Pete's Blog

"Logic!" said the Professor half to himself. "Why don't they teach logic at these schools? There are only three possibilities. Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. . . ."

-C. S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia, p. 131. Emphasis added. This is a single volume of all seven books, published by Harper Collins. It is from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, chapter 5.

Its logic is identical to Lewis' argument for the deity of Christ. It goes something like this: In the gospels, Christ claimed to be God. (E.g., in John 8:58 Jesus implied He was the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14, He received worship without rebuke [e.g., Mt. 28:9], He forgave sins [e.g., Mk. 2:5, cf. vv. 6-12], He had authority to state that Old Testament law was fulfilled [e.g., Mt. 19:8, 9; Mk. 7:15-19].) This leaves only three options: either He's a liar, a lunatic, or the Lord of heaven. (Skeptics pushed back against this argument saying that these aren't the only three options. They claim that a fourth option may be posited: that Jesus' claim to divinity, or His existence itself, were legendary. I agree with them, but it doesn't help their case.)

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out in 1950, where Mere
Christianity came out in 1952. That caught my interest at first, thinking, I wonder whether Lewis first formed the Lord, Lunatic, Liar argument in Wardrobe and then flushed it out more completely in Mere Christianity. Then I remembered that Mere Christianity was based on a radio series he did.

I love the Chronicles of Narnia. I've never found any book (or books) such a page turner. Highly recommended.

Over the next week I'm going to post at least twice more on little passages in the books. Stay tuned.

"You see friends," he said, "that before the new, clean world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil, has entered it; waked and brought hither by this son of Adam." The beasts, even Strawberry, all turned their eyes on Digory till he felt he wished the ground would swallow him up. "But do not be cast down," said Aslan, still speaking to the Beasts. "Evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself. In the meantime, let us take such order that for many hundred years yet this shall be a merry land in a merry world. And as Adam's race has done the harm, Adam's race shall help to heal it. Draw near you other two."

-C. S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia, p. 80. Emphasis added. This is a single volume of all seven books, published by Harper Collins. As you might guess, given how early in the volume this passage falls, it is from The Magician's Nephew, chapter 11.

It's been a real joy reading this book. I forgot how interesting fiction can be to read.

Oh, memories :)

So come and talk to me

On my computer screen

The best years of our lives

Aren't as easy as they seem

To get the girl and make the grade

It's all a show, it's all a game

And I would lose it if I played

But anyway

You go out on Friday night

I'll stay in but that's alright

Cause I have found a clique

To call my own.

The first few are kind of boring, but it does a good job of being fair; criticing Republicans and Democrats. I like that it shows Vice President Biden’s stereotyping, and President Obama’s lack of knowledge of the United States. (Obama’s last one kind of reminded me of a Palin slip.)