Friday, April 18, 2008

Part of C. S. Lewis's letter to John Beversluis

In the context of discussion "biblical atrocities" C. S. Lewis wrote the following to the John Beversluis.

"The ultimate question is whether the doctrine of the goodness of God or that of the inerrancy of Scriptures is to prevail when they conflict. I think the doctrine of the goodness of God is the more certain of the two indeed, only that doctrine renders this worship of Him obligatory or even permissible."

1 comment:

Dominic Bnonn Tennant said...

Victor, appealing to Lewis, who most Calvinists likely agree was a great philosopher but a mediocre theologian, doesn't seem to strengthen your case. If anything, it belies what you consider authoritative, and what you do not, to your shame as a Christian. You do not go to Scripture to discover if it admits to a contradiction between God's goodness and its inerrancy. You go to your moral intuitions, and the intuitions of those like you. How are we to proceed as Christians when we are arguing from competing authorities? Should I not be proceeding just as I would if I were engaging an unbeliever in an apologetic encounter?

Regards,
Bnonn