Man or Rabbit

C.S. Lewis’s article Man or Rabbit  poses an interesting question can a man be good without being a Christian? This question in its self is interesting to Lewis because he wonders why wouldn’t someone want to learn more about Christianity . Because he says that either Christianity is the biggest lie ever concocted or humanities greatest hope. It would be the greatest hope, because it explains the mystery of a creator, moral law, and gives us the ability  to overcome sin and to have a relationship with that God.  So Lewis can’t understand why this idea should be overlooked in the quest to live a good life. Next he says that trying to help the world with only a sliver of truth is possible , but its only addressing the physical problems of the world.  Lewis gives the example that it is similar to a non-Christian saving the world from its problems, Say a man finds another man that is starving and takes pity on him. Not being a doctor the first man gives the starving man a full meal, but because he isn’t a doctor the starving man dies because he can’t handle the nourishment. Without Christianity good things can be done, however often times without the full truth even though they have the best intentions bad results happen.

Then Lewis continues the discussion in a different direction, he asks another question, without the truth that Christianity brings, can a non-Christian understand what good really is? Lewis would say no instead he says “Morality is a mountain which we cannot climb by our own efforts; and if we could we should only perish in the ice and unbreathable air of the summit, lacking those wings with which the rest of the journey has to be accomplished. For it is from there that the real ascent begins. The ropes and axes are 'done away' and the rest is a matter of flying.” This means that a knowledge of what is good can only come from an understanding of moral law, and moral law can only be understood within the greater context of Christianity.