Most Americans know the story about the young George Washington chopping down one of his father's cherry trees and then admirably confessing to his sins with the words, "I cannot tell a lie".
Even though the famous story is passed on from one generation to the next, dutifully taught in schools and diligently reprinted in books, it is a complete and utter lie, one of a number of morally high-minded and yet entirely fictitious anecdotes written by a parson called Mason Locke Weems in his 'History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington', presumably in an attempt to lionise Washington's life and work.
Somehow this reminds me of the largely fabricated biography of another man written by four chaps long after his death and since considered the Gospel truth. But for the life of Jesus I can't remember his name.
Even though the famous story is passed on from one generation to the next, dutifully taught in schools and diligently reprinted in books, it is a complete and utter lie, one of a number of morally high-minded and yet entirely fictitious anecdotes written by a parson called Mason Locke Weems in his 'History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington', presumably in an attempt to lionise Washington's life and work.
Somehow this reminds me of the largely fabricated biography of another man written by four chaps long after his death and since considered the Gospel truth. But for the life of Jesus I can't remember his name.
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