C.S. Lewis was a LIBERAL!

[Cappadocian]

Drawing on the works of four eminent scholars and teachers, C. S. Lewis, Joseph Pieper, Andre Compte-Sponville, and the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, all of whom have written extensively on ethics and morality, the major learning outcome for this course is to extend our own understanding of the moral teachings on which Freemasonry is founded and how we can better apply them to our own lives and interactions with others.

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This doesn't look like a claim that Lewis was a Freemason, but rather that Freemasons endorse and recommend his ethical teaching -- as they like Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics". This is a long way off from a claim that C.S. Lewis or Aristotle were actual members of the "International Secular Fraternal Order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons."

But I can't say that it is impossible that he was a Freemason!

 

[Chrysalis Kat]

This doesn't look like a claim that Lewis was a Freemason, but rather that Freemasons endorse and recommend his ethical teaching -- as they like Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics". This is a long way off from a claim that C.S. Lewis or Aristotle were actual members of the "International Secular Fraternal Order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons."

But I can't say that it is impossible that he was a Freemason!

It was never meant to be a claim. Did you read the title of the post?
It's understandable why folks would associate CS Lewis with Freemasonry. The assumption that CS was a freemason is a quite reasonable one whether it is ultimately true or not.

 

[Crazy Liz]

​

This doesn't look like a claim that Lewis was a Freemason, but rather that Freemasons endorse and recommend his ethical teaching -- as they like Aristotle's "Nicomachean Ethics". This is a long way off from a claim that C.S. Lewis or Aristotle were actual members of the "International Secular Fraternal Order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons."

But I can't say that it is impossible that he was a Freemason!

I thought he was. I remember reading it somewhere, but when I look on the net I can't find any authoritative source that says he was or was not.

 

[Cappadocian]

Somewhere out there in webland, there is a site devoted to CS Lewis, and the fact that he was an anti-christ. Interesting...

Are you referring to this site?:

http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/homemake/lewisthe.htm

Clive Staples Lewis has been perhaps the single most useful tool of Satan since his appearance in the Christian community sometime around World War II. With his strong belief in non-denominational Christianity, which he termed "mere Christianity", and his apparent orthodoxy in doctrine, the influence of his pen has reached across many years. When the light of God's Holy Bible is focused upon his writings, however, his heresy and outright love of Satan comes into bold view.
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[Cappadocian]

His 'lunatic, liar or lord' argument is retarded.

I agree that the so-called Trilemma doesn't cover the possibilities. The fact is that there are many more than three possibilities. Here are some possibilities (and there are probably others):

1) Jesus was Lord.
2) Jesus was a liar.
3) Jesus was a lunatic.
4) Jesus was both Lord and a liar.
5) Jesus was both Lord and a lunatic.
6) Jesus was both a liar and a lunatic.
7) Jesus was Lord as well as a liar and an lunatic.
8) Jesus was neither Lord, liar, nor lunatic, or any combination thereof. He was simply mistaken about himself.
9) His biographers lied.
10) His biographers were lunatics.
11) His biographers were lunatics who lied.
12) His biographers neither lied, nor were they lunatics. They were simply mistaken in what they wrote.​

Lewis knew that these other possibilities existed, he was just treating his readers like children. I, of course, go with option #1! There is no truth in the universe that I believe more deeply than the Incarnation of the Word and the Resurrection.

 

[Abbadon]

While all that may be true, the new rules prohibit (among other groups) Freemasons from having Christian faith icons. IIRC, Lewis was a Mason, though I may be mistaken.

What?! (I'm not a Mason, myself, but I've studied it) If Freemasonry didn't exist, Protestantism, and AMERICA wouldn't be what it is today.

- "That rule is anti-protestant and anti-American."

Unless Freemasons that subscribe to the Nicene Creed are allowed to have a Christian Faith icon.

5) Jesus was both Lord and a lunatic.

I'd have to go with this. I believe Jesus is Lord, but anyone that goes around saying "let's just all love each other" is going to get killed (Buddha's the only exception I can think of). I mean, John Lennon, Martin Luther King JR, Malcolm X, Gandhi, all of them were killed.

 

[Chrysalis Kat]

What?! (I'm not a Mason, myself, but I've studied it) If Freemasonry didn't exist, Protestantism, and AMERICA wouldn't be what it is today.

- "That rule is anti-protestant and anti-American."

Unless Freemasons that subscribe to the Nicene Creed are allowed to have a Christian Faith icon.

Agreed. However...http://www.christianforums.com/t2110842-freemasonry.html

 

[Abbadon]

Agreed. However...http://www.christianforums.com/t2110842-freemasonry.html

I used to have a rather good opinion of *he who must not be named*

 

[ChristianCenturion]

If you look closely at C.S. Lewis's theological works, you will find that C.S. Lewis was...

I know it is tempting to claim that a person or our 'group' is better in some fashion or that an admired person is 'on our team', but C.S. Lewis was C.S. Lewis.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

1 Corinthians 3:8
The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

Ephesians 1:3-14
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Philippians 2:13
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

2 Thessalonians 1:11
With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

 

[Cappadocian]

I know it is tempting to claim that a person or our 'group' is better in some fashion or that an admired person is 'on our team', but C.S. Lewis was C.S. Lewis.

I see what you mean and I agree with you. Yet, still it is possible to classify C.S. Lewis based on his own words.

Lewis affirmed "Christus Victor" notions of the atonement and denied that the atonement has any penal substitution aspects to it. Thus, he took a position which is in agreement with the Orthodox and in disagreement with Catholics and Protestants.

The Anglican Church attempts to sit astride all three of these camps and to not take a position on this inflammatory issue, and that is why C.S. Lewis was comfortable being an Anglican.

His theology of the atonement -- the ancient form of Christianity -- is very liberal in comparison to "modern" Christianity.

 

[Received]

Ahhh, Lewis loved Satan. Apparently, that means I love Satan too. But I know him by his better name: Jesus.

A shame people consider Jesus to be Satan.

 

[Waiting for the Verdict]

I couldn't agree more with all of this. Well, I wouldn't use the word "retarded" to mean "unnecessarily limiting the number and content of available options" but other than that...

To a modern evangelical/fundamentalist, Lewis looks liberal, but his outlook was essentially a moderate Anglican viewpoint. Also, he was liberal in the sense that his outlook can be used to accomodate a wide range of theological opinion. It's amazing, the number of wildly diverse groups of Christians who want to claim Lewis as being one of them (and conversely, the true small-mindedness of those who feel they have to tear him down)--a true testimony to his broad appeal.

I just did my thesis on Lewis. I think Joykins is probably closest to the mark. However, I'd be careful about classifying Lewis as a liberal. He is, as Joykins says, a moderate Anglican. He was too High Church to be an Anglican, too low church to go over into the High Church. But he was never a mainliner as we understand it. He was even more critical of theological liberals than he was of fundies. That being said, many of his theological views had more in common with the left than the right! That is why I love him.

 

[artybloke]

He was too High Church to be an Anglican, too low church to go over into the High Church.

You've not been to some of the Anglican churches round here. They make Roman Catholics look like terrible modernisers....