12th blog

Summary chapter 1: In The Screwtape Letters, written by C.S. Lewis, Screwtape, who is a higher authority working for the devil, writes a letter to his nephew Wormwood giving him suggestions on how to better convince people to go down the path of the devil’s world.  Screwtape tells his nephew not to use argument as a tool of persuasion but to keep them busy, so they would not have time to think about the enemy.  He warns him that with argument it might lead them to think about god; which can trigger their mind’s to think about the possibilities.  Screwtape says, “ Your man has been accustomed, ever since he was a boy, to have a dozen incompatible philosophies dancing about together inside his head” (Lewis 1).  What this passage is trying to say is children are told many theories of what they should or shouldn’t believe in, but they are young and confused so they can be persuaded.  He tells his nephew that humans are easily pressured into going down the wrong path, and that he should take that to his advantage.  Screwtape was telling his nephew that there was a person in his time of persuading people that began to go the wrong way (God’s path), but he quickly brought him back to reality and the person thought that there couldn’t be truth in something he could not see (Lewis 1-4).

            According to C.S. Lewis, the two mistaken beliefs about devils that human beings hold are the beliefs and the disbeliefs.  The dangers in believing in the devil are endless.  They will have an unstable life and make lots of bad choices.  There is nothing bad to me in believing in God.  I believe the devil does exist, because in life there are so many good and bad temptations, the good comes from God, and the bad comes from the devil.  I don’t think that just because you believe in God that you have to believe in the devil, because everyone’s faith is different.  I think the reason I think the way I do about God and the devil, is from what I grew up hearing and what I came to believe as I grew up.

            Screwtape sees argument as problematic because it provokes thinking, which makes him unconfident because he cannot tell which way the mind will go.  I think the rational argument contradicts the thought of someone taking the “leap of faith”, because when someone takes a leap of faith it does not matter what the other person says or thinks.  Virtues are less formidable to devils when patients know them, because when the patients become humble they think of others and not just themselves.  The devil tries to twist this by telling his nephew to make them proud of themselves for being humble then it will eventually make them not humble anymore.  The true nature of humility is being modest.  Virtue relates to the meaning of life because people who have morals in their lives try not to deceive people and try to live an honest lifestyle. 

            He can twist his patient’s faith by making him think that his faith is not as a whole but just among a  small group of people.  He can use confusion  to his advantage because when someone is confused, they start to question a lot of things that are unanswered.  Peer pressure can be positive in spiritual growth and one’s meaning of life because one can persuade you to seeing the more positive side of things. Which in turn, makes you want to live a more honest life.  On the other hand, it can also be negative because when someone pressures you into something you don’t want to do or believe in, it can make you resent those things, and hate how you think life should be.  My family is a big influence in what my meaning of life is.  They have taught me many things, but the one big thing I have always remembered is that your family will always be there for you no matter what.  Good or bad, my family just wants me to live a happy life.  They encourage me to do the things I love to do and treat people how I want to be treated.  My meaning of life is to helps others and live a happy life.  The negative pressure of others could influence the meaning of life because people might tell you that your goals are ridiculous.  I say, if you are determined and hard working, you can accomplish and do anything you would like to do in life.