Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

Here is the button for your website. Please copy and paste it in your post on Monday (today) with a link back to my site. I think we should be able to do a chapter a week. If this proves to be too much, let me know and we can back it off a bit but contact me about it, don’t just stop if you are getting behind. So read the chapter this week then, if you would like, answer the below questions on your web page or here if you do not have a blog. I look forward to your comments! I think this is going to be fun and interesting.

DISCUSSION:

I have only completed the first chapter, wanting to be in step with the other club members and not ahead. Heretics is about what bucks the systems, becoming the system, even if it is wrong and it usually is. Since I had never heard of Heretics before, nor had I been taught much about the other, ‘philosophies’ and ‘theologies’ mentioned in the book, I had to do some looking up of names mentioned to understand his references and the points he wanted to make about them. I find it interesting how much history repeats itself. Chesterton mentions Oscar Wilde and how he promoted the idea that paederastic relationships (sexual relationships between men and boys-pedophilia) were ‘ok’. Chesterton points out that just because something shifts from being a fallacy (pedophilia is NOT ok nor acceptable) to being fashionable, doesn’t mean it ceases to be a fallacy-1 aobsolete : guile, trickery b: deceptive appearance : deception2 a: a false or mistaken idea <popular fallacies> b: erroneous character.

We so often see just such a thing in our own society in almost every aspect from being polite to one another, to sexual immorality, to every religion being the right religion. My own fashionable fallacy has been swearing. When I was younger, I convinced myself that swear words were no different than other words I spoke, they were just a more powerful way of speaking. Over the years, however, I have come to understand the impact such words have on me and the world around me. I even cringe when I hear others swear, especially women. I now struggle with making sure something doesn’t slip out of my mouth as swearing is no longer something I wish to do.

What in your life is a fashionable fallacy? You don’t have to answer that here if you don’t want to, this is just a way to get you to think about things you may have been told you must accept as the norm but never really felt right to you. Now that you understand what a fashionable fallacy is, what could you do about it? Are you ready or willing to speak up about it? If you were in a circle of friends and someone jokingly brought up something you felt had become fashionable but was still a fallacy, how would you handle the situation? Would you even feel compelled to say something? Would you be afraid?

By the way, this may not happen immediately. You may need to grow stronger in an area before you feel comfortable to stand up for the things in which you believe. That’s ok. Really. Also, the issue doesn’t even have to be something normally perceived as a huge controversy. It can be something as simple as someone bragging about their rudeness. Rudeness is a great example of what Chesterton is talking about. What used to be considered anti-social behavior is now applauded as being, ‘assertive’. In some circles being polite and well mannered can earn you a sneer and mockery.

Be prepared though, for if standing up against rudeness, that most basic of social norms makes you a few enemies, imagine how much more vilified you will become for standing up against something like Echart Tolle. His book is making quite a splash especially with Oprah promoting it with such fervor. Not only would you be speaking out against a philosophy of thinking that leads to death and eternal darkness, but against one of the most beloved talk show hosts in the history of television. For some, each is as equally unthinkable!

That’s enough for this week. Below is a Mr. Linky link. Please do click on it and leave a comment. Your link will not show up on this page, but it will show up on the page where Mr. Linky takes you. You can see all the other links there too.

Thank you to all who participate.