Mere Christianity -- Book 3, Chap. 3

Social Morality

Christianity Not a New Morality

The first thing to get clear when discussing Christian morality is that "Christ did not come to preach any brand new morality."

The Golden Rule:  "Do as you would be done by" is ancient and everyone has always known this to be right -- in full accordance with natural law, which is available universally.

Great moral teachers never introduce new moralities (which is true of all great teachers), only the quacks do that.  The saying is true:

People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.

The real job of every moral teacher is to keep bringing us back, time after time, to the old simple principles which we are all so anxious not to see; like bringing a horse back and back to the fence it has refused to jump or bringing a child back and back to the bit in its lesson that it wants to shirk.

Christianity Not Specific Application -- Not Case (Casuistic) Law

The second thing to get clear when discussing Christian morality is that Christians are not saying that we have a detailed political program for applying "do as you would be done by" to a particular society at a particular moment in time.

Rather, Christianity speaks to all men at all times and the way it is applied in one particular place may not be the same in another (or, "apodictic" law).  That's not how Christianity works.

When it tells you to feed the hungry it does not give you lessons in cookery.  When it tells you to read the Scriptures it does not give you lessons in Hebrew and Greek, or even in English grammar.  It was never intended to replace or supersede the ordinary human arts and sciences:  it is rather a director which will set them all to the right jobs, and a source of energy which will give them all new life, if only they will put themselves at its disposal.

Some argue that "the church" ought to take the lead in putting into practice "Do as you would be done by" for society's general morality.  But that of course depends on what you mean by "church." 

If they mean by "church" the actual body of Christians who live and work in our surrounding culture, then yes.  Christians ought to use their talents in the workplace and make "Do as you would be done by" a reality in their daily life.

However, if they mean by "church" the actual work of the church itself, then such an idea is rather silly.  Why would we want those who have been set aside (the clergy) to change from focusing on helping humanity live forever to now focus on the transitory, unimportant program of politics?  After all, the clergy have not been trained to speak to such issues, which is really the job of those laymen who have.  The clergy (the church) should not be attempting to transform culture as the church.

Besides this, the New Testament gives us a pretty clear picture at just what the society would look like if the morality of the Christian church were truly implemented.  "Perhaps it gives us more than we can take."

Lewis gives examples of what that society would look like in that there would be no luxurious items, always insisting on obedience, and would always be a cheerful place (p. 84).

If there were such a society in existence and you or I visited it, I think we should come away with a curious impression.  We should feel that its economic life was very socialistic and, in that sense, 'advanced', but that its family life and its code of manners were rather old fashioned -- perhaps even ceremonious and aristocratic.  Each of us would like some bits of it, but I am afraid very few of us would like the whole thing.  That is just what one would expect if Christianity is the total plan for the human machine.

Too Difficult to Implement

So, why would it be so difficult to implement a Christian morality in society?  Because:

We have all departed from that total plan in different ways, and each of us wants to make out that his own modification of the original plan is the plan itself.

Exactly how would we implement something that so many people pick and choose only the parts they want and leave the rest?

You will find this again and again about anything that is really Christian:  every one is attracted by bits of it and wants to pick out those bits and leave the rest.  That is why we do not get much further:  and that is why people who are fighting for quite opposite things can both say they are fighting for Christianity.

Lewis then gives 2 examples of how Christians choose the parts of Christian ethics they want while they disregard the rest:

1.  We are told not to lend money without interest, yet our whole economy is based upon such investments.

2.  We are told to give to the poor, and in such away that we give up our own comforts to have enough for others.

Let's say that tomorrow we were able to pass legislation that fully implemented the Sermon on the Mount.  Are we really sure we want a "truly" Christian society? 

Who would disagree with that?  Well, Lewis says that on the one hand those Christians from the liberal wing would think that Lewis has not gone far enough.  On the other hand, those from the right wing of Christianity would believe that he has gone too far.  If we were truthful, we would all agree that we really don't want a Christian society but only those principles that "we" agree with. 

Most of us are not really approaching the subject in order to find out what Christianity says:  we are approaching it in the hope of finding support from Christianity for the views of our own party.

No "Christian" Political Parties

In an essay entitled "Meditation on the Third Commandment," Lewis makes some very important statements about the idea of merging Christianity and politics.  He was opposed to any such idea of organizing a "Christian" political party for three reasons:

1.  Such a party would claim its "favorite opinions" of God's truth.  The very existence of a "Christian Party" would suggest that this party represents all Christianity when, in truth, it only represents a part of Christianity:  the part its particular members represent.  A Christian political party would, in turn, "accuse all Christians who do not join it of apostasy and betrayal." (see Richard Wagner, C. S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies, 305).

Which Christian church is going to make the laws for society?  The liberal wing or the conservative wing?  And who would be in power?

But this very conflict between Christians, who can't even agree what to follow, shows why a Christian blueprint for society will not work by simply changing the laws of the land.  So what are we to do?

2.  Christians should not try to legislate all Christian teaching.  Lewis' reasoning on this point is quite straightforward:  "The Church should frankly recognize that the majority of people are not Christians and, therefore, cannot be expected to live Christian lives" (see Mere Christianity, Book 3, chap. 6).  While Lewis was alive, Christians in Britain tried to influence society by changing the divorce laws to reflect the Christian position.  Lewis was opposed to that movement based on his argument against legislating biblical teaching (see Richard Wagner, C. S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies, 305).  

I may repeat "Do as you would be done by" till I am black in the face, but I cannot really carry it out till I love my neighbor as myself:  and I cannot learn to love my neighbor as myself till I learn to love God:  and I cannot learn to love God except by learning to obey Him. 

3.  The only way Christians can truly influence society is by following the great Commission, not by becoming a political party.  Jesus' last words to His disciples are known as the Great Commission:  "Go ye into all the world and make disciples of all men."  On this instruction, Lewis writes, "He who converts his neighbor has performed that most practical Christian political act of all."  According to Lewis, if you really want a moral society, you don't change the laws, you find a way to change the people in society -- and only God can do that (see Richard Wagner, C. S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies, 305).

In other words, if you really want a Christian society, the way to go about it is not by electing the next "whatever political party you belong" politician to office.  You do it by loving your wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  By loving your neighbor as you do yourself.  By loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul.  And the only way you can truly love in this way is through faith in Jesus Christ.  And the only way our world is going to hear the message of the gospel is through obedience to the Great Commission. 

What have we set our minds on?  Those things of the earth or those things above? (Col. 3:1-4).