Atheist-Turned-Christian C.S. Lewis: "God Will Invade"

[SweetSue92]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

 

[wamose]

God may actually invade our society, we need it. But Devine intervention won't help hard core Democrats. They have no parameters.

 

[buttercup]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

I fully agree about Mere Christianity! It's one of my favorite books ever.

I love this quote:

“Enemy-occupied territory---that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

 

[Bo Didleysquat]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

Gotta fear your God, gotta fear your Lucifer.

 

[Thunk]

OP, I wish I could give you a thank you, agree, and winner all on the same post!

 

[cnm]

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

Gotta fear your God, gotta fear your Lucifer.

I neither fear God (He is my Father), nor Satan (Lucifer was his name BEFORE he rebelled against God)

 

[Bo Didleysquat]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

Gotta fear your God, gotta fear your Lucifer.

I neither fear God (He is my Father), nor Satan (Lucifer was his name BEFORE he rebelled against God)

Hoosier daddy?

 

[DOTR]

Yes! CS Lewis is fantastic. Do you read Chesterton?. Lewis cites Chestertons “Everlasting Man” as one of the great influences in his early life leading him towards conversion.

Chesterton was astute in pointing out the forces of barbarism attacking Christian society.

“Suppose that a great commotion arises in the street about something, let us say a lamp-post, which many influential persons desire to pull down. A grey-clad monk, who is the spirit of the Middle Ages, is approached upon the matter, and begins to say, in the arid manner of the Schoolmen, “Let us first of all consider, my brethren, the value of Light. If Light be in itself good–” At this point he is somewhat excusably knocked down. All the people make a rush for the lamp-post, the lamp-post is down in ten minutes, and they go about congratulating each other on their unmediaeval practicality. But as things go on they do not work out so easily. Some people have pulled the lamp-post down because they wanted the electric light; some because they wanted old iron; some because they wanted darkness, because their deeds were evil. Some thought it not enough of a lamp-post, some too much; some acted because they wanted to smash municipal machinery; some because they wanted to smash something. And there is war in the night, no man knowing whom he strikes. So, gradually and inevitably, to-day, to-morrow, or the next day, there comes back the conviction that the monk was right after all, and that all depends on what is the philosophy of Light. Only what we might have discussed under the gas-lamp, we now must discuss in the dark.“

– Heretics (1905)

 

[cnm]

Chesterton was good at creating straw men.

 

[cnm]

Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity.

Isn't everyone an atheist at first?

 

[harmonica]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

what's your point?

 

[SweetSue92]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

what's your point?

Start at my sentence "This passage" and read til the end

 

[SweetSue92]

Yes! CS Lewis is fantastic. Do you read Chesterton?. Lewis cites Chestertons “Everlasting Man” as one of the great influences in his early life leading him towards conversion.

Chesterton was astute in pointing out the forces of barbarism attacking Christian society.

“Suppose that a great commotion arises in the street about something, let us say a lamp-post, which many influential persons desire to pull down. A grey-clad monk, who is the spirit of the Middle Ages, is approached upon the matter, and begins to say, in the arid manner of the Schoolmen, “Let us first of all consider, my brethren, the value of Light. If Light be in itself good–” At this point he is somewhat excusably knocked down. All the people make a rush for the lamp-post, the lamp-post is down in ten minutes, and they go about congratulating each other on their unmediaeval practicality. But as things go on they do not work out so easily. Some people have pulled the lamp-post down because they wanted the electric light; some because they wanted old iron; some because they wanted darkness, because their deeds were evil. Some thought it not enough of a lamp-post, some too much; some acted because they wanted to smash municipal machinery; some because they wanted to smash something. And there is war in the night, no man knowing whom he strikes. So, gradually and inevitably, to-day, to-morrow, or the next day, there comes back the conviction that the monk was right after all, and that all depends on what is the philosophy of Light. Only what we might have discussed under the gas-lamp, we now must discuss in the dark.“

– Heretics (1905)

I did, but found it a little more daunting and less "readable" than Lewis. Lewis is "can't put it down" readable.

 

[harmonica]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

what's your point?

Start at my sentence "This passage" and read til the end

looks like the standard religious babble......fake/fiction

 

[fncceo]

the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

I think you're confusing this with 'Game of Thrones'.

 

[ding]

C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" is stunning in my opinion, and this passage is one of my favorites. Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity. This passage addresses the question of why God does not make Himself blatantly know via "invasion":

Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort of secret society to undermine the devil? Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough? Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side freely.I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on our side.

God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for choosing; it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.1

https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/95

what's your point?

Start at my sentence "This passage" and read til the end

looks like the standard religious babble......fake/fiction

If you could explain how the sun would explode.

 

[DOTR]

the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

I think you're confusing this with 'Game of Thrones'.

No surprise there. GRR Martin described Tolkien as his “Great Model”. And Lewis credited Tolkien with assisting him in his conversion to Christianity. The two met regularly for a theological discussion group.

 

[ding]

the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

I think you're confusing this with 'Game of Thrones'.

No surprise there. GRR Martin described Tolkien as his “Great Model”. And Lewis credited Tolkien with assisting him in his conversion to Christianity. The two met regularly for a theological discussion group.

They were good friends. Tolkien took it personal when Lewis elected to be a Protestant. Tolkien teased Lewis for being to over the top with his books. He thought he should have been more subtle with his infusion of Christianity into his works.

 

[ding]

Remember that Lewis (1898-1963) was an atheist before converting to Christianity.

Isn't everyone an atheist at first?

Maybe. Maybe not. Everyone is a big number.