Apologetics; Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith), 1874-1936; Christianity -- Essence, genius, nature
For we must remember that the materialist philosophy (whether true or
not) is certainly much more limiting than any religion. In one sense, of
course, all intelligent ideas are narrow. They cannot be broader than
themselves. A Christian is only restricted in the same sense that an
atheist is restricted. He cannot think Christianity false and continue
to be a Christian; and the atheist cannot think atheism false and
continue to be an atheist. But as it happens, there is a very special
sense in which materialism has more restrictions than spiritualism. Mr.
McCabe thinks me a slave because I am not allowed to believe in
determinism. I think Mr. McCabe a slave because he is not allowed to
believe in fairies. But if we examine the two vetoes we shall see that
his is really much more of a pure veto than mine. The Christian is quite
free to believe that there is a considerable amount of settled order and
inevitable development in the universe. But the materialist is not
allowed to admit into his spotless machine the slightest speck of
spiritualism or miracle. Poor Mr. McCabe is not allowed to retain even
the tiniest imp, though it might be hiding in a pimpernel. The Christian
admits that the universe is manifold and even miscellaneous, just as a
sane man knows that he is complex. The sane man knows that he has a
touch of the beast, a touch of the devil, a touch of the saint, a touch
of the citizen. Nay, the really sane man knows that he has a touch of
the madman. But the materialist's world is quite simple and solid, just
as the madman is quite sure he is sane. The materialist is sure that
history has been simply and solely a chain of causation, just as the
interesting person before mentioned is quite sure that he is simply and
solely a chicken. Materialists and madmen never have doubts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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