Quotations of G. K. Chesterton

"Progress is Providence without God. That is, it is a theory that everything has always perpetually gone right by accident. It is a sort of atheistic optimism, based on an everlasting coincidence far more miraculous than a miracle."

"It is assumed that the sceptic has no bias; whereas he has a very obvious bias in favour of scepticism."

"No sceptical philosopher can ask any questions that may not equally be asked by a tired child on a hot afternoon."

"The average businessman began to be agnostic, not so much because he did not know where he was, as because he wanted to forget. Many of the rich took to scepticism exactly as the poor took to drink; because it was a way out."

"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."

"Impartiality is a pompous name for indifference, which is an elegant name for ignorance."

"What embitters the world is not excess of criticism, but an absence of self-criticism."

"He is a [sane] man who can have tragedy in his heart and comedy in his head."

"I believe what really happens in history is this: the old man is always wrong; and the young people are always wrong about what is wrong with him. The practical form it takes is this: that, while the old man may stand by some stupid custom, the young man always attacks it with some theory that turns out to be equally stupid."

"The comedy of man survives the tragedy of man."

"We have had no good comic operas of late, because the real world has been more comic than any possible opera."

"The reformer is always right about what is wrong. He is generally wrong about what is right."

"I agree with the realistic Irishman who said he preferred to prophesy after the event."

"The modern world is a crowd of very rapid racing cars all brought to a standstill and stuck in a block of traffic."

"By experts in poverty I do not mean sociologists, but poor men."

"Self-denial is the test and definition of self-government."

"Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all."

"Marriage is a duel to the death which no man of honour should decline."

"The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people."

"If there were no God, there would be no atheists."

"There are those who hate Christianity and call their hatred an all-embracing love for all religions."

"It has been often said, very truely, that religion is the thing that makes the ordinary man feel extraordinary; it is an equally important truth that religion is the thing that makes the extraordinary man feel ordinary."

"The world will very soon be divided, unless I am mistaken, into those who still go on explaining our success, and those somewhat more intelligent who are trying to explain our failure."

"The atheist is not interested in anything except attacks on atheism."

"The sort of man who admires Italian art while despising Italian religion is a tourist and a cad."

The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.

"The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost."

"I should think that the worst moment for the atheist comes whenhe is really thankful—and yet has nobody to thank."

oameni si molii

Moliile sunt niste fiinte foarte destepte. Desigur, de la inaltimea ignorantei specifice minunatei noastre rase, ele par banale, ca orice lucru ce nu ne trezeste curiozitatea. Au un zbor haotic, sunt in general respingatoare si se mai si hranesc (unele) cu mobila si hainele noastre (apropo, oare Nike-urile sunt mai gustoase ca Adidas-surile?). Iar daca le mai si vedem rotindu-se tamp, parca imbatate de dragostea pentru vreun felinar......halal specie.

Totusi, Dumnezeu, sau, daca esti necredincios, “Natura”, le-a inzestrat cu un foarte bun simt al orientarii. Se ghideaza in zbor pastrandu-si corpul la un unghi constant fata de luna. Astfel, lumina satelitului natural o ajuta pe molie sa zboare eficient. Din cate stiu eu, oamenii folosesc luna in alte scopuri. Unii latra la ea cand e noua (sau asta era la caini? sa ma scuze ptr confuzie. cainii), altii o utilizeaza pe post de condiment al unei intalniri romantice sau, de noi toti, care stim cate-n luna si-n stele.....oricum, toate astea-s lucruri straine de perceptia moliei. Asadar, cel putin in privinta orientarii, bazaietoarele astea merita respectul nostru. Si ce daca, veti zice. Din pacate, se si aseamana cu oamenii. Sa ma explic.

