I 12
Buddhist,
Nibbana,
was
in
any
way
different
from
their
own
goal,
Heaven,
in
spite
of the
perfect
plainness
of
the
language
in
such
dialogues
as those between the Arahat
Nagasena
and King Melinda ; and
their attempts
to square
the text
with
their
preconceptions
will always
stand
as one of the great foUies of the wise.
Again,
it is almost impossible
for the well-mannered
Christian
to reaHze
that Jesus Christ ate with his fingers.
The temperance
advocate
makes
believe
that the wine
at the marriage
feast of Cana
was non-alcoholic.
It is a sort of mad syllogism.
Nobody whom I respect
does this.
I respect
So-and-so.
Therefore,
So-and-so did 7iot do this.
The
moralist
of to-day
is furious
when
one
points
to
the
fact
that
practically
every
great
man
in
history
was
grossly
and
notoriously
immoral.
Enough of this painful
subject !
As
long
as
we
try to
fit
facts
to
theories
instead
of adopting
the
scientific
attitude of altering
the theories (when necessary) to fit the facts,
we shall remain
mired
in falsehood.
The
religious
taunt
the
scientific
man
with
this
open-mindedness,
with
this
adaptability.
"Tell
a
lie
and
stick
to
it!"
is
their
golden
rule.