I have a question that im having a hard time answering!

[JesusFreak4L]

3) C.S. Lewis articulates the concept of God’s “goodness”. He says that this goodness is, by definition, something more than mere kindness. Explain what he means by this. (Obviously, you will need to articulate the base difference, then, between kindness and goodness.)

[HypnoToad]

Today, the terms "kindness" and "love" are often used interchangeably. Poor education has led to abandoning proper connotations of words and treating similar terms as indentical terms.

In the context used by Lewis, "kindness" seeks to cause pleasure, or end suffering - period; whereas "love" seeks the best outcome and allows suffering when it is necessary to reach that outcome.

This (http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0032.html) may help.

[Svt4Him]

Post the context. it's hard to define something unless you read the whole context, and CS Lewis is good at explaining himself well.

[JesusFreak4L]

Today, the terms "kindness" and "love" are often used interchangeably. Poor education has led to abandoning proper connotations of words and treating similar terms as indentical terms.

In the context used by Lewis, "kindness" seeks to cause pleasure, or end suffering - period; whereas "love" seeks the best outcome and allows suffering when it is necessary to reach that outcome.

This (http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0032.html) may help.

thank you very much!:thumbsup:

[jive4005]

Try reading The Works of James Allen. It explains it all very thoroughly... tho IS somewhat advanced in text and language.

rev

ps: Lewis knew about these things too. If anybody wants an insight into how the devil works, try The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

[Nadiine]

3) C.S. Lewis articulates the concept of God’s “goodness”. He says that this goodness is, by definition, something more than mere kindness. Explain what he means by this. (Obviously, you will need to articulate the base difference, then, between kindness and goodness.)
I think I know what he means by that.:idea:

Man's idea of what is "good" involves being "happy" - we equate what's good with what FEELS best to us. What makes us happy? Money/materialism, plenty of food, comfort, safety, freedom to do what we want, health, security, feeling loved, etc. Our view of happiness is what we seek in this life. So obviously, anything that brings conflict, trouble, adversity, illness, death, harm, pain, threat, worry, fear, etc. are all viewed by us as "BAD". Becuz we dislike all these things by nature becuz they threaten our wellbeing and happiness (quality of life).

With those basic principles in mind as to what we as humans view as good and bad (evil), what happens when we see God either causing or allowing adversity/trials in people's lives? HE BECOMES A MEAN TYRANT becuz He isn't giving us what we want - pleasure/happiness.

The key is this, God's GOAL for humanity isn't our pleasure, comfort & happiness (becuz most of what makes human beings with a sin nature happy are the natural worldly things - not the righteous things that cause us to have to use self control and stop feeding our flesh).

God will use whatever means He has to in order to either draw people to Himself, discipline a wandering believer, keep a believer from falling, or punish some for whatever reasons He has. Those things appear UNKIND when God brings or allows them to happen to us.
God also is allowing sin itself to run its course in this fallen world - sin itself brings pain, death, suffering, illness/disease. So, when God allows people to commit their chosen sins or sin runs it's natural course, He looks like He's "evil" for not healing everyone & allowing people to be murdered, raped, tortured, kidnapped, abused, cheated, or become sick, or die, etc.

People assume a "LOVING" God should be "GOOD" to us & keep us free of all pain, suffering, evil, lack, worry, harm, etc. - however our ideal of goodness is impractical and contrary to what God says goodness is and namely in a sinful, fallen world.
His goal isn't our comfort in this world, our souls are His primary goal and rescuing them.

Also, most of people's pain & problems ARE DUE TO THEIR OWN SINFUL LIFESTYLES AND CHOICES. Why smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day, then blame God when you're in the hospital with lung cancer? (if God is so good, why doesn't heal my lungs?) :doh: :help: etc.
The lists go on.

God's goal is bringing lost souls to salvation becuz this life is temporal and short. It's meant to end! So God will bring affliction or allow afflictions to happen in order to have His perfect will carried out for whatever His reason or motive.
Most people don't seek God when they have every pleasure, comfort and need met. Most people start thinking about God when big trouble hits or in serious pain/grief.

MAN sees that as unkind, God sees it as necessary - the means to what is important. & the more worldly mankind gets, the more unkind God appears when He isn't giving us what we want or when we suffer.

I'll give an example - Ananias & Sapphira who lied at the church about how much they gave in their offering. God literally struck both of them dead on the spot for lying to His Spirit. That would appear real unkind... however, God used their punishment to serve as a WARNING to the rest of the church who were then fearful... but read the result:
Acts 5:10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
12 At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico.
13 But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem.
14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, 15to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.

