Screwtape Letters (Letter 15)

The theme that stuck out the most in this letter was the idea of trying to get the patients to live in the future instead of living through the eternal or present.  He talks about how the future bring up feelings of "fear, avarice, lust and ambition". It goes on to talk about how those feelings are sinful and bring a person farther way from God and closer to him. 

  

While thinking about this I realized why many college students may be drawn away from God.  Maybe so many college students are drawn away from God during their years at school aside from the lack of discipline of their parents, they are living and planning for the future.  I know personally I am planning for the future and wishing almost everyday that I was just done with school and out in the real world doing what I plan on. Does anyone else catch themselves planning and longing for the future? I frequently have feelings of both fear and ambition for the future, but I do not feel as though it is pulling me away from God, does anyone feel like their hopes for the future are pulling them away from God?

What did anyone else think about his message in this letter?

Screwtape Letters (Letter 9)

It is interesting that he starts off by saying that in this dull place that the patient is in does not guarantee that he will easily give away his soul.  This stuck out to me, because in my life I feel like many people believe that when you are at those low places it is easier to slip into Satan’s hands, when in fact he himself says that his work is not done yet, exploitation of the soul must be done first. Does anyone else feel like they were lead to believe this also?

When talking about pleasure it is interesting the contrasts he makes.  He talks about how any pleasure in a healthy, normal and satisfying form is in turn on the Enemies ground, trying to step on feet.  These types of pleasures are God’s inventions and he makes them.  The job of Satan is to encourage these pleasures to go beyond what God had intended and use them in ways that God has forbidden.  By stepping into the enemies territory Satan is able to overrule God and in turn have more power than He does. 

At the end of the segment he talks about how moderation in all things is good.  He especially points out that a moderate religion is a good thing, because it is easier to sway a person away from a moderate religion than from a strong religion.  The moderate religion idea is more abundant in our society today and therefore is easier for Satan to get control over more people.  Do you think that in today’s society more people are being called to Satan, because of our moderate religious values?