"I left his presence a saddened but chastened man, and went home to do a little independent thinking. When I approached my Bible without the bias of the Westminster Confession I discovered that it did serve admirably as a wardrobe in which to hang any sort of religious prejudice. Continued study made me see that religious faith is generally mere human credulity. I discovered that in my pitying contempt for those of differing belief I much resembled the Yankee who ridiculed a Chinaman for wearing a pig-tail. 'True,' the Celestial replied, 'we still wear the badge of our former slavery. But you emancipated Americans, do you not wear the badge of a present and much worse form of slavery in your domination by Tammany Hall, by your corrupt politicians, and your organizers and protectors of crime?' "As time passed I gradually began to feel much more kindly toward Matthew Arnold, who said, 'Orthodox theology is an immense misunderstanding of the Bible.' And I began likewise to respect his statement that our Bible language is 'fluid and passing'--that much of it is the purest poetry, beautiful and inspiring, but symbolical." "But," broke in Josè, "you must admit that there is something awfully wrong with the world, with--" "Well," interrupted Hitt, "and what is it? As historical fact, that story about Adam and Eve eating an apple and thereby bringing down God's curse upon the whole innocent human race is but a figment of little minds, and an insult to divine intelligence. But, as symbolizing the dire penalty we pay for a belief in the reality of both good and evil--ah, that is a note just beginning to be sounded in the world at large. And it may account for the presence of the world's evil." "Yet, our experience certainly shows that evil is just as real and just as immanent as good! And, indeed, more powerful in this life." "If so," replied the explorer gravely, "then God created or instituted it. And in that case I must break with God." "Then you think it is all a question of our own individual idea of God?"