SHOULD THESE THINGS BE TAUGHT? 123 



though untrue, are not to be called lies, but symbols 

 of higher truths than are dreamt of in my philo- 

 sophy ; and that these statements may be imparted 

 to our children because of the spiritual lessons 

 which they teach. Now, omitting the various 

 absurdities of Genesis, such as the creation of 

 light before the creation of its source, and even 

 granting the theory of Hugh Miller that the " days " 

 of Genesis are really geological epochs, and teach 

 us that " a thousand years in His sight are but as 

 a moment," we may observe three leading assertions 

 in this Creation- myth. The first is that it was 

 said to the first man, " Thou shalt not know," and 

 that, in consequence of his seeking to know, he and 

 all his descendants were condemned. The second 

 is that there is a personal devil. The third is that 

 woman is the inferior of man. Which of these 

 doctrines is the most grossly untrue, or which is 

 calculated to be the most productive of human 

 sorrow, I am at a loss to say. 



My last argument in favour of the teaching of 

 the truth, rather than of untruth, to our children 

 is that the most horrible consequences ensue from 

 the present course. The child whose confidence 

 has been thus abused has a way of growing up ; 

 and finds himself in the mental environment of 

 our time, in which some lies, at any rate, cannot 

 survive. In some cases suddenly and consciousl}', 

 but more often gradually and subconsciously, he 

 discards all this rubbish; and that is well. But 

 when much bulky dross contains some grains of 

 purest gold, the discovery that the dross is dross 

 may imperil that which is not dross. Or alter the 



