This week, the Twitter user @gkcdaily tweeted several of GK Chesterton's antisemitic statements and implicitly endorsed them. Here's one ...
It seems that Chesterton's fans are pivoting from, "Chesterton was not antisemitic!" to "Of course Chesterton was antisemitic and good for him!" In a similar manner, fascist-leaning Christian Nationalists have gone from denying that Christian Nationalism even exists to saying, "Of course we're Christian Nationalists and we're proud of it!"
As some of you know, I was, for a long time, a proud member and spokesman for the Society of GK Chesterton, speaking at and performing at Chesterton Conferences nationwide and making many videos celebrating Chesterton's writings and his influence on my conversion.
But the Society of GK Chesterton has an obligation publicly to disavow @gkcdaily's celebration of Chesterton's Jew baiting. Whether @gkcdaily is an official mouthpiece for the Society of GK Chesterton or not, the Society has an obligation to denounce the adoption of the author they celebrate to promote this same author's worst tendencies.
And Chesterton's antisemitism was clearly his worst tendency. For instance, GKC once said, “I have always said that there were healthy elements in Hitlerism, and even in Hitler; indeed I rather suspect that Hitler is one of the healthy elements in Hitlerism.” (G. K. Chesterton, “Why did he do it?”, G.K.’s Weekly, 26 March 1936, 18 - See G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc discussing Hitler and the Jews (1933-1937) « Religious Histories and Discourses (simonmayers.com)
But such quotations are not even acknowledged by the Society of GK Chesterton. So it's pointless to expect a disavowal of the endorsement of such views by Chesterton's followers when the Society refuses to acknowledge that Chesterton even had such views to begin with. They are being gaslighted away - even while such views and statements are being promulgated by Chesterton's fans.
Until the Society of GK Chesterton disavows those who are celebrating Chesterton's antisemitism I myself must disavow my former association with the Society.
I'm sorry that I was ever involved with an organization that is encouraging such shameful behavior by refusing to condemn it - or even to acknowledge it.