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"A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere" - C.S Lewis, Surprised By Joy

submitted by Joe_McCarthy to OccidentalEnclave 1 monthMar 7, 2025 16:22:15 ago (+3/-4)     (OccidentalEnclave)



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[ - ] CHIRO 2 points 1 monthMar 7, 2025 16:28:18 ago (+2/-0)

C.S. Lewis had his way with words, and in my better moods, I remember reading him fondly. But sometimes, the more brilliant a man's mind, the more sophisticated and attractive the tricks are that he can play on himself. A man wants to be deceived, in one way or another. A brilliant mind owned by a good man will seduce no one if it doesn't seduce itself.

[ - ] Joe_McCarthy [op] 1 point 1 monthMar 7, 2025 16:35:30 ago (+1/-0)

The thing I remember best about this book is how he said emotions are for girls. And that cold Northerners like him are unemotional. Him and the contrast with Gustave Le Bon's commentary on passionate Latins left a significant mark on me.

Lewis was right here though. The specifics for him might have been wrong as he was a fairly committed Anglican, if a mystical or even fairly gnostic one with even papist inclinations, but still right in principle.

[ - ] CHIRO 1 point 1 monthMar 7, 2025 16:46:33 ago (+1/-0)

I'm not an atheist, but I'm not sure I think Lewis is right. I don't see any reason to think education or reading widely promotes theism any more than it does naturalism.

[ - ] Joe_McCarthy [op] 1 point 1 monthMar 7, 2025 17:03:17 ago (+1/-0)

I have some sympathy for naturalism or vitalism. The Marquis de Sade was a naturalist. He was also an atheist though - and there is too much evidence something is out there for that. There's another quote, maybe also by Lewis, that reads something to the effect that a little reading inclines one to atheism. But a lot gets you back to religion. This is more the case now than in Lewis' time. Lots of research on this stuff since his day. The number of people worldwide who believe in parapsychological powers has been estimated to be 3 to 4 billion.

[ - ] Drstrangestgov 0 points 1 monthMar 7, 2025 17:27:19 ago (+0/-0)

Sex magik is a way for hedonists to pretend their hedonism serves something other than their own self gratification.

[ - ] Joe_McCarthy [op] 0 points 1 monthMar 7, 2025 17:29:23 ago (+0/-0)

Magic is also real. Whatever one thinks of it. Amazing how ignorant people are on this topic in particular. Few people in the West, atheist or theist, know anything about it.

[ - ] HelenHighwater 1 point 1 monthMar 7, 2025 19:25:20 ago (+1/-0)

Well stated.