Suggested Readings For Al Gore & Friends

An Excerpt From Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis

Weston, a physicist, and Ransom, a Christian, having just met again on Perelandra, have a discussion:

     "That is the fundamental paradox. The thing we are reaching forward to is what you would call God. The reaching forward, the dynamism, is what people like you always call the Devil. The people like me, who do the reaching forward, are always martyrs. You revile us, and by us come to your goal."

     "Does that mean in plainer language that the things the Force wants you to do are what ordinary people call diabolical?"

     "My dear Ransom, I wish you would not keep relapsing on to the popular level. The two things are only moments in the single, unique reality. The world leaps forward through great men and greatness always transcends mere moralism. When the leap has been made our 'diabolism' as you would call it becomes the morality of the next stage; but while we are making it, we are called criminals, heretics, blasphemers...."

     How far does it go? Would you still obey the Life-Force if you found it prompting you to kill me?"

     "Yes."

     "Or to sell England to the Germans?"

     "Yes."

     "Or to print lies as serious research in a scientific periodical?"

     "Yes."

     "God help you!" said Ransom.

     "You are still wedded to your conventionalities," said Weston. Still dealing in abstractions. Can you not even conceive a total commitment - a commitment to something which utterly overrides all our petty ethical pigeon-holes?"

     Ransom grasped at the straw. "Wait, Weston," he said abruptly. "That may be a point of contact. You say it's a total commitment. That is, you're giving up yourself. You're not out for your own advantage. No, wait half a second. This is the point of contact between your morality and mine. We both acknowledge--"

     "Idiot,"said Weston. His voice was almost a howl and he had risen to his feet. "Idiot," he repeated. "Can you understand nothing? Will you always try to press everything back into the miserable framework your old jargon about self and self-sacrifice? That is the old accursed dualism in another form. There is no possible distinction in concrete thought between me and the universe. In so far as I am the conductor of the central forward pressure of the universe, I am it. Do you see, you timid, scruple-mongering fool? I am the Universe. I, Weston, am your God, and your Devil. I call that Force into me completely..."