Lewis was an atheist whose friendship with J. R. R. Tolkien influenced him to embrace Christianity. Every so often one reads internet reports of the urge to make C. S. Lewis more “marketable” and less “hurtful” by expunging any Christian reference from his work or banning The Chronicles of Narnia from bookshelves.

I enjoy The Chronicles of Narnia, and have done since I was a boy. I just loved the gentle, imaginative tale and the world where both Mr. Tumnus and the White Witch existed. I certainly did not see an underlying Christian allegory. As an adult, I can see the biblical references, but it doesn’t deprive the story of one iota of magic and wonder.

We can only wonder if Lewis would have imagined Narnia had he not been aroused by his friendship with Tolkein and a call to Christianity. But I don’t have to share C. S. Lewis’ belief system to enjoy his work. Neither am I prevented by it — or Tolkein’s influence – from enjoying it. I like Lewis’ voice and I like his writing style.

I haven’t read all of Lewis’ works. I’m assured by many of my friends that his Space Trilogy is quite interesting. I think The Screwtape Letters is wonderful; so is The Great Divorce. I like the themes and symbols found in both works. However, Lewis’ The Problem with Pain and Miracles haven’t yet attracted me.

I’m appreciative of what C. S. Lewis shared with us. I resent attempts to take stories out of the context of their writing and declare them too startling, dangerous or unprofitable for a contemporary public to receive. I am grateful to live in a part of the world that affords me the right to pick up, criticize or ignore storytellers’ original, unredacted creative efforts.

May we never lose this right.