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In the education of children and youth, fairy tales, myths, and fictitious stories are now given a large place. Books of this character are used in the schools, and they are to be found in many homes. How can Christian parents permit their children to use books so filled with falsehood? When the children ask the meaning of stories so contrary to the teaching of their parents, the answer is that the stories are not true; but this does not do away with the evil results of their use. The ideas presented in these books mislead the children. They impart false views of life and beget and foster a desire for the unreal.

The widespread use of such books at this time is one of the cunning devices of Satan. He is seeking to divert the minds of old and young from the great work of character building. He means that our children and youth shall be swept away by the soul-destroying deceptions with which he is filling the world. Therefore he seeks to divert their minds from the word of God and thus prevent them from obtaining a knowledge of those truths that would be their safeguard.

Never should books containing a perversion of truth be placed in the hands of children or youth. Let not our children, in the very process of obtaining an education, receive ideas that will prove to be seeds of sin. If those with mature minds had nothing to do with such books, they would themselves be far safer, and their example and influence on the right side would make it far less difficult to guard the youth from temptation. (MH 446-7)

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High-Class Fiction
Counsels To Parents and Teachers
Page 383-385

There are works of fiction that were written for the purpose of teaching truth or exposing some great evil. Some of these works have accomplished good. Yet they have also wrought untold harm. They contain statements and highly wrought pen pictures that excite the imagination and give rise to a train of thought which is full of danger, especially to the youth. The scenes described are lived over and over again in their thoughts. Such reading unfits the mind for usefulness and disqualifies it for spiritual exercise. It destroys interest in the Bible. Heavenly things find little place in the thoughts. As the mind dwells upon the scenes of impurity portrayed, passion is aroused, and the end is sin.

Even fiction which contains no suggestion of impurity, and which may be intended to teach excellent principles, is harmful. It encourages the habit of hasty and superficial reading, merely for the story. Thus it tends to destroy the power of connected and vigorous thought; it unfits the soul to contemplate the great problems of duty and destiny.

By fostering a love for mere amusement, the reading of fiction creates a distaste for life's practical duties. Through its exciting, intoxicating power it is not infrequently a cause of both mental and physical disease. Many a miserable, neglected home, many a lifelong invalid, many an inmate of the insane asylum, has become such through the habit of novel reading.

It is often urged that in order to win the youth from sensational or worthless literature, we should supply them with a better class of fiction. This is like trying to cure a drunkard by giving him, in the place of whisky or brandy, the milder intoxicants, such as wine, beer, or cider. The use of these would continually foster the appetite for stronger stimulants. The only safety for the inebriate, and the only safeguard for the temperate man, is total abstinence. For the lover of fiction the same rule holds true. Total abstinence is his only safety.

Myths and Fairy Tales

In the education of children and youth, fairy tales, myths, and fictitious stories are now given a large place. Books of this character are used in schools, and they are to be found in many homes. How can Christian parents permit their children to use books so filled with falsehood? When the children ask the meaning of stories so contrary to the teaching of their parents, the answer is that the stories are not true; but this does not do away with the evil results of their use. The ideas presented in these books mislead the children. They impart false views of life and beget and foster a desire for the unreal.

The widespread use of such books at this time is one of the cunning devices of Satan. He is seeking to divert the minds of old and young from the great work of character building. He means that our children and youth shall be swept away by the soul-destroying deceptions with which he is filling the world. Therefore he seeks to divert their minds from the word of God and thus prevent them from obtaining a knowledge of those truths that would be their safeguard.

Never should books containing a perversion of truth be placed in the hands of children or youth. Let not our children, in the very process of obtaining an education, receive ideas that will prove to be seeds of sin. If those with mature minds had nothing to do with such books, they would themselves be far safer, and their example and influence on the right side would make it far less difficult to guard the youth from temptation.

