The Evil Fruits of C.S. Lewis... Letters from our Readers: Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Editor: Mary Van Nattan-- The fact that Lewis' Chtonicles of Narnia is read and sold by witches and that his "theological" and "Christian" books are read and recommended by many half-baked "Christians" is telling enough. Here will be posted some the things that readers have to report regarding what they have seen in this context, as well and some rantings of those determined to justify the wicked. February 2004 Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. Editor: Steve Van Nattan-- We have received many letters in response to the CS Lewis articles. These letters are extreme, either pure intellectual hate for us, or the writers fiercely express their hate for CS Lewis and encourage us to continue this presentation. These articles are now listed in the Oxford University Archives because we are among the very few who have taken a contrary view of Lewis. The man at Oxford expressed approval of our work and indicated his people would find it useful. So, why the hate? I believe Lewis roused devils and Satanic passion in people. But, he gave them the notion that their lust for fantasy, and for mythologizing the truth of the Christian Scriptures, could be presented as the very Gospel itself. I have heard this myself from college students who were in clubs based on Lewis guruism. So, I trust the following will not be just an assortment of pro and con attitudes. I trust it will show the extremes of emotion which this man brought out of people. I hope you see that the issue of CS Lewis is not optional-- You either follow after, or you tear down strongholds.     But, what if we are correct? Suppose the dear children are being seduced by Lewis? I would like to express my extreme sadness and deep disappointment at your treatment of Lewis on your website. I know you are so focused on your way of thinking about him that nothing I say to argue with you will change your mind. It saddens me to think that you are turning readers away from some of the best books out there for children, and some of the most accessible and inspirational theology of the twentieth century. You interpretations of Lewis as a Sun-worshipper and Merovingian are absurd - how could someone have labored his whole life in service to Christ and the gospel when he held such views? All of his books have a strong biblical basis, and present Christian truths in a very readable manner. I am sorry that you have been lead astray and are spreading lies that are actually detrimental to the kingdom of God, and I will continue to pray that God will open your eyes to His truth at work in these books. In Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Light... Hannah G. Editor's note: 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. What is so deadly about this lady's complaint? Answer: She is not willing to examine a man, and his extra-biblical writings, by the Word of God, which God's children always should do. Even the apostle Paul did not exclude himself when he warned the Galatian church: Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Was Lewis a Taoist? To whom it may concern, As a devoted fan of C.S. Lewis who has put a great deal of effort into studying his works, I do not have adequate time to refute all of the dubious claims that you make on your website regarding Lewis. I must, however, call to your attention a gross inaccuracy at the beginning of your introduction that you have printed in bold letters as you condemn Lewis to Hell. You claim that Lewis was at the end of his life a "Taoist." This statement is utterly false and I strongly suggest that you take the time to read his Abolition of Man before making the claim. If you had read the book, you would have noticed that he merely uses the word "Tao" to describe the set of cross-cultural beliefs universal to mankind that would point to the "Creator Himself." At the end of the book he outlines some of these beliefs such as "The Law of General Beneficence", "Duties to Parents, Elders, Ancestors," and "The Law of Mercy." The Abolition of Man was written as a defense against moral-relativism and the modern notion that good is simply subjective. In writing the Abolition of Man, Lewis was trying to show that there are universal values which point to an absolute good. Because the essay is not an essay of Christian apologetics, Lewis does not say that this Tao necessarily comes from God. Lewis makes this point quite clear when he says, "In order to avoid misunderstanding, I may add that though I myself am a Theist, and indeed a Christian, I am not here attempting any indirect argument for Theism... Whether this position implies a supernatural origin for the Tao is a question I am not here concerned with." If one then reads Mere Christianity, that individual will see that Lewis uses the concept of this universal and objective good, the Tao, to conclude that there must be a God. Since there is an objective, perfect, and all good standard, that standard must come from somewhere, and that source is God. Thus, Lewis was not a "Taoist." "Tao" was merely a word that he choose to define a concept that did not have a word. Again, if you don't believe me, please read the Abolition