“On the other hand, if God's moral judgement differs from ours so that our 'black' may be His 'white', we can mean nothing by calling Him good; for to say 'God is good', while asserting that His goodness is wholly other than ours, is really only to say 'God is we know not what'. And an utterly unknown quality in God cannot give us moral grounds for loving or obeying Him. If He is not (in our sense) 'good' we shall obey, if at all, only through fear - and should be equally ready to obey omnipotent Fiend. The doctrine of Total Depravity - when the consequence is drawn that, since we are totally depraved, our idea of good is worth simply nothing - may thus turn Christianity into a form of devil-worship.- The Problem of Pain, pp. 28 - 29”

Share & Save

Meaning

Not documented yet.

When It Was Said

Not documented yet.

Who It Was Said To

Not documented yet.

Historical Context

Not documented yet.

Source

Not documented yet.

Original Language & Translation

Originally said in English.

Did They Really Say It?

Not documented yet.

Did You Know?

Not documented yet.

About C.S. Lewis

British author, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian

C. S. Lewis was a British author, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian. He held posts in English literature at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He is best known for The Chronicles of Narnia. Lewis also wrote The Screwtape Letters and the Space Trilogy, along with Christian apologetic works such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain. His writing ranges from imaginative fiction to religious argument, and much of it reflects his interest in Christian belief and moral questions.

More from C.S. Lewis (639 quotes) →