Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: Hail, Dale

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Hail, Dale—and G.K.

This past Saturday, my wife and I had the pleasure of attending the First Annual G.K. Chesterton Steak and Wine Dinner at St. Joseph Church in Salem, Oregon. Fittingly, Dale Ahlquist, president of the American Chesterton Society and author/editor of several books published by Ignatius Press, was the speaker for the inaugural event. He spoke on marriage and family life and did an exceptional job, replete with many quotes from Chesterton and funny asides about life in the modern world.

One of the several Chestertonian points made by Dale was that it is commonly thought that the essential foundation of a society are the rights of the individual, when in fact, the essential foundation of a healthy society is the family. Which does not in any way deny the rights and dignity properly accorded to individuals, but does put them in their proper place and context. When those rights are divorced from the family, Dale pointed out, it results in people forming political relationships based not on the value and purpose of the family, but on special interests and ideological agendas. The point had some extra poignancy coming as it did from a former lobbyist.

Anyhow, hat's off to the parish staff at St. Joseph Church and the Knights of Columbus for putting on such a delightful event; I'm looking forward to next year's dinner.