Posted on 03/10/2012 7:20:58 PM PST by marshmallow
One of the lesser known and lesser read works of CS Lewis is his correspondence with Rev. Fr. Don Giovanni Calabria. Few indeed have read them since they were written in Latin. And though an English translation was published in 1998, I know few who have ever heard of these letters. The full collection of these letter is here: The Latin Letters of CS Lewis
In these letters, there are some very important insights that CS Lewis offers for the loss of faith in Europe that was already well underway in the 1950s when the letters were exchanged. Indeed I would call his insights stunning in many ways. Lewis argues, in effect, that Europe was in a far worse state than paganism. Would that she were even pagan, for the pagans accepted natural law. But Europe, having cast off the faith, is in a state far worse than even before she ever heard of Christ.
In the quotes that follow, CS Lewis makes this case quite well and then proffers a solution that we may wish to consider in these times that are even darker for Europe and the whole of the West. Allow me to present just a few excerpts. The Latin text is italicized. The English translation (by Martin Moynihan) is just below the Latin in black bold and italic type face. My comments are in red.
Let us begin with Lewis assessment as to how and by what stages Europe lost the faith:
Neque tamen sine peccatis nostris evenit: nos enim justiam illam, curam illam pauperum quas (mendacissime) communistae praeferunt debueramus jam ante multa saecula revera effecisse. Sed longe hoc aberat: nos occidentales Christum ore praedicavimus, factis Mammoni servitium tulimus. Magis culpabiles nos quam infideles: scientibus enim voluntatem Dei et non facientibus major poena. Nunc unicum...........
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.adw.org ...
Stunning insight. A goal toward which we have failed miserably since his warning.
Natural Law Theory is key. It is the basis of our Constitution. It is where our Natural Rights come from
There isn’t a a single soul in my life — relative, friend, acquaintance or co-worker — who knows and understands this. Conservative friends sense it but they still miss the point and will ask me “why do we have an electoral college, why not a popular vote”, and they are wholly ignorant that the states were designed as the fundamental building block of the nation.
Then there are the leftists and Marxists who can’t even begin to listen on the subject because their defenses against our natural rights immediately kick in. All they see are rights for gays, glass ceilings for women, they see skin color, they see oppressed poor. They aren’t capable of learning about our natural rights.
Frustrating, infuriating and I don’t see a way back to a constitutional Republic when I can’t make friend or foe understand this crucial fundamental concept.
Excellent, thank you.
b/m
Can I get some reading suggestions for understanding this topic better myself and passing it on to my college students? I have windows of opportunity and want to use them wisely. Thank you.
It is frustrating and infuriating talking to useful idiots. The ex-KGB Yuri explains this (on youtube from the 70’s) how teaching children “cognitive dissonance” (lies) for 12 years, will destroy their logic and reason.
Adults can hardly ever become logical and reasonable even if the Truth hits them in their face. They can’t help it-—it is indoctrination and conditioning through schools and media and perceptions shaped by soundbites. It is hard to dislodge all the BS—almost impossible if you don’t get them when they are forming their “reality”—their worldview. Marxists are forming it now.
Their foundation is flawed—so their very basic notions have to be changed—like what is a Republic and why are democracies always end in tyranny.
Ayn Rand talked about this-—that the leftists are all “irrational”—(because Marx kicks out Natural Law Theory—(Common Sense). It is on purpose so people will believe the absurd like “up is really down”, “sodomy is really good”.
They want to create human beings where love does not exist-—like in The Brave New World==no biological connections—no meaning in a totally controlled and condition populous. Destroy the maternal and paternal instincts so the state can form the worldview of children.
Well it certainly is working. The socialists are winning IMHO.
That is what Whittaker Chambers said in “Witness” around 1954-—there is a war—Man v. God and Man is winning.
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