233. If a child asked whether the world was
already there before my birth, I should answer him that the earth did not begin
with my birth, but that it existed long, long before. And I should have the
feeling of saying something funny. Rather as if the child had asked me if such
and such a mountain were higher than a tall house that it had seen. In
answering the question I should have to be imparting a picture of the world to
the person who asked it.
If I do answer the question with certainty,
what gives me this certainty?
I would say to the child that I don’t know
I would say other people believe that the
earth existed before I was born –
and I am happy to accept what they say
I would mention that there are various
theories about the age of the earth and about its origins –
but that no one can say for sure what the
situation is –
I would tell the child there are scientific
theories and religious views on this matter
I would also tell the child that it is to
its advantage to understand these various accounts of the earth –
and the various pictures of the world that
people have proposed
and that it should make up its own mind on
these matters –
and keep an open mind
© greg t.charlton. 2010.
