Inner Ring

In this essay Lewis talks about the temptations to be in the "inner ring". This is the need for people to be included and accepted by their peers. He says that this need can lead a person to become a very bad person. Peer pressure and acceptance are very hard things to avoid. But Lewis also says that is good to have an inner ring of friends, as long as they are the right ones. Everyone struggles with this at one time in their life, but they just need to learn to avoid it.

The Problem of Pain Ch.6

This reading was interesting because it brought to mind the concept of God and Evil. I say God and Evil instead of Good and Evil because God is the essence of good and evil is merely a twisting of it. Because this is the case Evil has never been in control because if it overcame good it would not exist. This reminds us that God is always in control. Even when bad things happen, painful things, we can assure ourselves that it is not God but Satan. In class we discussed whether or not God suffers. I think he does. After all, God can do anything, so can't he make himself suffer? And he did by sending Jesus Christ who is the incarnation of God and dieing on the cross. And this just shows how great God is, he is a God that is willing to put himself through human pain to save us.

Redemption Plantinga ch.4

Overall I found this reading to straightforward and cliche. I mean, half of this stuff I've grown up with and know alot about already, but I guess its good to be reminded from time to time.
The one thing that seemed to stick out to me, as I've been thinking about it lately, is the universal redemption/reformation aspect. To easily we can forget about this and become to comfortable with our own lives. We're saved and we leave it at that, we only care about the redemption of us and those close to us. To often we forget the big picture and it was good to be reminded of this again.

Man or Rabbit?

This reading came at the right time. Before I read this, a friend and I had a conversation with a another friend of mine about the exact same thing. He said that he just wants to live for the moment, live a good life and help others. He said that its not whether or not he believes in God or Jesus or the afterlife, its just that he doesn't care to. We then went on to say to him that he does care, otherwise he would not be talking about it with us. My friend wanted to be a Rabbit, but towards the end of the debate he seemed to come to closure with the fact that maybe he should take the responsibility of being Man. Afterward, I read Lewis' essay and became clear on the topic. Some of the things I said in the conversation I felt may not have been right, but once I read the essay my stance was confirmed. It's a good feeling knowing that more people share your ideas and beliefs.

Abolition of Man

Lewis talks about how men have become power hungry. We have started to reject our natural law in order to gain more power. The question has become "who has more power?" instead of "who is right or wrong?".
I agree with everything said in this reading. There is nothing to really say. It was interesting.

Eros

Eros is interesting. Lewis describes it as the romanticism of lovers. With it some the pleasure of sex, but sex is not the root of it. Eros is the love of being with one another, the desire for your loved one and not the pleasures they can give you. Lewis uses the example of Cigarette's. When you're done with the cigarettes (pleasure) you toss the package they came in (lover). With Eros this shouldn't be the case. Eros makes love and sex mean something. You not only want the pleasure but you want more than that. I think that sex, when used in an Eros context, will be much more meaningful. Personally, I can't wait to get into a relationship where this is the case.

Learning in War-Time and Plantinga ch.5

At first when I read these two assigned readings I got kind of discouraged. We're supposed to do everything for God? As a media production major I right away thought about the films I want to direct. Does this mean I have to insinuate christian beliefs in everything I make? Then in class this was clarified. Instead of everything outwardly being for God its more so just a mindset. As long as you realize that God is the one who has given you these gifts and you thank him for them your set. Part of that is walking the walk, which of course in my case would mean that I would not direct anything that goes against my beliefs, and in this way I am honoring God. This lines up with the vocation that Plantinga talks about.