Amore y Pace

23.10.06

thank you clive staples

Finally, though I have had to speak at some length about sex, I want to make it as clear as I possibly can that the centre of Christian morality is not here. If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronising and spoiling sport, and back-biting, the pleasures of power, or hatred. For there are two things inside me, competing with the human self which I must try to become. They are the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But, of course, it is better to be neither.
-Mere Christianity

11 Comments:

Blogger Wasp Jerky said...

That's one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes ever.

8:59 AM  
Blogger Al said...

I've never heard that before (possibly because I've never read Mere Christianity), but it's very interesting. I like the distinctinons he makes.

9:00 AM  
Blogger Brian T. Murphy said...

ahhh. these words are like a sweet song to my ears.

10:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you're enjoying Mere Christianity.

10:58 AM  
Blogger Nicole said...

And that's why I married Wasp Jerky. ;) I like how Lisa McMinn in her book "Growing Strong Daughters" realizes at one point her teenage daughter truly thinks she'd rather be dead than pregnant...and just how messed up that is.

Chastity is important, but it's no more a sin than any sin. I'd rather hang out with people who are unchaste than bigots, haters, and hypocrites. Wouldn't you?

11:51 AM  
Blogger Wasp Jerky said...

This post keeps making me think of James Dobson. I wonder why that is. Teehee.

10:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

genius. i appreciate these thoughts. i'm having a rough day, kind of aggrivated about it really, and it's only 9:14AM. it sure was great to see you this weekend though. you pretty little thing you! joy joy joy

9:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was thinking I would have to read a million of your entries to catch up since the last time I was online, but you haven't been on much either, I see. I like that quote, but I'm afraid some people will use that as an excuse to allow or do things that aren't the healthiest things to do.

4:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wanna get busy?
-Tay Tay

11:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

More Blogs! More Blogs!

8:16 PM  
Blogger Regan said...

I still think taking up prostitution as your primary occupation is a bad idea. You've been so much better off since you quit streetwalking last time. Give me a buzz some time. I'm interested to hear what has gone down since our last conversation. By the way, I don't have any free time, so any time you call is probably a bad time, but I'll make time all the same. Hope your day is going great.

10:12 AM  

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