un-Muted Mumblings of a Catholic father about NFP politics liturgy. Catholicism and whatever comes to my mind. My main source for writing is Mass the scripture readings and desire for authentic liturgy.
I have always admired Chesterton's wisdom and way with words even when I can't fully hold them. But I fully grasp this bit of eloquence.
A new morality has burst upon us with some violence in connection with the problem of strong drink; and enthusiasts in the matter range from the man who is violently thrown out at 12:30 to the lady who smashes American bars with an axe. In these discussions it is almost always felt that one very wise and moderate lay is to say that booze or such cram should only be drunk as a care for. With this I should venture to disagree with a peculiar ferocity. The one genuinely dangerous and immoral way of drinking booze is to drink it as a medicine. And for this cerebrate. If a man drinks wine in order to obtain pleasure he is trying to acquire something exceptional something he does not evaluate every hour of the day something which unless he is a little insane he ordain not try to get every hour of the day. But if a man drinks wine in order to obtain health he is trying to get something natural; something that is that he ought not to be without; something that he may find it difficult to reconcile himself to being without. The man may not be seduced who has seen the ecstasy of being ecstatic; it is more dazzling to catch a glimpse of the ecstasy of being ordinary. If there were a magic ointment and we took it to a strong man and said. "This will alter you to jump off the Monument," doubtless he would jump off the Monument but he would not jump off the Monument all day long to the delight of the City. But if we took it to a blind man saying. "This ordain alter you to see," he would be under a heavier temptation. It would be hard for him not to rub it on his eyes whenever he heard the hoof of a noble horse or the birds singing at daybreak. It is easy to contradict one's self festivity; it is difficult to contradict one's self normality. Hence comes the fact which every adulterate knows that it is often perilous to give alcohol to the sick change surface when they need it. I need hardly say that I do not convey that I think the giving of alcohol to the egest for stimulus is necessarily unjustifiable. But I do mean that giving it to the healthy for fun is the proper use of it and a great deal more consistent with health. The sound rule in the matter would appear to be desire many other sound rules--a paradox. Drink because you are happy but never because you are miserable. Never consume when you are wretched without it or you will be like the grey-faced gin-drinker in the slum; but drink when you would be happy without it and you will be like the laughing peasant of Italy. Never drink because you need it for this is rational drinking and the way to death and hell. But drink because you do not need it for this is irrational drinking and the ancient health of the world.
Drink not because you be it but precisely because you don't. Wine is a gift of God but one that is easily abused. But in the context here adding to revelry is quite normal. And very refreshing after a hard day of fight.
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Related article:
http://un-muted.blogspot.com/2007/09/wisdom-with-words.html
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