Mere Christianity

Shifting the discussion to sexual morality, Lewis states that chastity is a universal rule of Christianity. It differs from the social rule of modesty, which is culturally specific and dictates that (for instance) a woman from the Pacific Islands can expose more of her body than a woman from Europe. Breaking these standards of modesty is only wrong in the Christian sense if it’s done to provoke lust or anger, and Lewis urges more tolerance where standards of propriety are concerned, since these vary not only culturally but also generationally. He believes that the best approach is to believe in the good of others and make those around us as comfortable as possible.

Nevertheless, Lewis recognizes that chastity is the least popular Christian virtue. The rule that one must either be married and faithful or else completely abstinent may seem contrary to human instincts. Lewis’s response, however, is that the sexual instinct has “gone wrong” (95) as a result of humanity’s fallen nature, and far exceeds its purpose (to reproduce, and to keep the population at a relatively stable level). As an example, Lewis compares sexual desire to hunger, noting how strange we would find it if there were “stripteases” in which platters of food were slowly unveiled before an