C.S. Lewis Was No Christian!

by David J. Stewart

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was born in Belfast, Ireland, the younger of two sons. He was educated at Malvern College for a year and then privately. In 1931, after being an atheist since age 15, Lewis claimed to have been converted to Christianity.

It is clear from Lewis' own words that he was not a born-again Christian. Lewis plainly taught that water baptism and sacraments were a means to finding, what he termed as, the "Christ-life" (Mere Christianity, pp.62,63). New Agers and ecumenical compromisers love C.S. Lewis, because his philosophies attempt to yoke Christian beliefs with pagan religion.

According to Lewis' own words, he was: "A very ordinary layman of The Church of England." The Church of England is apostate! C.S. Lewis authored over 60 books which included poems, novels, children's books, science fiction, theology, literary criticisms, educational philosophy, and an autobiography. Mr. Lewis was a dangerous man, and his writings ought to be burned. Mr. Lewis was certainly no Christian. He may have had churchianity; but he didn't have Christianity.

In the June 1998 issue of Christianity Today, Millet, dean of Brigham Young University, is quoted as saying that C.S. Lewis "is so well received by Latter-day Saints [Mormons] because of his broad and inclusive vision of Christianity" (John W. Kennedy, "Southern Baptists Take Up the Mormon Challenge," Christianity Today, 6/15/98, page 30).

In an excellent article by Mike Duran titled, “How 'Christian' was C.S. Lewis… and Why is He an Evangelical Hero?,” he writes...

Christianity Today columnist Bob Smietana, in an article entitled, C.S. Lewis Superstar , sums up the essence of the “Lewis resistance” : Clive Staples Lewis was anything but a classic evangelical, socially or theologically. He smoked cigarettes and a pipe, and he regularly visited pubs to drink beer with friends. Though he shared basic Christian beliefs with evangelicals, he didn’t subscribe to biblical inerrancy or penal substitution. He believed in purgatory and baptismal regeneration. How did someone with such a checkered pedigree come to be a theological Elvis Presley, adored by evangelicals? Somehow, Lewis’ “checkered pedigree” has become of little concern to the average evangelical admirer. Nevertheless, some have described his Christianity as a “myth” and John Robbins goes so far as to ask, Did C.S. Lewis Go to Heaven? In his essay, Robbins concludes, “So we ask again: Did C.S. Lewis go to Heaven? And our answer must be: Not if he believed what he wrote in his books and letters.” SOURCE: How “Christian” was C.S. Lewis… and Why is He an Evangelical Hero?



Worldly Compromise And Ecumenism

In 1993, Christianity Today explained why C.S. Lewis is so popular among Evangelicals. Among the reasons given for his popularity was the following...

"Lewis's … concentration on the main doctrines of the church coincided with evangelicals' concern to avoid ecclesiastical separatism" (Christianity Today, 10/25/93).

Christianity Today magazine admits that C.S. Lewis is popular to Evangelicals today because, like then, he despised Biblical separation. Like it or not, the Word of God teaches that Christians are to separate from the unsaved (2nd Corinthians 6:14-17; and from other professed "Christians" who live in unrepentant sin (1st Corinthians 5:11).

From 1954 until his death in 1963, C.S. Lewis was professor of medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University. Today, C.S. Lewis is known as a distinguished literary scholar and Christian apologist. This is tragic and a further sign of the apostate condition of the church today. Mere Christianity (a book upon which the beliefs of many professing Christians are based) is considered one of the most profound and logically irrefutable writings on Christian apologetics. In reality, it is a work of garbage, filled with lies and distortions of the truth. It is in this book (on page 139) that Lewis refers to man is the "highest animal" (1st Corinthians 15:39 calls Mr. Lewis a liar). The concept of "mere Christianity" means agreeing on a small common denominator of Christian truth, while tolerating great areas of disagreement. In essence, Lewis' book is an attempt to corrupt the church.