Daca molia ar avea in vizor doua luni, sau doua obiecte luminoase, o selecteaza pe cea mai stralucitoare, adica de obicei pe cea artificiala. Si, incercand sa-si pastreze unghiul fata de aceasta lumina, molia ajunge sa se roteasca in spirala in jurul ei, tot incercand sa-si gaseasca pozitia initiala. Deci, capacitatea speciala de a se orienta dupa luna nu dispare, doar ca e folosita in mod gresit. Becuri, felinare, neoane, tot atatea “luni” stralucitoare aducatoare de moarte pentru nefericita molie. (graurii, broastele testoase cand eclozeaza si alte animale se orienteaza si ele dupa lumina si au aceeasi problema)

Gandesc analogic. Asta inseamna ca vad deseori asemanari sau chiar identitate intre lumi diferite. Din respect pentru aceasta specie careia ii facem rau (probabil de aici si apetitul razbunator al unor specii fata de bunurile noastre:-) ) si inspirat de o carte a lui Alessandro Boffa, “Esti un animal, Wiskovitz”, ma metamorfozez in molie si, cu mult mai putin talent decat Kafka cu al sau gandac, incerc o analogie din perspectiva moliei intre povestea biblica a caderii in pacat si ceea ce am descris mai sus; ar suna cam asa:

“La inceput, era Luna. Si Luna era cu Lumina, si Luna era Lumina. Noi, traiam fericite in Eden. Pamantul era bun. Zburam fiecare incotro; eram goale, fara camuflaj si nu ne era rusine. Lumina Lunii ne era de ajuns sa stim unde suntem si incotro mergem. Pana intr-o zi cand, cel mai “destept” dintre toate vietuitoarele, omul, s-a apropiat de Edenul nostru si a zis:
- Oare Mama Natura chiar vi-a zis cu adevarat ca singura Luna e demna de incredere?
Femela-molie a raspuns:
- Putem sa ne facem de cap cum vrem in gradina, atata timp cat avem orientarea corecta fata de singura Lumina. Ni s-a spus ca daca ne ghidam in functie de altceva, oricat de luminos ar parea, vom muri.
Atunci, omul a zis femelei:
- Hotarat, nu veti muri, dar Luna stie ca atunci cand va veti orienta dupa altceva veti ajunge sa va contopiti cu Noua lumina si sa fiti ca Ea.
Femela a vazut ca lumina artificiala era buna, stralucitoare si deci irezistibila odata acceptata si ca era de dorit sa lumineze cararea cuiva. Si-a deschis deci aripile si a zburat spre ea. [si adaosul moliilor contemporane: Si iata ca de atunci, milioane de semeni de-ai nostri cat prada acestei ispite: falsa lumina. Blestemata fie ziua in care diabolicului Thomas Edison i-a venit ideea becului cu filament si iadul sa-i prajeasca la foc mic ca pe kebab pe toti precursorii si predecesorii sai in ale electricitatii!!”
Acum, imagineaza-ti viata ta. Te nasti, precum molia, cu o nevoie acuta de orientare. De obicei, natura nu face astfel de greseli incat sa-ti doteze mintea cu un deziderat imposibil de atins si asta inseamna ca undeva, ceva trebuie considerat drept Reper atunci cand iti iei zborul. Buuun. Ce te faci cand, in loc de un singur indicator, te trezesti in mijlocul a sute de luminite atragatoare la a caror splendoare aripile tale ar vrea sa-si ajusteze zborul? De fapt, intrebarea e pozitionata prost in timp, pentru ca tu, cel care citesti aceste randuri, deja te zbati in jurul unei lumini. Diferenta intre molia confuza care se tot loveste de bec, sperand sa-l transforme in luna si tine, care te tot agati de lucruri artificiale sperand sa se tranforme in zei obedienti aspiratiilor tale........ este aceea ca tu poti deveni constient de asta. Deci poti sa-ti iei zborul si sa cauti Lumina Adevarata (Ioan 1:3,4) sau sa-ti reinventezi mereu universul, in “dulcele” stil postmodern, ori de cate ori acesta te dezmageste.