C.S.Lewis and the Catholic Church, by Joseph Pearce

[rusmeister]

[Esther]

[Bnayqyama]

I do not know Latin, from which "communion" comes, but it would not be difficult to guess from its parts how it is used. In Greek the term is koinonia, as in Paul's usage: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not koinonia in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not koinonia in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1Cor 10:16-17).
If there is ONE, is it not our sin to disregard, to accept separation for our individual ideas? "What God has joined, human beings cannot separate" -- Jesus' words, which may work better for the filial relationship of those confessing the one Lordship than it does for marriage.

[ijohn_patmos]

[rusmeister]

[ijohn_patmos]

[Bnayqyama]

[ijohn_patmos]

[rusmeister]

[Esther]

(This question is for rusmeister and Bnayqyama): So, would you disagree with Lewis's "hallway" analogy from Mere Christianity, in which one enters the hallway by accepting the essentials of the gospel and then enters a room by joining a particular tradition (or "communion," as he says), all the rooms being within the same "house" of Christianity? I'm getting the feeling that you would disagree, but I may not be understanding you correctly. And if you would not disagree, how do you relate to that metaphor as a RC or EO?

[ijohn_patmos]

[Bnayqyama]

Esther, good question that I cannot quickly answer because I do not recall that portion of MC -- although I teach it twice a year for the past five years or so . It is interesting that it is in the same Gospel that Jesus teaches about the many rooms (Jn 14:2) and prays that his disciples would be one as he and the Father are one (Jn 17:21).

My initial reaction is that one does not have the option of entering one of many rooms, but that one in fact does enter one room or another. It is true that the individual Christian is born into or enters a room.

My first point -- I hope -- in this thread has been that one should not accept the limitations of the room. The room is an accident, not a given.

My other point has been that Jesus did not institute churches. Yet I have made no special plea for either RC or EO. Frankly I do not care. Both are apostolic and sinfully separate. I do not know what to make of the myriad of Protestant denominations, although I was once a Luthodist.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

[rusmeister]

[Esther]

[Bnayqyama]

Esther, I mean that persons do not typically choose their "traditions." After years of taking hand-polls in class on the question "how many of you are part of the religious traditions into which you were born," I am convinced that the vast majority of people do not choose their room, but are born into it. Hence, "accident," an accident of birth.
Lewis did not become a Hindu; I was born into a marginally Lutheran home, eventually became a Catholic by choice, but never considered becoming a Hindu.
Thus a person has not chosen a room in the Christian hotel, but one has been born in a room that misleads one into thinking that this room is the best or only legitimate room.
In my mind this is rebellion against the intention of Christ in instituting a Church.