Apostates And False Religions Praise C.S. Lewis

In a recent issue of Christianity Today, Millet, dean of Brigham Young University, is quoted as saying that C.S. Lewis "is so well received by Latter-day Saints [Mormons] because of his broad and inclusive vision of Christianity" (John W. Kennedy, "Southern Baptists Take Up the Mormon Challenge," Christianity Today, 6/15/98, p. 30). This fact alone ought to show you that Lewis was a heretic. I mean, Mormonism is a false religion, a perverted sex-cult, and they honor Lewis.

As an indication of Lewis's continued popularity, annual book sales remain over two million (half of which comes from The Chronicles Of Narnia series, an occult fantasy series written for children. In an article commemorating the 100th anniversary of Lewis's birth, J.I. Packer called him "our patron saint." Christianity Today said Lewis "has come to be the Aquinas, the Augustine, and the Aesop of contemporary Evangelicalism" ("Still Surprised by Lewis," Christianity Today, 9/7/98). Wheaton College sponsored a lecture series on C.S. Lewis, and Eerdmans published "The Pilgrim’s Guide" to C.S. Lewis. In April 1998, Mormon professor Robert Millet spoke at Wheaton College on the topic of C.S. Lewis. This is all so tragic!

If it is true to say that 'you are what you eat,' then it is also true to say that 'a Christian is what he hears and reads,' since this is how he gets his spiritual food. Thus if Christians are brought up on a diet of C.S. Lewis, it should not surprise us to find they are seeking 'to continue the legacy of C.S. Lewis.' The apostle Paul said, 'A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump' (Gal. 5:9). Thus, if evangelicals read and applaud such books as Mere Christianity, it should come as no surprise if we find them ‘working towards a common mission’ with the enemies of the gospel. The young Christian should be very careful what he reads, and those in positions of authority (pastors, teachers, parents) should be very careful what they recommend others to read (Dr. Tony Baxter, "The Enigma of C.S. Lewis," CRN Journal, Winter 1998, Christian Research Network, Colchester, United Kingdom, p. 30).

C.S. Lewis is regarded by many as the greatest contemporary lay writer for the Christian faith. With his witty English humor, sharp and simple logic, and seeming loyalty to the tenets of the Christian faith, C.S. Lewis has won the admiration of millions of fans in England and here in the United States. Churches all across America have embraced the writings of C.S. Lewis, not realizing that the man was of the Devil.



Lewis Taught Theistic Evolution



Lewis believed that God created the universe; but then men evolved from animals...

"... for we have good reason to believe that animals existed long before men... For long centuries God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle of humanity and the image of Himself ... [Eventually,] God caused a new kind of consciousness to descend upon this organism" (The Problem of Pain, pp.133,77). "...Man, the highest of the animals" (Mere Christianity, p.139) "...but he (man) remains still a primate and an animal" (Reflections On The Psalms, pp.115,129) "If ... you mean simply that man is physically descended from animals, I have no objection" (The Problem of Pain, p.72) "He made an earth at first 'without form and void' and brought it by degrees to its perfection" (Miracles, p.125) Nature's "pregnancy has been long and painful and anxious, but it has reached its climax" (Mere Christianity, p.172)

C.S. Lewis held that the Biblical Genesis account came from pagan and mythical sources...

"I have therefore no difficulty accepting, say, the view of those scholars who tell us that the account of Creation in Genesis is derived from earlier Semitic stories which were Pagan and mythical." (Reflections On The Psalms, p.110).

How much more evidence do you need, to see that C.S. Lewis was an unsaved heretic. Lewis exploited the name of Jesus Christ, as do many Modernists today, to secure a profitable writing career. You had better get your doctrine from the Word of God; and not from the latest New York Times Bestseller! In John 5:39 Jesus said... SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES!





Lewis Taught that Mankind is Inherently Good

As with most Modernists, Lewis saw mankind as inherently good...

"...when the consequence is drawn that, since we are totally depraved, our idea of good is worth simply nothing — may thus turn Christianity into a form of devil worship" (The Problem of Pain, pp.37-38).

The divine goodness differs...

"from ours not as white and black but as a perfect circle from a child's first attempt to draw a wheel" (The Problem of Pain, p.39).

