I was reminded at dinner tonight with some friends of this part of The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letters is the imaginary correspondence of a senior demon named Screwtape and his nephew, the inexperienced young tempter Wormword. In the book, Screwtape is trying to help Wormword keep his “patient” — a new Christian — from progressing in his spiritual life as part of the demonic attempt to defeat the “Enemy” or God.
In “Letter 16”, Screwtape is concerned that the “patient” is faithful to attend the same church of his conversion, or to use an analogy from Sunday morning, the same “herd.”
MY DEAR WORMWOOD,
You mentioned casually in your last letter that the patient has continued to attend one church, and one only, since he was converted, and that he is not wholly pleased with it. May I ask what you are about? Why have I no report on the causes of his fidelity to the parish church? Do you realize that unless it is due to indifference it is a very bad thing?
Some of Screwtape’s reasons for encouraging church hopping include:
Surely you know that if a man can’t be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighborhood looking for the church that “suits” him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches.
The reasons are obvious. In the first place the parochial organization should always be attacked, because, being a unity of place and not of likings, it brings people of different classes and psychology together in the kind of unity the Enemy desires.
In the second place, the search for a “suitable” church makes the man a critic where the Enemy wants him to be a pupil.
Screwtape’s encouragement to Wormwood is:
So pray bestir yourself and send this fool the round of the neighboring churches as soon as possible.
All is well,
Lisa