Pio Nono Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 JMJ 6/14 - Eleventh Monday I don't know if G.K. Chesterton's insight is worth anything, but he writes this: [quote][Helena] persuaded her son Constantine the Great to become a Catholic; but, although the whole matter is disputed, it is not unfair to say that it was probably less of a personal and more of a political conversion. By which I do not mean a vulgar sneer, in the style of the modern imitators of Gibbon, to the effect that he was a humbug with an axe to grind. I mean rather what many such moderns would regard as a compliment; that he was thinking rather more of saving his empire than of saving his soul. He was a soldier and a statesman and not a humbug; and if he had an axe to grind, it was at least the ancient axe of the Fasces of Rome. And yet it came about that he deserted Rome because he was so very Roman. [i]from[/i] The Resurrection of Rome[/quote] Then again, T.S. Eliot writes, [quote]The last temptation is the greatest treason, to do the right thing for the wrong reason. [i]from[/i] Murder in the Cathedral[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted June 14, 2004 Share Posted June 14, 2004 Pio, Quite unfair, to make us choose between GKC and Eliot. Quite unfair indeed. However, I think I will side with Thomas Stearns on this one. Brilliant play. I learn something everytime I read it. peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pio Nono Posted June 15, 2004 Share Posted June 15, 2004 JMJ 6/15 - Eleventh Tuesday PedroX, Actually, Eliot wants you to choose between him and Chesterton; he couldn't [i]stand[/i] Chesterton's style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader_4 Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 I personally like Chesterton...here is the story of Constantine from William: Constatine does get thie ligit vision and says hey lets try it out! hmm it works lets hang around a few priests and get the low down of this cult...he finds out its not all that whacked edict of tolerance comes out he is still kind of lukewarm about it but as he surronds himself more and more with priests and the faithfull he comes into greater knowledge of truth and on his deathbed following the common custom is baptised. Was he a good Catholic Christian? probably not for most of his life did he change yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatcatholic Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 [url="http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04295c.htm"][b]this article[/b][/url], although long, is quite helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IcePrincessKRS Posted June 16, 2004 Share Posted June 16, 2004 Thanks to those of you who are keeping this thread on track! To those who want to argue the papacy, etc. Go start your own thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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