Screwtape Letters 12-15

I know I have mentioned this before, but I think reading Wormwood's letters to Screwtape would be helpful. I am confused as to how Screwtape could go from saying that Wormwood is making excellent progress to the man slipping through his fingers in such a short time. I agree that pleasure and pain are "unmistakably real" and give people a sense of reality. Without real pleasure and pain, people would be able to live in a dream world where everything is perfect and that isn't how things truly are. I feel that pain allows people to become stronger and be truly grateful for the good things God gives them.

Screwtape Letters 8-11

People are indecisive and I agree with Screwtape that they go through phases. I completely agree with the statement in the book…”This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change.” Just because someone believes something one minute does not really mean anything about the next minute. People have ups and downs in life and even when things seem the strongest, they can fall apart by one influential person. I think that people are weak in general and can be influenced at their peaks in life and when they are at their low points. I agree that people feel pleasure because of God, but it is not hard to take a pleasurable thing and turn it into something negative that is looked down upon or disproved by others. I understand Screwtape’s excitement over the fact that the patient has new acquaintances with different beliefs than the patients. People like being similar to others and beliefs start to crumble when other influential people think different things. Everyone says that they want to be an individual, but at the same time they are trying to fit in and be the same as everyone around them.