Samuel Taylor Coleridge (not to be confused with Samuel Coleridge-Taylor!), was an English poet and philosopher that often enjoyed thinking and writing about theology. I’m not sure if the the excerpt below was written as Coleridge thought about theology, but the application in that realm is obvious and fabulous—especially in relation to the theological indoctrination of youth.

Coleridge recounts this anecdote about a relativistic, pre-postmodernist postmodernist friend…

Thelwall thought it very unfair to influence a child’s mind by inculcating any opinions before it should have come to years of discretion, and be able to choose for itself. I showed him my garden, and told him it was my botanical garden. “How so?” said he, “it is covered with weeds.”—“Oh,” I replied, “that is only because it has not yet come to its age of discretion and choice. The weeds, you see, have taken the liberty to grow, and I thought it unfair in me to prejudice the soil towards roses and strawberries."

From I.A. Richards, ed. “The Portable Coleridge.” Penguin Books, New York: 1950. p. 316.

Thank you to David Williams for pointing me to this excellent illustration!