Valerie laughed: "Oh, the unfair parts—the cruel parts, the inconsistent parts."
"What about faith?"
"Faith is a matter of temperament, dear."
"Haven't you any?"
"Yes, in all things good."
"Then you have faith in yourself that you are capable of deciding what is good and worthy of belief in the Scriptures, and what is unworthy?"
[Illustration: "It was a large, thick, dark book, and weighed nearly four pounds.">[
"It must be that way. I am intelligent. One must decide for one's self what is fair and what is unfair; what is cruel and what is merciful and kind. Intelligence must always evolve its own religion; sin is only an unfaithfulness to what one really believes."
"What do you believe, Valerie?"
"About what, dear?"