What’s Wrong with the World

The men signed of the cross of Christ go gaily in the dark.

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What’s Wrong with the World is dedicated to the defense of what remains of Christendom, the civilization made by the men of the Cross of Christ. Athwart two hostile Powers we stand: the Jihad and Liberalism...read more

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Mark Shea, Torturer!

by Edward Feser

Jimmy Akin has the video evidence.

And with this chilling last word from Mr. Shea, can we let the subject die for a while, folks? 'Cause we ain't happy, and we know it...

Posted by Edward Feser on May 5, 2009 11:36 PM | Del.icio.us |

Comments (6)

Yeah, I've already gotten "gotchas" from clever folk whose keen vision has espied the contradiction (they suppose) between Innocent Smith's quirky approach to life and my outrageously unCatholic notions about the sinfulness of leaving a prisoner to freeze to death in the Afghan night. Clearly my mind is a jumble of inconsistencies. It reminds me of stories from the 19th Century theatre, when country folk in the audience would leap up on the stage in the middle of a melodrama to beat the villain and defend the fair maiden's honor.

For those who want to explore further the mystery of why I behave as I do in this clip, I recommend this resource. :)

Posted by Mark P. Shea | May 6, 2009 1:14 AM

I know you weren't implying this, but just to be clear for anyone who might get the wrong idea, I certainly didn't intend this as a "gotcha" in any way. I'm happy to say that anyone who thinks it is somehow evidence of a contradiction in your views is being silly. I thought it was funny, and a good way to wrap up these exchanges for a while (I hope!) on a positive note of comic relief.

Posted by Edward Feser | May 6, 2009 1:51 AM

No. I didn't think you meant it as a gotcha. I've just been amused by people who think it is. I have little doubt, given experience that somebody will. Oh well.

My real concern is summed up in an anecdote I heard about a director whose counsel to an actor after a sub-optimal take was, "Try to suck less." That was the starry summit for which I aimed in my performance. Only time will tell if I achieved my goal. The film should, God willin' and the crick don't rise, be ready this fall. Prayers that our Production Powers That Be find a way to distribute it (and that the film be good) would be appreciated. The trailer, at any rate, cracks me up. And since my normative reaction to seeing myself on screen is crawling flesh and a deep desire to flee the room, I take that as a sign that our director and editor know what they are doing. The editing on that clip is what makes it work.

Posted by Mark P. Shea | May 6, 2009 2:46 AM

I wish you well on the film, Mark.

Posted by Francis Beckwith | May 6, 2009 10:22 AM

Mark,

I thought you did a pretty good job in this EWTN short; however, I don't remember the "happy song" being a part of the original book. My experience with contemporary Chestertonians is that, for them, the "Ethics of Elfland" has become a sort of jejune palliative, a self-imposed optical illusion with hypnotic properties. Chesterton seems to have been of the opinion that the people who truly carry this ethos over into their waking lives become saints and warriors like Joan of Arc (cf. Orthodoxy, chapter III: The Suicide of Thought). If Chesterton were alive today, I'm not sure he would agree with your position in this torture debate. That, I suppose, is the seriousness behind the humor of this post.

Posted by Matt Beck (Man of the West) | May 6, 2009 1:39 PM

Thank you, Dr. Beckwith. And thank you as well, from the bottom of my heart, for your excellent work in defense of unborn babies.

Posted by Mark Shea | May 7, 2009 6:57 PM

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