of Man. I don't mean to sound harsh, but you quite frankly should be embarrassed at the poor quality of your research. You misrepresent Lewis time and time again, deceiving your readers by taking quotes out of context. Before passing judgement on the current state of Lewis' soul (something only God has the power to do), you should study his works and discern what he is actually saying. Your truly, Joseph N__________ Editor's note: We have on file a quote from Lewis, from the end days of his life, in which he said he had come to prefer Taoist prayers. Full Stop. Period, with astonishers !!! For the record, we have been over Lewis' works in very great detail, and this has been over a period of about 30 years. I also want the reader to note how Lewis draws out the gullible worship of some very intellectual people. Did Jesus go looking for such people, and what did Paul, though highly trained, say he did with his effulgent intellect? Selah Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, Here is a letter from another reader on the Tao issue: Dear Steve, I have been doing quite a bit of research about the Tao religion because of a friend of mine who is involved in this mind thought. She claims to "be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ", but she reads the book of Tao every day. From what I have learned, Tao is nothing short of blasphemy and heresy. I just ran across a quote from "The Abolition of Man" by Lewis in which he clearly endorses Tao or Natural Law. In fact he states,"It is the sole source of all value judgements." What could be further from the truth of the Bible. This just flabbergasted me because I always thought that Lewis was a "Christian" writer. Have you any more insight to Lewis and his apparent endorsement of this false way? Thank you, Gordon James Some of Our Readers Have Biblical Zeal Hello everyone. Thanks for your articles on C.S. Lewis. I bought these books along with Tolkien's at a used bookstore sometime ago. I bought them with the intent that my two boys would read them someday, on the advice of the evangelicals I used to talk to that these were great Christian books. Well, my boys and I took them; along with a revised, modernised, NIV quoting 'Pilgrims Progress', out of storage on Saturday and tore them up and threw them out. We had a great time. Thanks for your ministry. Don B________ Alberta, Canada Good Tactful Logic, but is it Sound? I think you are way off base on your website. It would probably be more beneficial to direct your efforts to other matters that can make an ever-lasting impact instead of trying to prove the validity of someone's faith who has been dead for 25 years. There is only One who knows and can judge each man and their faith. Regards, Edward C. K. Editor's note: Here are several other cultic personalities who have been dead for over 25 years: Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Herbert Armstrong, William Branham, Ras Tafari (Heile Salassie), Ellen G. White, Muhammed, Charles Taze Russell, Annie Bissant, Karl Marx, on and on the list goes. Now, is it logical to say that we should leave them behind and concentrate only on the living heretics? Absurd! The most powerful cults today are harking back to wicked people, and we need to examine them at this hour, AND expose their wickedness. Nothing else will convince their deluded followers.  Besides this is the fact that C.S. Lewis' writings are still popular and in demand to this day.  It is not a dead cause. One lady writes regarding C.S. Lewis: I think it's quite interesting. I never knew much about the man but a "Pastor " who attends my church recommended his writings highly. I was visiting in their home, when some books they had ordered by him arrived in the mail, so the conversation came up. I never felt comfortable about the man even though I only read one of his books. Something inside me felt defiled by reading it. I couldn't define why, only felt that God was grieved. Anyway, the " Pastor" emphasized to me that the battle between good and evil is biblical even if it's put in the context of a science fiction novel. I noticed his family also has an obsession with Star Wars. Again, the good and evil concept, but I always thought you couldn't make " the force " good according to God - they're both evil. Now his 26 year old son is head of the art department for a board game - " Dracula." I worked with him and when he told me about his big opportunity to be a part of it, I told him it wasn't God's will. He didn't appreciate my "opinion." His parents trained him on C.S. Lewis from childhood, reading every night to him. Well, I had the opportunity to listen to "The Chronicles of Narnia" on the radio after that discussion. It seemed worse than I imagined. Some gold rings and magical stuff. I got the impression some people thought of him as another Bunyan making analogies and putting biblical concepts to symbols and things. Way off the mark. I never followed through listening. I didn't need to. "Something" inside me felt very uneasy with the whole thing. Perhaps because my own mother dabbled in witchcraft and black magic when I was a child and I knew first hand the dangers involved. Don't open the door to supernatural things! Satan will gladly come in to steal, kill, and destroy. He's a liar . Sometimes it's better to be simple concerning evil and wise concerning good. They did try to convince me that Lewis was solid "Christian" stuff. I never told my Pastor about it. I know he's a little uncomfortable with the behavior of the family - always wearing black and kind of strange.  