Can a man be good without being Christian? This is the question that Lewis answers with more understanding then I think the questioner was hoping for. Lewis sees beyond the words of the question into the motive behind the question. The question he says is not really can a man be good without being Christian, the question really is can I be lazy and not feel bad about it. Lewis is effectively saying that since you know that there is such thing as Christianity that you would rather not be bothered by all the rules and moral conscience that comes with being a Christian. The man who knows nothing about Christianity would be in honest error because how can he be a part of something he knows nothing about. But the man who asks this question is simply lazy and does not wish to bother with the ways of Christianity.
Lewis then takes the argument to the direction of purpose. “Morality is a mountain which we cannot climb by our own efforts; and if we could we should only perish in the ice and unbreathable air of the summit, lacking those wings with which the rest of the journey has to be accomplished.” We can be good people without being Christians but that is only a small part of the adventure. If we are good because of our own needs and not for any other reason than we feel like we should be good, we can climb the mountain but be stuck at the top with nowhere to go. A Christian fights the same battle to get to the top but when he reaches the top there are wings waiting to take him on the next part of his journey. The Christian had a purpose to get to the top of the mountain.
Remembering the choice to lead a Christian lifestyle seems hard at times, but then occasionally I think about those people who lead a similar lifestyle but will be stuck at the top of the mountain. God aids us on our climb up the mountain, but who aids those just climbing to get to the top. Perhaps the Christian route is actually the easy than that of a good man because there is a purpose for the climb.
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