What is One of Your Favorite Children's Story?

As a child, my stories sermonized, embedded with moral lessons coming from the Bible (King James Version). Noah and the Ark, the Creation Story, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, David and Goliath, Joseph and his Brothers, Jonah and the Whale, changing Water to Wine, etc. Adults presented me with a steady diet of such ‘truths’. I have no proof but recall a collection of books with stories.

Published jointly by the Pacific Press Publishing Association and the Review and Herald Publishing Association. January 1, 1953.

For much of my life, here was my truth. Should I dare to question their validly, an adult was always ready to assure me that God, being omniscient, was the answer. I lived with these stories for years, into my adolescent years, adults could always spin the truth from these stories. It was easy to find bits and pieces that proved the accuracy of these stories.

Even as a married adult, Palo Verde Church of Christ brought a Science teacher, from I forget where, for a week, presenting lectures that the universe was so complex it required an Intelligent Designer to exist. What is intelligent design? Intelligent design (ID) is a pseudo-scientific set of beliefs based on the notion that life on earth is so complex that it cannot be fully explained by the scientific theory of evolution and therefore designed by a supernatural entity. This was a thing. Each month for several years we received a booklet with more proofs that, i.e. this bug or plant could not just grow, it had to be created, as is.

Why did I believe these stories? Why perpetuate these stories? It seems I have wandered off to the intended question. What is one of your favorite children’s story?

Most likely buried deep in my cortex, these were my stories, long ago imprinted, smothered in lies, encased in angry, wrapped in regret.

Or are these stories all true?