PHILOSOPHICAL WRITINGS
MERE CHRISTIANITY
CHAPTER 6: Christian Marriage (Part 2)
Number your paragraphs 1-17.
INTRODUCTION
In the previous section people questioned whether or not Lewis was qualified to speak in the area of marriage, or even better, committed sexual relationships. When we looked at his life, we saw a rather strange incident which demonstrates for us that he was committed even to relationships which were sexual AND horrendous, his relationship with Mrs. Moore.
Before he and his best friend Paddy Moore went off to WW1, they committed to each other to care for each other's family if one of them happened to die.
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Give one of the examples he lists to illustrate his point.
Paragraph 9:
According to Lewis why can you not make feeling in love the basis of the whole of life?
How do some people misunderstand the phrase "They lived happily ever after"?
"Who could bear to live in that excitement for even _______________ years?"
But of course, ceasing to be 'in love' need not mean what?
Love in this second sense is not a feeling. What is it?
When can a person experience love in the second sense of the word?
What moves a person to make the promise to fidelity and what enables them to keep the promise?
Although many may feel that Lewis is disqualified to speak on this subject, his life indicates that he probably was qualified in this area. If "being in love" was the essence of the matter, he would not be qualified; however, since justice and the keeping of promises are the issues, then he is qualified. His relationship with Mrs. Moore, Paddy's mom, shows us that Lewis was able to keep promises even though it cost him dearly. Few marriages were as troubling as the relationship he had with Mrs. Moore for 30 years; however, he never broke his promise to Paddy to take care of Mrs. Moore until she died.
"It is on this love that the _______________ of marriage is run: being in love was the _________________ that started it."
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One thing to note here: Lewis was professor of medieval literature at Oxford. A huge proportion of that literature was devoted to the subject of love.
Paragraph 11:
What is it that people who divorce and remarry do not realize?
In every department of life when do the thrills come?
List some examples he gives of this.
When the thrill of flying dies, what will replace it to compensate for it?
"It is just the people who are ready to submit to the loss of the thrill and settle down to the sober interest, who are then most likely to meet new ______________ in some quite _________________ direction."
What are 2 examples of these new thrills?
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What must you do to that initial thrill?
What will happen if you try to make the thrill your regular diet?
Because people try to hold onto that initial thrill, what do they miss out on?
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Because of this notion what do people do whenever they find themselves attracted to a new acquaintance?
How ought we to respond whenever we see someone beautiful and clever and sympathetic?
What though still lies in our own choice whenever we meet such people?
What will happen though if we meet such people and our minds are full of novels and plays and sentimental songs, and our bodies full of alchohol?
Whose fault will it be then?
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What do many people who are Christians think they should do?
What does he think the majority of British citizens who are not Christians should NOT be expected to do?
What are the 2 distinct kinds of marriages that Lewis says we should have?
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What 2 questions obviously arise?
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When the husband and wife agree with each other, is there a need for a head?
What should happen though whenever they do disagree?
What must you have in order to have a permanent association?
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How does a woman respond whenever somebody accuses HER of being the head of the household?
What 2 things happen which show that the woman being the head is unnatural?
Speaking as an outsider, Lewis lists another reason why the husband should be the head. What is that reason?
Why is the husband given the last word?
How does the example of the dog which bites a child illustrate this?
What do many women feel is the chief failing of their husband?
Book Three
Chapter 6 (part 2)
According to Lewis what is it hard for people to understand?
If A is the best, B is good, and C is worse, what is the feeling of being in love, A, B, or C?
How does Lewis respond to the objection that he is disqualified to speak on this subject?
What idea do people get from books?
According to Jesus what must happen before something lives?
What is another notion we get from novels and plays about falling in love?
What 2 things does Lewis try to distinguish between?
What is the second thing that is even more unpopular than the Christian idea of divorce?
The need for some head follows from what idea?
Lewis addresses the question, "Why should the MAN be the head?" Even though a woman may want to be the head of her household, how does she normally respond whenever she sees another woman who is head of her household?