In other words, if we keep trying hard enough through human experience, we will attain divine perfection. Lewis likens God's goodness as a perfect circle, and man's imperfection as a distorted circle drawn by a child who is not very coordinated yet. Thus, as that child grows and develops, the circle eventually matches that of the divine circle. Folks, this is works salvation and New Age doctrine at its core. New Age teaches that man, through better education and rehabilitation, can "evolve" into a higher form of human culture. New Age boldly rejects the Biblical teaching that man's heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all else (Jeremiah 17:9).

Total depravity was rejected by Lewis...

("I disbelieve that doctrine") because: (1) "If we were totally depraved we could not know ourselves to be depraved"; (2) "Experience shows that there is much goodness in human nature" (The Problem of Pain, p.66).

In sharp contrast to the teachings of C.S. Lewis, Romans 3:12 states: "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."





Lewis Taught Baptismal Regeneration and Sacramental Salvation



Lewis believed that some people, devout members of false religions, were saved and didn't even know it...

"There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it ... For example a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ's birth may have been in this position" (Mere Christianity, pp. 176-177).

Lies! C.S. Lewis was a Modernist (i.e., one who falsely professes to be a Christian). The world is filled with such imposters today who deceitfully speak of a god, spirituality and truth; but they exploit Christianity for their own benefit (2nd Peter 2:1-3). The name of the game is deception. The goal is to appear as "Christian," while at the same time teaching damnable heresies and promoting cooperation between Christians (i.e., the saved) and the unsaved. Satan loves Modernists, and is making them very wealthy, because they are leading hundreds-of-millions of people into Hellfire.

Lewis also taught that water baptism and the sacraments were a means to obtaining salvation...

"There are three things that spread the Christ-life to us: baptism, belief, and that mysterious action which different Christians call by different names — Holy Communion, the Mass, the Lord's Supper" (Mere Christianity, pp.62,63). "...this new life is spread not only by purely mental acts like belief, but by bodily acts like baptism and Holy Communion. " (Mere Christianity, pp.62,63). In the other world "there will be every occasion for being the sort of people that we can become only as the result of doing such acts here" (Mere Christianity, p.63). You can read a free online copy of Mere Christianity here

Clearly, Lewis was an unsaved Modernist, who catered to all the different religions. As with those trying to destroy the New Testament Church today, Lewis promoted ecumenism (i.e., the unbiblical uniting of believers with unbelievers).

Lewis wrongly taught that God would pardon man's selfish pride which keeps him ignorance and rebellion...

God "often makes prizes of humans who have given their lives for causes He thinks bad on the monstrously sophistical ground that the humans thought them good and were following the best they knew" (The Screwtape Letters, p.26).

But God says in Proverb 14:12, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." 2nd Thessalonians 1:8 plainly warns, "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." There will be NO exceptions! As we learned earlier, Lewis thinks that some people are saved and don't even know it. That is unscriptural. Jesus said in John 10:27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." A Buddhist doesn't follow Christ; but rather, Buddha. A Catholic doesn't follow Christ; but rather, the Catholic Church. The Bible teaches that a genuine Christian will hear the Word of God (i.e., Jesus' Voice — Hebrews 1:1,2) and will follow Jesus Christ. Don't be deceived by lying imposters, like C.S. Lewis, who teach that Christ can be found in all religions. No Sir! Jesus Christ cannot be found in ANY religion; but rather, ONLY in the Word of God (1st Peter 1:23).



Lewis Became a Catholic Before his Death

Lewis indicates that shortly before his death he was turning toward the Catholic Church. Lewis termed himself "very Catholic" — his prayers for the dead, belief in purgatory, and rejection of the literal resurrection of the body are serious deviations from Biblical Christianity (C.S. Lewis: A Biography, p. 234). Lewis even went to a priest for regular confession (p. 198), and received the sacrament of extreme unction on 7/16/63 (p. 301). His contention that some pagans may "belong to Christ without knowing it" is a destructive heresy (Mere Christianity, pp. 176-177), as was his statement that "Christ fulfils both Paganism and Judaism..." (Reflections on the Psalms, p. 129).



Lewis Taught Works Salvation

C.S. Lewis plainly stated that he believed a person has to work to keep salvation...

