The ‘Cardinal Virtues’ by C.S. Lewis Doodle (BBC Talk 11a, Mere Christianity, Bk 3, Chapter 2)

How are your cardinal virtues at the moment? Are they needing a bit of WD-40/a lube? In the last talk of this series, C.S. Lewis illustrated morality with ships sailing in convoy during WWII. In this new chapter, Lewis looks at morality in the way the ancient writers divided the subject...

Notes: This chapter started out as an accident. Lewis wrote a radio address for 15mins, but the BBC only allowed him 10mins, and so this section was cut out. But it is just as well, as this additional part ended up being printed in the book version of the talks called ‘Christian Behaviour’, which later became Chapter 2 of Book 3, in the book called ‘Mere Christianity’.

You can find the 'Mere Christianity' book here: http://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926

You can find this reading from 'Mere Christianity' here: http://family.christianbook.com/lewis-dramatic-story-behind-mere-christianity/c-s-lewis/9781624052187/pd/052187

(0:23) Ships sailing in convoy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtTeCyrgjIQ

(1:48) And Jesus said: "Truly I say to you, if not you be converted and become as the little children, you may not enter into the kingdom of Heaven, not ever! Therefore whoever will humble himself as this little child, this one is the greater in the kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18.3-4).

(2:11) “As St. Paul points out”. See 1 Corinthians 14.20 - "Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults."

(2:17) “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10.16). See also Jeremiah 4.22 on the same topic: "My people are foolish. They do not know Me. They are stupid children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but they do not know to do good.”

(2:58) The last line of a common children’s prayer, once on the wall of many nurseries in England.

(3:29) If you have daughters, an interesting story to explain to them is the meaning of "Little Red Riding Hood", in its original French version (1697 A.D.), which is about being wise when it comes to one's own protection. This is a story of a young, pretty girl who is complimented by the flattering attention of a stranger, and so gives too much personal information to a sexual predator. She is also clueless as to the evil motives behind the predator's instructions to her. This was a tale to teach young girls to be aware of charming "wolves", "who pursue young women at home and in the streets." See "Little Red Riding Hood" by Charles Perrault and its ending moral: “Children, especially attractive, well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say "wolf," but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle-wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all.” (http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault02.html)

(5:44) Concerning eating meat: "Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for 'The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it' (Ps 24.1). If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, 'This has been offered in sacrifice [to an idol],' then do not eat it, both for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience. I am referring to the other person’s conscience, not yours. For why is my freedom being judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?"

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