notion of right and wrong, and the only explanation for this inner sense of morality must come from a Power behind the moral law known as God. Clearly, Lewis was on some serious narcotic drugs. He probably never even heard or pondered on the concept of altruism. We see it in animals all the time. Ranging from male lions caring for foreign young, to schools of fish. So not only can we conclude that C.S. Lewis was in fact, stupid, we can also conclude that he was indeed ignorant of harmonic nature. Lewis' idiot argument goes something like this: 1) If there is a Power behind the moral law then it must make itself known internally within us. 2) We do find this moral law internally within us. .: Therefore, there is a Power behind the moral law. As such this argument is unsound. As we have demonstrated, humans are not the only animals with morals and belief systems. Lewis didn't answer any of these arguments and I'll be damned if he's smart enough to answer mine coherently. That incompetent dumbass.

In his Argument From Reason, Lewis champions the idea that if naturalism is true such a theory “impugns the validity of reason and rational inference,” and as such, naturalists contradict themselves if they use reason to argue their case. If you as a naturalist have ever been troubled by such an argument you need to read Beversluis’ response to it (if I haven't mentioned who this guy is yet he's a former fundamentalist Christian philosopher professor at Burkley University with a book that critiques Lewis), which is the largest chapter in his book, and something I can’t adequately summarize in a few short sentences. Suffice it to say, he approvingly quotes Keith Parsons who said: “surely Lewis cannot mean that if naturalism is true, then there is no such thing as valid reasoning. If he really thought this, he would have to endorse the hypothetical ‘If naturalism is true, then modus ponens is invalid.’ But since the consequent is necessarily false, then the hypothetical is false if we suppose naturalism is true (which is what the antecedent asserts), and Lewis has no argument.” (p. 174). Lewis couldn't comprehend the fundamentals of logical deduction. Let's say that reasoning is derived through naturalistic progressions, and if naturalism is true, then naturalists are justified to use reason and reasonable interference. Duh!

Lewis’ Liar, Lunatic, Lord Dilemma/Trilemma is one of the most widely used arguments among popular apologists, in variations, where since Jesus claimed he was God, the only other options are that he was either a liar or a lunatic, or both, which Lewis argues isn’t reasonable. Therefore Jesus is God, who he claimed he was. Even William Lane Craig (whom I studied under!) defends it in his book Reasonable Faith. But it is widely heralded as Lewis’ weakest argument as he defended it, and fundamentally flawed. Beversluis subjects Lewis’ defense of it and his defenders to a barrage of rigorous intellectual attacks. There is the problem of knowing what Jesus claimed, which by itself “is sufficient to rebut the Trilemma.” (p. 115). What Lewis' stupid ass didn't realize was that the Biblical claims of Jesus are ambigious (Jesus is never reported having said "I am the revealed Son of God, the Messiah, God incarnate" for example). Even if Jesus claimed he was God he could simply be mistaken, not a lunatic, for lunatics can be very reasonable in everyday life and still have delusions of grandeur. And it’s quite possible for someone to be a good moral teacher and yet be wrong about whether he was God. It's not radical to suggest that Christianity flourished from false beliefs despite the fact that Jesus most likely never returned from the dead. Furthermore, the New Testament itself indicates many people around him including his own family thought he was crazy. Clearly C.S. Lewis did not understand the implications of his own argument and was just Biblically illiterate. Then again it is something you would expect from a moronic atheist-converted Christian. That imbecile.

In Lewis’ book, The Problem of Pain, he deals head on with the Problem of Evil coming at the heels of WWII. Suffice it to say, as Victor Reppert summarized the argument of his first book, Beversluis: “If the word ‘good’ must mean approximately the same thing when we apply it to God as what it means when we apply it to human beings, then the fact of suffering provides a clear empirical refutation of the existence of a being who is both omnipotent and perfectly good." In other words, if we equate God with Santa Clause, for example, then he should behave as we ought to expect a Clause to behave. Furthermore: "If on the other hand, we are prepared to give up the idea that ‘good’ in reference to God means anything like what it means when we refer to humans as good, then the problem of evil can be sidestepped, but any hope of a rational defense of the Christian God goes by the boards.” Seeing as Christians are relentless in having us go according to the will of their invisible Santa Clause in the sky and yet their Santa Clause fails to carry out the duty of the Clause, the Christian God is then an irrational construct that cannot be defended by reason (i.e., does not exist).

These arguments are obviously very brilliant and devestating to the apologetics of Lewis and company. But it still doesn't surpass the quality of my book.

24 comments:

Vinny said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J. P Holding said...

Wow, vinny, I'm amazed! You clearly have been studying sophisticated Christian apologetics from the top of their scholarly heap (like Josh McDowell). Bully for you! Keep up the good work!

Vinny said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J. P Holding said...

WOW! Two whole years! That's the longest and most comprehensive time of consideration I have EVER seen! Way to go, vinny! I salute you and stand amazed by your genius!

Anonymous said...

Dear "Dr.",
With all due reverence towards your ill-conceived supposition on the notions and philosophies of Clives Lewis, I must state that you are simply incorrect in thinking and assuming with prejudice that you are in fact any better than C.S. Lewis. When Lewis developed his theory of a common morality, most other ideas of animal and human nature/behavior where highly theorized theories, even if some morality issues had been thought about, all ideas attempting a puncture the ethical concepts behind the nature of living things in general cannot and will not be known.
Even the earliest forms of well documented philosophy (drawing from Platonic examples) suggest that humans (and animals as you seem to want to use them to “disprove Lewis”) follow a direct nature as intended for by a divinity. (Sorry if complicated sentences confuse you, I know I speak English very well, ‘Mr. English degree is worth nothing’)

By the by, C.S. Lewis wrote such things as “nonsensical things like talking lions, coat closets that serve as a portal to another dimension, beasts from Greek mythology, etc” because they were his midlife works, when he directed his attention to the education of children through literature. Have you never heard of a ‘child’s fairy tale’(moron)

On another note: you are a supposed to be a “PH. D equivalent Religious Philosophy major” why in Gods in name would you summon the use such derogative terms as they are used in modern society as “ass” you blatantly stupid, thick, slow, questionable a retard by IQ standards “professor”.



