Chapter 12

I felt the most interesting chapter of the assigned reading was Chapter 12, which discussed the patient and his slow dwindling away from the "Enemy". Screwtape talks about how it is good (in his view) that we as humans waste our time doing "neither what [we] ought nor what [we] like". I felt this as a big parallel to the discussion we had in class we had just before break, talking about the priorities activity and how much time we actually devote on spending time on those priorities. At the time, I felt as though I wasted a lot of time in my daily life, doing frivolous things and things that did not even relate to anything that was on my priorities list. Similarly, the patient is wasting his time "in the gratification of curiosities so feeble that the man s only half aware of them", or in other words, pointless things. These tiny wastes of time all add up and can ultimately have a huge negative impact upon our own pursuit of priorities. The patient is turned off to God by such distractions, and I feel like I am put off from all of my own priorities from these same distractions. One line that really seemed to sum everything up in the chapter was, "Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick". Overall, I really feel as if the content of the chapter had a strong connection to do with the in-class discussion we had about time and priorities. Ultimately, I feel like I need to start managing my time better and being more productive, focusing more on my priorities, rather than wasting my time doing feeble things such as checking Facebook, lying around doing nothing, etc.

Chap 11

Of the assigned reading, chapter 11 seemed to stick out the most based on its depiction of the various types of human laughter. A few interesting quotes stuck out most to me, starting with one describing the group of acquantinces the patient has met as "steady, consistent scoffers and worldlings who without any spectacular crimes are progressing quietly and comfortably towards Our Father's house". I feel like this quote really has a lot of long-standing implications. This little group of intellects are not bad people. They don't commit any sort of devious crimes or sins that one thinks of when people think about going to Hell. However, their only misgrievance is that they scoff at religion at God, and thus, without even knowing it, they are slowly making their way into Hell. I felt it is a really interesting quote, because I feel like many people, myself included, who aren't extremely religious people are good people who don't commit any sort of devious crimes or sins. However, just because they don't sin, doesn't mean that they aren't making their way slowly and unknowingly towards Hell. I felt like the quote was an interesting and really concise way of summing up a pretty profound thought.
A few more interesting points I found were that Screwtape says that music is the most detestable art, and it is found in Heaven. I found this interesting, because a lot of the time, people hear about the negative influences of music, such as how now-a-days it is so corrupting and a bad influence. But, I feel as if people forget about the beautiful aspects of music, such as how humans can express themselves in any aspect in it.
A last quote that I found quite fascinating is "Cruelty is shameful - unless the cruel man can represent it as a practical joke." This statement is shockingly true. Cruelty, despite the fact that it is obviously cruel, is often accepted by people if portrayed as a fun, humorous, light-hearted event. There's a number of examples of this, such as how torturing hostages and enemies is accepted if the torturers turn it into a light-hearted event, having fun and joking around with all the "funny" stuff they can do with their captives.
Overall, I found a number of interesting little points in the last chapter of the assigned reading, many of which were extremely profound thoughts summarized in a single concise statement. I really enjoy the to-the-point, succinct nature of C.S. Lewis' writing.

Chap 5

I found Chapter 5 of the chapters of the assigned reading the most interesting in which the reader finds out that the Europeans have started another of their wars, presumably World War II. Wormwood is "'delirious with joy'" at this fact, and I found it frighteningly true that war would cause such an effect. Although America is technically "at war" right now in Iraq, there is a difference between being at war and in war. We as a country on a whole do not feel the negative effects of the war around us on a day to day basis, except for reading in the paper about the soldiers that died that day abroad. I imagine being in the center of a war such as WWII would have such a profound effect upon one's religious beliefs. Being in a constant state of fear and seeing friends and family die around you, being in the center of the war, such as the "patient" in London is currently, would almost certainly be a depressing event that would make you truly question your beliefs about God and how He would allow all this death and suffering to happen around you. I imagine that in World War II (or any other major war for that matter), people who actually experienced the war on a first-person basis would be extremely susceptible for losing their faith as Screwtape and Wormwood are getting so excited about in the chapter.

Overall, I just found Chapter 5 to be interesting as it kind of brought out the idea that events such as war could have a large impact on a person's religious beliefs by seeing death and suffering around one's self on a daily basis.

Chap 1-3

I found The Screwtape Letters to be an interesting read. I was hooked right from the introduction, based on the fact that is quite unlike any other book I've ever read. First off, I felt it was really unique to be telling a religious story from the opposite viewpoint - the side of the Devil and his minions rather than God himself. Every religious books seems to be from the Christian standpoint, so it was kind of a change to see things the other way around for once. I felt that because the book took such an unique viewpoint, it is full of humor, which makes it an even more accesible read. My favorite line from the first three chapters was on page 6, "Provided that any of those neighbours sing out of tune, or have boots that squeak, or double chins, or odd clothes, the patient will quite easily believe that their religion must therefore be somehow ridiculous." The only real question I have regarding the first few chapters is an allusion at the end of Chapter 3, "Remember the elder brother in the Enemy's story?". I'm wondering exactly who the elder brother of God is. Anybody have any insight into this?