"There are people (a great many of them) who are slowly ceasing to be Christians..." (Mere Christianity, p.162). "...a Christian can lose the Christ-life which has been put into him, and he has to make efforts to keep it" (Mere Christianity, p.49).

Lewis believed that morality and obeying God's Law were a means to eventually being born-again...

"... ye must be born again. Till then , we have duty, morality, the Law. A schoolmaster, as St. Paul says... But the schooldays, please God, are numbered" (Letters to Malcolm, p.115). [emphasis added] "The point is not that God will refuse you admission to His eternal world if you have not certain qualities of character: the point is that if people have not got at least the beginnings of those qualities inside them, then no possible external conditions could make a 'Heaven' for them ..." (Mere Christianity, p.63).

In context, to be "born again," for Lewis, is somewhere down the road yet (Mere Christianity, pp.59,60). Lewis taught that a life of self-righteousness was necessary to eventually become born-again. In sharp contrast, Jesus taught that being born-again was a second birth which BEGINS the believer's life in Christ. Lewis was a very confused and doctrinally flawed man. As a consequence, Lewis is burning in Hell today and no doubt has led many people there too.





Lewis Denied a Literal Heaven

"All the scriptural imagery (harps, crowns, gold, etc.) is, of course, a merely symbolical attempt to express the inexpressible. Musical instruments are mentioned because for many people (not all) music is the thing known in the present life which most strongly suggests ecstasy and infinity. Crowns are mentioned to suggest the fact that those who are united with God in eternity share His splendor and power and joy. Gold is mentioned to suggest the timelessness of heaven (gold does not rust) and the preciousness of it" (Mere Christianity, p.106).



Lewis Denied a Literal Hell

Lewis never believed in a literal Hell, but instead believed hell is a state of mind one chooses to possess and become — he wrote:

"...every shutting-up of the creature within the dungeon of its own mind is, in the end, Hell" (The Great Divorce, p. 65)



Lewis Claimed the Bible Contained Myths

Lewis believed the Book of Job is "unhistorical" (Reflections on the Psalms, pp. 110), and that the Bible contained "error" (pp. 110, 112) and is not divinely inspired (The Inklings, p. 175).

"I have the deepest respect for Pagan myths, still more for myths in the Holy Scriptures" (The Problem of Pain, p.71)

Conclusion

C.S. Lewis was an imposter, who corrupted the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and led multitudes of victims into Hellfire with his doctrines of devils. Lewis used profanities, told lewd stories, and frequently got drunk with his students (5/19/90, World magazine). Christians need to read more critically The Abolition of Man, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, The Great Divorce, and God in the Dock.

By the time of his death, Lewis had moved from Idealism (no idea of a personal God) to Pantheism (an impersonal God in everything) and then to Theism (the existence of God). Unfortunately, in Letters to Malcolm (p. 107), Lewis indicates that shortly before his death he was turning toward the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church is NO church at all; but rather, is a prisonhouse of false religion.

J.D. Douglas, writing in Christianity Today, for December 20, 1963 (p. 27) reports the reservations of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones of historic Westminster Chapel of London:

Dr. Lloyd Jones told Christianity Today that because C.S. Lewis was essentially a philosopher, his view of salvation was defective... Lewis was an opponent of the substitutionary and penal theory of the Atonement.

Dr. W. Wesley Shrader of the First Baptist Church of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, wrote a letter to the editor in Christianity Today for February 28, 1964 (pp.34-35) in which he stated:

C.S. Lewis... would never embrace the (literal-infallible) view of the Bible. He would accept no theory of the "total depravity of man." He rejected the "substitutionary theory" of the Atonement'" (F.B.F. News Bulletin, Fundamental Baptist Fellowship, March 4, 1984).

Every believer needs to shun the writings of C. S. Lewis and warn their friends and family about this wolf in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15). It is sickening to hear so many professed Christians today praise and honor such a heretical man, who denied the literacy of the Scriptures and taught a bunch of wishy-washy nonsense. The writings of C.S. Lewis are nothing but a bunch of ramblings devoid of any meaningful Biblical substance. It's a sure cure for insomnia.