Man or Rabbit

C.S. Lewis writes “Man or Rabbit” in response to a question he received: “Can’t you lead a good life without believing in Christianity?” The essay, however, isn’t an answer to the question. Rather, it shows that whoever is asking the question is grossly missing the point of life. Lewis makes very good points throughout the work, the most important of which analyzes the motive of the question itself. Instead of being concerned with Truth, the one who asks the question merely wants to know if it is acceptable to shirk some responsibilities (i.e. Christianity) and still reap the reward (i.e. eternal life). Man is interested in Truth; like Lewis says, “If Christianity is untrue, then no honest man will want to believe it, however helpful it might be; if it is true, every honest man will want to believe it, even if it gives him no help at all.” The one asking the question, then, is no man but an animal, seeking only what he can gain.

One point on which I disagree with Lewis is when he introduces the subject of “honest error”. He says that he believes a man who has addressed Christianity rather than hiding from it, but then “honestly can’t believe it”, will be forgiven and healed; God will “remedy the evils”. I think the Bible is very clear that only he who accepts Christ will be forgiven of his sins. However, I do agree that the man of “dishonest error” is more to blame. One who commits “dishonest error” doesn’t even address Christianity. He avoids it, because he is afraid of what he might see. He refuses to look, because then he may be changed, and then he’ll have more work to do.

Lewis concludes by saying that a good life without Christ is severely missing the main purpose. Instead of mere morality, we are called to search for Truth, which can only be found in Jesus. I really like Lewis’ closing, which shows morality’s inability to truly liberate: “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.”