NY AG Letitia James
was fond of targeting political foes with legal games.
In a twist, this time
she's the target, and there is an actual crime.
A site dedicated to G.K. Chesterton, his friends, and the writers he influenced: Belloc, Baring, Lewis, Tolkien, Dawson, Barfield, Knox, Muggeridge, and others.
NY AG Letitia James
Verne, of course, gave us such works of fantasy and science fiction as Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, and Around the World in Eighty Days.
I don't know if Chesterton wrote much about Verne. In the essay "The Domesticity of Detectives", he did mention Verne when discussing French writers.
"Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, for instance, both wrote fairy-tales of science; Mr. Wells has much the larger mind and interest in life; but he often lacks one power which Jules Verne possesses supremely—the power of going to the point. Verne is very French in his rigid relevancy; Wells is very English in his rich irrelevance."
Perhaps Chesterton did write more about Verne. Perhaps some more knowledgeable person could offer some wisdom?
As for me, I have read some Verne - Journey to the Center of the Earth, From Earth to the Moon, and a children's version of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - but I have read far more of Wells's science fiction, and I prefer what I have read of his works.
Still, it might be worth giving Verne some attention - after I finish some of the books currently in my "To Read" pile.
At least I should start with a full version of Twenty Thousand Leagues.
Over on X - Twitter - there is a feature called "Grok." If you ask Grok a question about yourself it scans your recent tweets and answers based on those tweets.
The other day I asked "Which philosopher am I most like?"
The response was: Given your interests and the themes in your posts, you seem most aligned with the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas was a medieval Catholic philosopher and theologian known for his efforts to synthesize Christian theology with the philosophy of Aristotle. His work often deals with ethics, morality, and the nature of God, which resonates with your expressions of faith and moral concerns. Aquinas's emphasis on natural law and the moral implications of human actions could be seen as parallel to your focus on life issues and the integration of faith into daily life.
In the most recent issue of Touchstone there is a troubling but thought-provoking article about pornography infecting our culture and targeting our youth ("A Modesty Proposal" by David Santifer).
I remembered C. S. Lewis had some things to say about porn, and found an article citing some of his comments in the Catholic Education Resource Center "C. S. Lewis on Pornography and Masturbation."
“There is nothing to be ashamed of in enjoying your food: there would be everything to be ashamed of if half the world made food the main interest of their lives and spent their time looking at pictures of food and dribbling and smacking their lips…. We grow up surrounded by propaganda in favor of unchastity. There are people who want to keep our sex instinct inflamed in order to make money out of us. Because, of course, a man with an obsession is a man who has very little sales-resistance. God knows our situation; He will not judge us as if we had no difficulties to overcome.”
In The Weight of Glory he summarizes a man’s battle with pornography.
“If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
“Lying on that study sofa…I had sensations which you can imagine. And at once I knew that the Enemy would take advantage of the vague longings and tendernesses to try and make me believe later on that he had the fulfillment that I really wanted. So I balked him by letting the longings go even deeper and turning my mind to the One, the real object of all desire, which (you know my view) is what we are really wanting in all wants… “
“For me the real evil of masturbation would be that it takes an appetite which, in lawful use, leads the individual out of himself to complete (and correct) his own personality in that of another (and finally in children and even grandchildren) and turns it back; sends the man back into the prison of himself, there to keep a harem of imaginary brides.
“And this harem, once admitted, works against his ever getting out and really uniting with a real woman.
“For the harem is always accessible, always subservient, calls for no sacrifices or adjustments, and can be endowed with erotic and psychological attractions which no woman can rival.
“Among those shadowy brides he is always adored, always the perfect lover; no demand is made on his unselfishness, no mortification ever imposed on his vanity.
“In the end, they become merely the medium through which he increasingly adores himself…After all, almost the main work of life is to come out of our selves, out of the little dark prison we are all born in. Masturbation is to be avoided as all things are to be avoided which retard this process. The danger is that of coming to love the prison.
“The evidence seems to be that God sometimes works such a complete metamorphosis and sometimes not. We don’t know why: God forbid we should presume it went by merit.
“He never in my unmarried days did it for me. He gave me –- at least and after many ups and down, the power to resist the temptation so far as the act was concerned. Never did he stop the recurrent temptations, nor was I guarded from the sin of mental consent. I don’t mean I wasn’t given sufficient grace. I mean that I sometimes fell into it, grace or no…
“The great discovery for me was that the attack does not last forever. It is the devil’s lie that the only escape from the tension is through yielding.”