(sorry if anything offended you) but tis the truth! :)

Unknown said...

I would encourage anyone who reads this "blog" to actually read "Mere Christianity" and "The Problem with Pain" instead of relying this author to present C.S. Lewis's arguments in a factual manner.

The depiction of C.S. Lewis's arguments here do make him look stupid but they are clearly biased and simply inaccurate.

It does not matter if you agree with C.S. Lewis or you do not, not going to the source to read for yourself is foolish.

Anonymous said...

I read Mere Christianity, the argument was as simple as the one described above except it was a much larger waste of time and paper. The book read like someone going to the length of discarding reason to convince themself. The way he can assume a single answer is correct out of infinite possibilities confounds me. No, I'm not at all intelligent, anyone reading this probably has greater mental faculties than me, but the level of wishful thinking that allows one to overlook the total inadequacy of this man's arguments leaves me in fear of humanity.

Bushmaster78FS said...

I'd like to thank "Anonymous" for exposing this atheist for what he really is... not even an "idiot" as he calls Christians...

Noonz07 said...

I must say, considering the aptitude at which your writing skills are at in this blog i would have a hard time believing you even had your bachelors degree. The arrogance exuded by your blog would seem to only serve as a blinding tool. I in good conscience can not take your arguments as valid for the mere fact that you start off your little rant by putting yourself on a throne. Perhaps you should return to school and take some literature courses so that you might be able to more intelligently communicate an idea. If you had bothered to pay attention to literature or the English language itself you would realize that the craft of writing is in fact an art, and the "fairy tales" Lewis was writing was an expression of that. Or perhaps in your single minded worldview you believe there is no room for the creation or appreciation of such things. Now if you can actually find the time to leave your Community College class room and respond intelligently ( I have some books still from my freshman writing seminar that you can borrow ) perhaps you will be able to further ex

Anonymous said...

C.S Lewis was a wanker.

J. P Holding said...

Looks like a lot of people don't know this blog is a parody....

Anonymous said...

"And that says allot"

Heh. That sentence says a lot about your intelligence.

Anonymous said...

Sheesh...
Believe what you want but your nonsensical trivial ramblings prove nothing :P
Tell me Sir, did you graduate from Oxford?
Do are you a Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at the University of Cambridge?
Have you written approximately 60 books,some of which have sold millions of copies all around the world?
Hmmm? I think not :)
"The answer to such people is that if they cannot understand books written for grown-ups, they should not talk about them,"

Anonymous said...

Narnia is a work of FICTION (though it contains allegorical themes etc)and FICTION books are usually creative :P
I pity your lack of imagination :P
Tell me, when you were a child reading a fiction book for children, did you whine about the impossibility of talking animals or people doing things that realistically is impossible?
So I guess in your point of view, every fiction book, every film etc is nonsensical?
Truly I pity you...

Anonymous said...

Ha you are aware that the Chronicles of Narnia are a beautiful methaphor for Christianity.

Anonymous said...

Altruism is a good thing; this unselfish caring about/for others, but you didn't quite understand what Lewis was teaching us: He taught us that something is pressing on most humans to do "the right thing." He further explains that it is not our herd instinct, and he gives us many intelligent examples as to why it isn't. I have learned by experience that many people I have encountered in my life do what is considered wrong in virtually every society/country, and they are always aware that it is wrong, yet they do it for reasons that often benefit them: for good reasons. Lewis further explained that evil is not independent from God, ruling out dualism, and gave examples that I agree are true.

You are free to believe in whatever you want to believe in, that is probably why Lewis chose his words carefully. He remembered history, and
how religion was once forced upon us in such a (most will agree) brutal way, and still is in parts of the world. He didn't want to be pushy, and self-righteous. I too want people to learn, and decide for themselves whether or not they want to believe in christianity.

Let me ask you this: why is it so important to you to call someone who believes in something different from yourselves, an idiot , or stupid? Why do you even promote atheism when you have no proof that God does not exist?

You waste your time, if that suits you, by immaturely priding yourself on being more intelligent than Lewis. Don't think that is very smart, and certain most will agree, not very intelligent.

Hope you read my future books on christianity coming to an online/bookstore within reach. I will prove the existence of God, who is here on earth as Swype this. How do I know?

The holy spirit told me.














































.

Anonymous said...

Your blatant prejudice towards Arabs/muslims won't help make our troubled world better and you would be lying if you were content with the
current state of our entire world.

Furthermore, your pseudo-communistic/fascist "we cannot dissent" law here leaves no room for opinions, so why bother allowing comments?

I know you know this: Only love works/heals/helps. If you do the opposite, and promote it just to be a brat, you will pay the unhealthy hatred consequences later on, or right now.

Anonymous said...

allot? even c.s lewis wouldn't write that.

Anonymous said...

Can you shut your deluded schizophrenic mouth up for one second?

My God, how old are you? 8?

You're a herroundous writer said...

"C.S. Lewis was a herroundous writer." Haha lolz

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Why deleted vinny s comment

Bruce said...

CS Lewis proclaims pompous assertions. If they were for a religion other than your own, they would be rejected out of hand.

Azz hole said...

Cs lewis went to Epstein's Island many times.