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There is another class of books--love-stories and frivolous, exciting tales--which are a curse to every one who reads them, even though the author may attach a good moral. Often religious statements are woven all through these books; but in most cases Satan is but clothed in angel robes, to deceive and allure the unsuspicious. The practise of story reading is one of the means employed by Satan to destroy souls. It produces a false, unhealthy excitement, fevers the imagination, unfits the mind for usefulness, and disqualifies it for any spiritual exercise. It weans the soul from prayer and the love of spiritual things. {RH, January 23, 1913 par. 7}

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When we give the message in its purity, we shall have no use for pictures illustrating the birthplace of Shakespeare, or for pictures similar to the illustration of heathen goddesses that was used to fill the space on the first page of a recent number of the "Review and Herald." We are not to educate others along these lines. God pronounces against such articles and illustrations. I have a straightforward testimony to bear in regard to them. We are to extol neither idolatry nor men who did not choose to serve God. Years ago, reproof was given our editors in regard to advocating the reading of even such books as "Uncle Tom's Cabin," "Aesop's Fables," and "Robinson Crusoe." Those who begin to read such works usually desire to continue to read novels. Through the reading of enticing stories they rapidly lose their spirituality. This is one of the principal causes of the weak, uncertain spirituality of many of our youth.--Ms 169, 1902, pp. 6, 7. ("The Work of the St. Helena Sanitarium: Our Institutional Work to be Denominational," July 14, 1902.) {6MR 280.2}

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Originally posted by Gregory:
Avalee & Others:

I have e-mailed the EG White estate and asked them to make a comment on one aspect of this question that I can copy here. So far, they have not responded to my request. Once they do, I will post a response. I have not forgotten.

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Originally posted by Daryl Fawcett:
Is there still a living person who knew Ellen White and may be able to shed some light on this?

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Last Day Events
Page 178

It is Satan's plan to weaken the faith of God's people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction.--4T 211.

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Originally posted by Charlene Van Hook:
My above posts are just a warning to others that may be reading your posts, please do not let any question be put into your mind about the sureness or faithfulness of BOTH the Spirit of Prophecy and the Bible.

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Gregory posted January 27, 2003 06:52 AM

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Yes, the idea can be obtained from her writings that she opposed all fiction. That is the position that I once took. [NOTE: I am not saying that I have substantially changed it.]

However, she read short stories, written by great novelists of her day, to her children. I have to assume that those short stories were works of fiction. We have published some (not all) of those stories in a book we have titled SCRAPBOOK STORIES.

Ellen White was a complex woman. In her personal life she was not nearly as rigid as some have gathered from reading her writings.

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post RE: EGW herself #2
Gregory posted January 27, 2003 12:28 PM

Daryl:

I am saying that we clearly know that Ellen White read short stories to her children that were written by novelists of her day. From the standpoint of authorship, and of story content, it is pretty clear that they were works of fiction.

Some comments:

1) EGW was human, and we can not expect perfection in her.
(Try God’s command to Abram Genesis 17:1 And when Abram <087> was ninety <08673> <08141> years <08141> old <01121> and nine <08672>, the LORD <03068> appeared <07200> (8735) to Abram <087>, and said <0559> (8799) unto him, I am the Almighty <07706> God <0410>; walk <01980> (8690) before me <06440>, and be thou perfect <08549>.
08549 Mymt tamiym taw-meem’

from 08552; TWOT-2522d; adj

AV-without blemish 44, perfect 18, upright 8, without spot 6, uprightly 4, whole 4, sincerely 2, complete 1, full 1, misc 3; 91

1) complete, whole, entire, sound
1a) complete, whole, entire
1b) whole, sound, healthful
1c) complete, entire (of time)
1d) sound, wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity
1e) what is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact (neuter adj/subst)
08549. Mymt tamiym taw-meem’; from 08552; entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth:—without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright(-ly), whole.

2) People have often made her out to be more rigid than she was. I suspect that this is the issue with her use of fiction.

3) People who know, see these aspects in her in the fictitious stories she told her children, in her wearing simple jewelry (a necklace), and in her eating oysters.

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Gregory posted January 29, 2003 02:25 PM
Folks:

I have to say that a reasonable person could conclude that EGW did tell fictious stories to her children. She did not exclude all works of fiction, but exercised a very conservative judgement. After all, did she not approve of Pilgrams Progress.

EGW was not as regid as some would like to make her out to be.

Anyhow, I await your comments.

Peace,

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