That severe incident led to quite a large revival involving many souls. Was it "unkind" to the 2 who were struck dead? God doesn't see it that way.

People often view God as a genie up in the sky that's there to grant us our wishes when we demand them from Him. That isn't what God does - the Bible doesn't say that's His mission either. People wrongly assume that. He's working towards righteousness and the immortal things & will do what He has to or wants to do to accomplish His perfect will. His will is often not ours.

That's how I view his statement. I was rushed because I have to exercise this am., but I hope you get the jist of this rough draft?
Maybe someone else views the statement differently. Either way, I still believe what I said here is the truth in why many don't view God as loving/good or leave Christianity in anger when God doesn't perform the way they believe He should have.

[Mathetes the kerux]

3) C.S. Lewis articulates the concept of God’s “goodness”. He says that this goodness is, by definition, something more than mere kindness. Explain what he means by this. (Obviously, you will need to articulate the base difference, then, between kindness and goodness.)
Look to the Greek and Hebrew for the terms used by the biblical authors. Then work from there.

If you need them we can discuss them when I have a moment.

[Maranatha27]

The love chapter in 1 Cor. is explaining agape love in the greek. Paul goes through the chapter and states that with out agape, the gifts of man are nothing. Man can not produce this love, his love towards his child is philio in the greek. This agape can only be experience when the Holy Spirt dwells in the believer. I think i went off course but i thought that might help

[fishon]

Goodness is helping my drunken brother stay alive.

Kindness is never given him money to buy the next drink.
fishon

[IisJustMe]

3) C.S. Lewis articulates the concept of God’s “goodness”. He says that this goodness is, by definition, something more than mere kindness. Explain what he means by this. (Obviously, you will need to articulate the base difference, then, between kindness and goodness.)You didn't cut-and-paste this off one of your tests at Christian school did you? And if so, do your own work! LOL

God's goodness is so far above kindness as to be only remotely akin to it. Kindness would be you or me feeding a beggar for a day. God's goodness is giving that same beggar eternal life for a mere expression of faith that he is a sinner in need of a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior.

Kindness would be the giving of one's self to a lifetime of ministry, as Mother Teresa or Brother Andrew, for example. Goodness is coming down out of heaven and giving up equality with God in order to take on the fleshly form of a man and giving One's life for the whole planet full of "beggars" such as ourselves.

Kindness would be throwing myself on a hand grenade to save a platoon. Goodness is allowing Your fleshly form to be nailed to a cross on behalf of all flesh so that the sins of the flesh are forgiven.

I give examples, because there are no words adequate to the task of explaining the difference.

[Nadiine]

be it kindness or goodness, I think it's obvious that humanity demands BOTH from God and doesn't notice (or care) that God has already blessed them.

I'd submit that God blesses those who hate or don't care about Him every single day in many different ways;
when they have food to eat, a car (or 2), a place to live, clothing, a job, money, clean water, protection, a family or their own family w/ kids & spouse, tv, computers, cell fones, pets,......... lists are endless --

All given daily to people who: take His name in vain, blaspheme Him, ignore Him, don't thank Him, don't glorify Him, glorify themselves & others, persecute Him/His children, blame Him for evil and sin all day long when what they really deserve is a lightning bolt from the heavens.
(only they're too spoiled and arrogant to even admit they sin & deserve His righteous judgment - He's even evil for that in their view.)

People are too selfish, spoiled, degenerate and haughty to actually see their faulty worldview of God and why things are the way they are.

[Nadiine]

*blink*

[Svt4Him]

Don't worry, it just is a drive by shooter, probably a sock, more likely a ...well, you can decide.

[IisJustMe]

*blink*Don't worry, it just is a drive by shooter, probably a sock, more likely a ...well, you can decide.Actually its an article on the Qu'ran, as I discovered by using Babel Fish to translate it. It's mostly nonsense and glorifies Allah, which probably isn't appropriate for a Christian forum. I've reported it. I've got the translation if you really want it, or you can simply do it yourself, but its a "spam" if ever I saw one.

[HypnoToad]

Yeah, it's some numerology thing and promotes the supposed prophetic accuracy of the Koran. Not worth reading. It won't be around long.

[Nadiine]

Yeah, it's some numerology thing and promotes the supposed prophetic accuracy of the Koran. Not worth reading. It won't be around long.
thanks guys.

I wish CF rules let the mods just yank that kind of poop right out & erase it. Glorification of evil should have no pulpit (if I had my way of course) =)~

thanks