On X (Twitter) there is a think called "Grok" that will answer questions about you if you have an account and post. I asked:Which famous author am I most like?
Answer
Based on the themes and tone of your recent posts on X, Lee, you seem to resonate most with C.S. Lewis. Lewis was known for his deep Christian faith, which heavily influenced his writing, similar to how your posts reflect a strong emphasis on faith, prayer, and moral considerations. His works often blend elements of fantasy with profound philosophical and theological questions, akin to your posts that challenge or reflect on contemporary issues through a spiritual lens.
Lewis's ability to critique societal norms and explore the nature of good versus evil in his writings, like in "The Chronicles of Narnia" or "The Screwtape Letters," mirrors your engagement with topics that touch on morality, truth, and the human condition.
Okay, I will be honest. While I regularly and enthusiastically read Chesterton, and own more books by and about him, in the past I have read far more of Lewis than I have of Chesterton. Indeed, in the '80s I binged on Lewis. Chesterton is catching up, though, as I have read more of his works in recent years. .
There are a number of Chesterton groups around the world. They engage in various activities.
Here in Rochester, N.Y., the local Chesterton Society used to sponsor one of the best annual regional conferences in the nation. Not as great as the National Conference, certainly, but still very good, drawing all sorts of national speakers, including, of course, Dale Ahlquist and Joseph Pearce.
Alas, the pool of money that had been set aside for the conferences ran out, so they are no more.
But the society continues to meet.on a monthly basis most of the year. The members spend those meetings reading and discussing works by Chesterton.
For the past few months we have been reading The Ball and the Cross. We each take parts (including narrator) as we read. Tonight we read Chapters X and XI.
I've read the book before, but there's something different about hearing it and sharing insights.
Much of he book involves an atheist and a devoutly religious man trying to have a duel - science vs. religion - but facing constant interference from the world.
Of course it's full of silliness, social commentary, and plenty of vivid descriptions and wordplay.
Chesterton's novels are not his greatest works, but they are still well worth reading. My personal favorite is The Napoleon of Notting Hill.
In a previous post I mentioned Chesterton Station. The show features John Walker as Chesterton, who is at a railway station where he encounters various fellow writers - George Bernard Shaw, Robert Louis Stevenson, Dorothy Sayers, and more.
As a Christmas gift I received the first episode, "The Golden Key."
It's actually a two-part episode, with Chesterton arriving in the station, and delivering a long monologue highlighting key events in his life, and his literary, philosophical, and spiritual beliefs.
I watched it and got the sense it may have been intended as just a one-time program ending with, well, his passage into eternal life. But it worked, and maybe that lead to the subsequent episodes featuring him returning to the station to encounter fellow writers. Or maybe the creators did hope for a series when they set out.
Anyway, "The Golden Key" is delightful. As a fan of Chesterton, I found it reminding me of life details and favorite works by him. For my wife, who is not a reader of Chesterton, it was a wonderful introduction to him.
Indeed, I recommend it and the other episodes as a way to introduce Chesterton to a wider audience.
The episodes are shown on Thursdays at 5 p.m. on EWTN - unless preempted by special programming.
From Aleteia -
Many people find the idea of New Year’s resolutions to be ridiculous. The date that a “new year” begins is arbitrary after all. (The Babylonians and ancient Romans started their new year in March during the spring equinox.) There is no reason to wait until January to set new goals. And more than 90% of the resolutions we do make will not last through the year.
Most of us realize that we will probably fail; yet we continue to make life-changing resolutions on January 1.
For the great G.K. Chesterton that is a good thing – as he explain in the very first entry of 1916’s The G.K. Chesterton Calendar:
The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year’s resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
In the same calendar’s entry for December 31, Chesterton warns against viewing what comes tomorrow as “clear and inevitable.” If we do so, we will be like those who looked at Medusa and her sisters and were “turned to stone.”
That’s because only hope can make us new people. To accept that tomorrow must be like yesterday and that life will never change is to die inside. Even something as simple as a New Year’s resolution is an acknowledgement that God made us creatures of hope.
“There is one thing that gives radiance to everything,” Chesterton said on another occasion. “It is the idea of something around the corner.”
Chesterton is always surprising us, especially in how he looks at life through the lens of his Christian faith, finding promise and goodness even in the most mundane things. Just imagine what it would be like to go through the Jubilee Year of 2025 with that attitude!
If you do make resolutions this New Year’s Day perhaps one of them could be to read a little more Chesterton — and to try to imitate his openness and positivity when dealing with the world at large.