Questioning

A baby is born and the parents love the baby.
A baby is born and the parents raise the baby.
A baby is born and the parents teach it words.
The words come slowly.
The words grow longer
And the words grow clearer.
The child is taught to act.
The acts of the child are bad.
The child is taught discipline.
The child grows into a person.
And this person lives how they please.
Pleasures and pursuits fill its time.

Life’s pain encroaches.

The person looks for meaning
And the person searches for purpose
And the person asks how to live.
Religion tells this person how to live.
Religion tells this person what exists
What exists but is not seen.

How do they know?
How do they trust the words of the ancient books,
The words passed down through the ages
The words of the prophets
The words of the priests?

I want to act well.
I want to not do what I should not do
And do what I should do.

The words of the priests tell me what to do!
The prophets speak out!
The ancient books pass along their wisdom.
But how can I trust their knowledge?
How can I know?