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41 " We are no longer very sophisticated thinkers or very precise thinkers. We deal in moods and emotions, especially in the arts, and we have developed a very loose vocabulary along with our loose thinking. "
― Dale Ahlquist , G.K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense
42 " When Chesterton was asked why he became Catholic, he answered, “To get rid of my sins.”8 He says that only the Catholic Church can do that, and that when a man steps out of the confessional, he is only five minutes old. His whole life has started over again. "
― Dale Ahlquist , Knight of the Holy Ghost: A Short History of G.K. Chesterton
43 " We have reinforced this limited choice by putting socialism in our left hand and capitalism in our right hand, leaving no other hands. The "
44 " The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes being corrected.24 The Conservative Party suddenly becomes the Liberal Party the instant it is liberated from responsibility. The Liberal Party suddenly becomes the Conservative Party the instant it has anything to conserve.25 Both modern parties believe in a government by the few; the only difference is whether it is the Conservative few or the Progressive few.26 When Conservatives, Liberals, and Socialists all agree, it is time for the larger and more harmless part of mankind to look after its pockets.27 And it was while in America that he made his famous comment: “It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.”28 The irony of this gallows humor lies in the fact that it is the politicians who are supposed to be upholding justice that should instead be brought to justice. They should be upholding the right to life, but they have done just the opposite. While the right to life is the most ignored, and the right to liberty the most abused, the right to pursue happiness is the most misunderstood. Obviously the third is dependent on the first two. With no life and no liberty there is no pursuit of happiness. "
― Dale Ahlquist , The Complete Thinker: The Marvelous Mind of G.K. Chesterton
45 " There is now a false idealism of turning Government into God, by a vague notion that it gives everything to everybody; to the denial of the liberty given by God, which is called life. . . . "
46 " The exception has become the rule, and that is the worst of all possible tyrannies. "
47 " An open mind is really a mark of foolishness, like an open mouth.3 The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid. "
48 " Increasingly I perceived myself as being neither on the left nor the right but as believing in a distinct “third position,” mistrustful of big government of whatever political hue, which I perceived in the Orwellian sense as being Big Brother, the crusher of freedom. "
― Dale Ahlquist , My Name Is Lazarus: 34 Stories of Converts Whose Path to Rome Was Paved by G. K. Chesterton
49 " question of whether we particularly want to go there. An Englishman can communicate with Manhattan by wireless, and he may yet communicate with Mars by more wireless; and, in both cases, nothing remains but the deeper and darker problem of thinking of something to say. "
50 " The free-lovers say: “Let us have the splendour of offering ourselves without the peril of committing ourselves; let us see whether one cannot commit suicide an unlimited number of times.” Emphatically it will not work. "
― Dale Ahlquist , Common Sense 101: Lessons from Chesterton
51 " An imbecile habit has arisen in modern controversy of saying that such and such a creed can be held in one age but cannot be held in another. Some dogma, we are told, was credible in the twelfth century, but is not credible in the twentieth. You might as well say that a certain philosophy can be believed on Mondays, but cannot be believed on Tuesdays. . . . What a man can believe depends upon his philosophy, not upon the clock or the century. If a man believes in unalterable natural law, he cannot believe in any miracle in any age. If a man believes in a will behind law, he can believe in any miracle in any age. "
52 " But the problem is that “inclusiveness” and “tolerance” are dogmas. It is not dogma that divides people. It is dogma that brings people together. The ultimate common bond is truth. That is why it is worth arguing about. "
53 " The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.” This "
54 " When Chesterton says we must not trust humanity, he especially reminds us not to put too much trust in politics or in whatever political party we pick. We generally expect too much from political parties, but none of them is based on any permanent philosophy, and, because of that, at some point they will conflict with faith. "
55 " Changing the theology, changing the rules, does not bring freedom. Only truth brings freedom. And "
56 " The effect of this staleness is the same everywhere; it is seen in all drug-taking and dram-drinking and every form of the tendency to increase the dose. Men seek stranger sins or more startling obscenities as stimulants to their jaded sense. They seek after mad oriental religions for the same reason. They try to stab their nerves to life. . . . They are walking in their sleep and try to wake themselves up with nightmares. "
57 " Already there was talk of abortion, which Chesterton described as a “more than usually barbaric form of birth control,” which goes against every instinct and “the common conscience of men.”88 He said it should be called by its real name: “murder at its worst; not only the brand of Cain but the brand of Herod. "
58 " improvement over the older Catholic idea? Chesterton says that modern thinkers will not follow new ideas to their logical end; nor will they trace traditional ideas back to their beginnings. If "
59 " Man can be defined as an animal that makes dogmas. As he piles doctrine on doctrine and conclusion on conclusion in the formation of some . . . philosophy or religion, he is . . . becoming more and more human. When "
60 " Wage slavery is still slavery. It may provide a few creature comforts, but a wage slave is even more disposable than a slave. Wage "