Everything in its place

The triumph of secularism is its ability to tell society what goes where | Russell Board

G. K. Chesterton's novel The Ball and the Cross tells the story of a devout Christian and a committed atheist who attempt to settle their differences by fighting a duel. The earnest combatants find themselves continually thwarted in their purpose by the civil authorities, who eventually judge them both to be insane. The two are finally locked away as a danger to the social order, because they dare to take seriously the question of God's existence.

Written as a deliberately exaggerated satire, Chesterton's story line doesn't seem so outlandish today. In the current climate, it is not difficult to imagine remarks endorsing or denouncing any particular religion being outlawed as "hate speech." Strong feelings on the subject of religion are a sign of fanaticism, which, as everyone knows, is the first step on the slippery slope toward terrorism.