Bad Catholics

Ronald McCloskey (gkc@IOSPHERE.NET)
Sun, 16 Feb 1997 19:45:12 PST

This goes back a bit, to the late January discussion about "Orthodox Catholicism" and what Percy and his Tom More meant by their confession of being "bad Catholics."

G.K. Chesterton, the master of the aphorism, had this to say: "The Protestant generally says, 'I am a good Protestant,' while the Catholic always says, 'I am a bad Catholic.' "

The source is "Irish Impressions", one of G.K.C.'s best "travel books". I would be surprised if Percy hadn't read it.

You need the context of course, but it goes on for pages, which wouldn't do here. Here's a bit of it, though: "Any honest man has a right to think he is right. But to think he is good, not to say great, no honest man can reach that comfortable conviction without a course of intellectual dishonesty."

Yes, I'm the Chesterton guy. Did you like our Web Site? Any suggestions?