3-«Dad, do you consider yourself a Christian?»

«All of us believe in Christ's exemplary teachings».

«But was he God, or the son of God, as they say?»

«Does that sound r? People tend to exaggerate the deeds of every outstanding person who ever lived, and often make something superhuman out of him. Christ was a historical figure, no one denies that, and a great teacher. Mankind has yet to reach his level of morality...

«Then what is God? Do you believe in Him?»

«Since neither of the arguments for or against His existence has been proved, I have to say that I don't know. But what seems more likely is that, no... I don't really believe in a God for mankind».

«What was it that began the universe? Was that God?»

«We don't know exactly how it began. It might have been accidental. Or perhaps there was a primal cause which the ancients named «God». But that doesn't mean it was something that takes a personal interest in us, or even in the fate of the universe, after it's creation. For after all, what significance have we in comparison to the universe as a whole?»

«That's what I've been thinking. So there wasn't, then, anything that spoke to the prophets in days of old and helped them against their enemies...»

«They pictured such a thing in their legends».

«Where did those legends come from, and who wrote them?»

«They're tales of the ancients...»

«That aren't really true...?»

«There is no harm in reading them from a literary point of view, It could even be that the prophets were persons who actually lived. But as usual, people probably exaggerated their deeds until they grew into legends. We don't know the real facts.»

«I've been reading the Old Testament with Mom, and you know, the stories are strange, almost like fairy tales. Wouldn't it be nice if we had a God who talked with us and guided us like the prophets had?»

«if that was so, life would certainly be easier. But does wishing do us any good?»

«No...»

«The early civilizations passed through a period of immaturity, just as men do. But after we completed that stage and outgrew it, we learned that guidance is in the mind and in the conscience, and no longer accept something that hasn't been proven.

«How, then, can we ever know the truth?!»

«I've told you, there is no such thing as the absolute truth, for all things are relative».

«The ministers and priests claim to know the truth...»

«That is a result of shortsightedness and narrow mindedness. If they had studied more thoroughly. they would have realized that man might indeed arrive at certain facts, but that he can never reach the absolute truth. That is but a dream of the idealists, and very far from reality».

«1 keep imagining that if science was complete and religion was correct, they should come to the same conclusions...»

«I'm afraid that kind of thinking wont do you much good in the practical world...»