When Susan stopped believing

[Larry W.]

[Tumnus's Books]

[Larry W.]

In saying we aren't any better than villains as far as God is concerned I actually was referring to how good we are morally. As being creatures made by God we are worth a considerable lot. That is quite a different thing than our moral achievements. But even considering it from that angle, no one is better or worse than anyone else since all of us are equally human, which is nothing to be ashamed of. Our fallen human nature isn't the same as what we were meant to be as real human beings.

Larry W.

[Christiana/Bella]

We can never know exactly why, but one reason is; She knew that there would be the pain of knowing she could never know back, if she kept remembering, so she made herself forget. That would be pointless, because in the end, they all go to Narnia, when they die, and she could have lived a happier life dreaming of Narnia.

[Larry W.]

Actually I think it would be accurate to say that we're all villains until God transforms us into something better. Susan was like most human beings-- she wasn't nasty and had some common grace in her which made her a nice person seen from a human perspective. But from God's point of view none of us is good enough to save ourselves, and Susan was no exception.

Larry W.

[msd1835]

hello,
I am new to forums but I have always thought that Susan was always the person that wanted to "keep her feet on the ground" type person. It might be that she was just preoccupied with the world in which she lived.

I have also heard people say that she did not go to heaven or Aslan's country...I don't see any evidence to support that. It is possible she discovered who Aslan is in our world. And in that discovery felt no need to live in the same hope the others had to return to the past. It is possible she was the most mature of everyone. She focused on the present, and not in the past or future. In the "Screwtape Letters" it seems to be important to keep people from focusing on the present.

[splashen]

CS Lewis wanted to show Susan as someone "who fell away from her childhood faith," however, he left her story open to the possibility of her returning to it much later(most likely, as the result of her losing her entire family & friends in a train crash).

[rusmeister]

[splashen]

"I'm afraid I have to strongly disagree."

First of all, it is made plain that Susan is "no longer a friend of Narnia", thus, if she DID discover who Aslan is, she only became an enemy, which is highly improbable."

The last part of your sentence is correct. However, the first part is not. It was Peter, who described his sister as "no longer a friend of Narnia." The only reason he said this, is because of King Tirian asked where she was, when Peter described himself, & the remaining group as "The 7 Friends of Narnia," & because of the frustration inwhich he & they were all experiencing in trying to get Susan to join them in their projects concerning Narnia.

The fact that she was not killed in the train wreck, & was left in the world, gave Susan plenty of chance to repent of her falling away. CS Lewis himself, said that the reason he had decided to leave Susan out of the Last Battle, was because "Susan's story had not finished yet," meaning that she could one day regain her faith, & ultimately be restored as the 8'Th Friend of Narnia.

[rusmeister]

[Larry W.]

It's clear that Susan strayed from Aslan, but Lewis made no judgments as where she would spend her eternal destiny. And from what we know about Lewis' he seemed to be very patient with straying people. He wouldn't have been so quick to send even fictional characters like Susan to damnation. Didn't he consider himself "the most reluctant convert in all of England" ? He tried God's patience as much as Susan tried Aslan's.

Larry W.

[splashen]

"Nothing was said about Susan's eternal fate; 'tis true."

In order for Susan to be an "eternal enemy of Aslan & Narnia," it would have to mean that she was damned, or will be damned at the end of her own life.

"But as far as revelation in the story goes, that was the status the story ended with."

True, & to be honest with you, I wish CS Lewis did not end his wonderful series on such a note. If I could have had my own way, CS Lewis would have kept the full of 8 Friends of Narnia, rather than cutting out one in the end.

However, as Larry W, just noted, CS Lewis never gave up hope on the salvation of even his fictional characters including Susan. Personally, I like to think that if Lewis had lived long enough, he would have returned to Susan's story, & brought about her salvation with Aslan.

[rusmeister]

[splashen]

"again, see the Last Battle, where some creatures DO turn the left away from Aslan."

That happened right at where the world of Narnia was completed. Susan was left alive, in our world, to give her time to repent of her falling away.

In LWW, Edmund started out as a traitor. In VDT, Eustace started out as somewhat of an enemy to the world of Narnia. Both were finally Saved By Aslan.

Even in MN, Digory Kirk's uncle, who was somewhat of a quasi-villain of the story, repented.

The way inwhich CS Lewis dealt with Susan's character at the end of the Chronicles of Narnia, left it open for her to return to Aslan.

[carol]

It's important to realise WHY Susan was written this way.
Lewis knew that this is what happens to real people - for various reasons, they turn away from a faith experience and deny it was ever true. They laugh at others' continuance of faith and Christian walk, declare how enlightened and mature they themselves are, and fill their lives with things that are interesting or even valid but should not take the place of knowing God.
Most Christians know someone who has done this - and when that is someone close to us it is sometimes heartbreaking.
But Lewis gives hope, as he indicates that she is still alive, and therefore still has the same chance to come back to faith as any other person alive in England.

You know, he could have written it so that Susan was also on the train with her parents, and died in the wreck too, being eternally separated from them all! But he didn't. God also gives us chances to turn back to Him.