ProTheism

It’s been about two years since I have heard the name “Screwtape.” I remember first reading The Screwtape Letters and Screwtape Proposes a Toast by C.S. Lewis and being completely taken by Lewis’ amazing ability to captivate spiritual warfare in fiction. And of course, who can forget Screwtape’s nephew Wormwood; with a name like that—the book must be good, right? Though the book is fiction, there is a backdrop of eternal significance to the letters; that being, the perpetual disposition of the soul. With the guidance of Screwtape, Wormwood will devour you. However, the consumption of your soul is not sudden, but leisurely. It’s intriguing the way Screwtape takes a person piece by piece like a game of chess. Slowly the pawns of each day’s decisions are persuaded for the taking; until the higher ranks of your fortification are left overpowered—not by brute force, but by the tickling misguidance of Wormwood and his uncle Screwtape.

Now I must confess, as much as I loved how Lewis brilliantly developed the correspondences, when I read Walter Martin’s Screwtape Writes Again, I found my self far more indulged by Martin’s book. Martin’s display of the correspondences between Screwtape and Wormwood seemed more provocative (and personal). I remember hardly being able to set the book down. Most likely, this was because Walter Martin was not only brilliant, but had the ability to bring passion and vibrancy into any discussion.

I’m reminded of Screwtape because of Steve Hays over at Triablogue. He has skillfully succeeded in appropriating Screwtape’s agenda into contemporary apologetics. Taking the fashionable notions of today’s most common delusions of Christianity, Hays pens (so to speak) a small post of Screw Tape Strikes Again! In a little more satirical approach, Screwtape guides Wormwood into the entire family of misconceptions, delusions, tactical divergences and blunt lies. If anyone is familiar with Screwtape, it’s a must read.

In “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau expressed his distress with the State and ideal of what true civil liberty was. He had somewhat of an unorthodox and probably ineffectual response to the governance of his time, but we can glean from some of his ideas. I don’t think his repudiation to pay taxes will suffice today; however, he truly contained the insight of the individual and collective governance.

It seems today, that no matter who obtains office, perversion always prevails. Thoreau stated that government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it. Truer today than ever, we are battling with the perversion of government, and dispensing with our own collective wills in silence.

Thoreau, however, does not decree disposal of government, nor do I. We share this thought in common:

But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at one no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.

Being a voice is decisive to civil stewardship, justice, and liberty. Thoreau's unwillingness to compromise was not a sign of perversity and anarchy—but of principle. However, this principal has faded away and unfortunately, the contemporary Church as a whole has apparently ignored our stewardship to this country and the protection and preservation of our principles. As the Church grows in numbers and power, our moral grounding and cultural values slowly decay. Why is it that “mega-churches” are uprising throughout America; yet pro-choice and homosexual advocates prevail in legislative battles?

As a body, we have failed to confront the perversions surrounding us. In many cases, for the sake of “tolerance”, the Church has embraced our foes. TV evangelists eloquently speak of “God’s love”, but dare not address the attack of moral values in our society. Thoreau recognized the inherent inadequacy of lip service and said “we love eloquence for its own sake, and not for any truth which it may utter, or any heroism it may inspire.”

Thoreau’s ideal of government is even more distant today than ever. However, though there are crucial problems we battle with, we have the greatest system there is. There is no other country that can reflect the liberty and freedom we have; but were loosing it. This is why it’s important that Christians (i.e. the Church) escape from their isolated bubble and transform the culture from within. Thus, we must make known the voice of our will.

Society is just a collection of individuals; if we begin to effect one individual at a time, we will affect society. Moreover, if we make known to our current representatives our contempt for immorality—we may prevail. This will not be effortless—there’s already an invisible muzzle adhered to our lips. But we must break the silence and stop the decline of our values and of our society. Most importantly—we cannot forget God. For without God—nothing is of consequence and nothing is of virtue.

My concern is afresh from a long decline and removal of what is of most consequence—one that will ultimately determine the fate of America. Thus, I close with the words of President Lincoln in his Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, March 30, 1863:

We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.*

Let’s be honest, I am biased in that I have a point of view, like everyone else. However, my bias doesn't inform my conclusions in the same way that biases inform the conclusions of a naturalistic scientist. Naturalistic scientists start out a priori, with the idea that there either is no supernatural (i.e. God) or that the supernatural does not directly intervene in the machinery of the universe.

So where’s the distinction? Well, their bias automatically eliminates options before any “observation” even gets started. A naturalist is self obligated to only have a naturalistic conclusion. This is a demand of naturalistic philosophy. This trump by philosophy can be seen in the ID debate (see A Dirty Little Trick).

For the Christian, we are both open to naturalistic and supernatural explanations. We are not encumbered in our observations. The Christian can follow evidence (unhindered) where ever it leads. Arbitrarily excluding the possibility of an alternate explanation is a limitation and a bias. The Christian is more open minded, thus has the bettor opportunity to find truth and following wherever the evidence leads.