I'm not sure if my Pastor knows this family is influencing people in the church in this way. Sometimes I feel like they remind me of Absalom - trying to steal the hearts of the people away from the Pastor. You're the first person I've spoken to about this. Their son influenced me in a lot of bad ways when I worked with him. I trusted his judgment because his father is a "Fundamental Baptist Pastor." Letter 2 From the same lady: I wrote about the Pastor in my church who was trying to convince me that C.S. Lewis and Star Wars were good...He's a man who was ordained to be a Pastor but doesn't have a church of his own. He left the church he was ordained in because the Pastor there wouldn't let him have more time in the pulpit. He and his wife went to school at Tennessee Temple. I've known them for over 20 years. They mentored me when I was a baby Christian. They used to be strict Fundamentalists, John R. Rice kind of Fundamentalism. They were also very strongly against having a T.V. back then. Something happened over the years and now they have a T.V. and go to the latest "thrilling, special effects movies," and have no position against Hollywood whatsoever. My point was, the Pastor of my church welcomed them in although he was a little leery of them. I never told him how the man and his wife try to "disciple" me with their beliefs and was wondering if he should know. I do feel like sometimes they want to "make disciples " and because I've known them for so long, there's a lot of stuff I see that others in the church don't know about. They are highly revered as being very godly. Still, they try to persuade me to follow what they believe if I talk with them. I just don't know if my Pastor is aware of it. He did express some concerns to me about them and the way their teens dress. They sit in the back of the church and fool around during the preaching. They dress morbidly. I know when their daughter's hamster died, the mother soaked it in formaldehyde to "comfort " her. Also, their son saw a dog that was killed and saved some of the bones. He and his brother wear them as "jewelry." I thought that was peculiar. One of the grandparents was a professional magician but quit when the magic "tricks" started to take over with a kind of power of their own. I think maybe some of those influences have rubbed off. Editor's note: It sounds like these people may have had devils in their family history. They were very foolish to open themselves to C.S. Lewis' "occult Christianity." They gave place to the devil and he is building a stronghold in their lives. Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil. This underscores the power of Lewis' writings to lead people into the bondage of Satan. 2Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. "How much do I love thee, thou guru of the Tash?" Letter from a reader who is mad about our treatment of Lewis I feel quite infuriated at this website which denounces C.S. Lewis so harshly and unjustly. He himself that his stories were meant to be like "a flower whose smell reminds you of something you can't quite place" (The Land of Narnia, p.90.) Namely, they are supposed to remind one of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. They are not meant to follow, bit by bit, the bible. It appalls and saddens me to see Lewis viewed in this manner. He did not worship the sun, nor did he put this sun-worship nonsence into a children's book. Consider that every direction is in the Narnia series, not just east. Shasta and Aravis travel from the south; Poly and Digory go west on Fledge; and Eustace and Jill travel north in search of Prince Rilian. In fact, the final direction of the good characters of Narnia is west rather than east- in The Last Battle, heading "further up and further in". In a nutshell, what I am trying to say here is that this acusation is rediculous, looking too far into insignificant matters. I have lost count of the number of times I have read the Narnia series, though I believe it to be twenty-four. I started reading them over seven years ago, in third grade. I can honestly say that the seven Narnia books have since helped me become closer to the Lord. I am very thankful that Lewis wrote them, and I know that I am in the majority rather than the minority in this view. "I'm so thankful that you realized the 'hidden story' in the Narnian books. It is odd, children nearly always do, grown-ups hardly ever." wrote Lewis once to a young reader. Editor's note: What blind allegiance. How pitiful that this young person does not understand that the majority cannot be relied on to identify the truth. Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. Also, how sad that he/she reads Narnia over and over but apparently not the Bible. How sad that this person believes that the broad way, the majority, will prevail in the Truth. Do you have a story that would fit here? SEND EMAIL to Steve Van Nattan background and graphics by mary vannattan