We of the churches often gather our robes away from contamination, and thank God that we are not as other men. We don’t despise God’s name; in fact, we call upon it constantly to justify ourselves …. If we object to meat-eating, we declare that God is vegetarian; if we abhor war, we proclaim a pacifist Deity. He who turned water into wine to gladden a wedding is now accused by many of favouring that abominable fluid grape juice. There can hardly be a more evil way of taking God’s name in vain than this way of presuming to speak in it.
Joy Davidman (1915-1960) American poet; wife of C.S. Lewis [Joy Davidman Gresham]
Smoke on the Mountain (1955)
Quotations by:
Davidman, Joy
That is man’s Christianity, a means to earthly triumph. And in our present crisis we are appealing to it to defeat the Russians for us. We hear of the life-and-death struggle between Christianity and Communism, the necessity of “keeping God alive as a social force” — as if our Lord could not survive a Soviet victory! It is a poor sort of faith that imagines Christ defeated by anything men can do
Joy Davidman (1915-1960) American poet; wife of C.S. Lewis [Joy Davidman Gresham]
Smoke on the Mountain (1955)
For here is spiritual pride, the ultimate sin, in action — the sin of believing in one’s own righteousness. The true prophet says humbly, “To me, a sinful man, God spoke.” But the scribes and Pharisees declare, “When we speak, God agrees.” They feel no need of a special revelation, for they are always, in their own view, infallible. It is this self-righteousness of the pious that most breeds atheism, by inspiring all decent, ordinary men with loathing of the enormous lie.
Joy Davidman (1915-1960) American poet; wife of C.S. Lewis [Joy Davidman Gresham]
Smoke on the Mountain (1955)