Bus XLVII

Louisa: Think I’ll go to Church this week. Haven’t been for a while.

Jack: Surely you don’t still believe all that crap?

Louisa: I do, as it happens

Jack: Oh c’mon, you can't seriously believe there’s a magical man in the sky who’ll fix all your problems?

Louisa: I don’t think it’s a man – or a woman, come to that – and I don’t know if they’ll fix all my problems...but yeah, I believe there’s something up there

Jack: Can’t you see you’ve just been brainwashed by your parents?

Louisa: You got atheism from your parents, so what’s the difference?

Jack: Plenty. Atheism isn’t a belief...it’s an absence of belief. There’s simply no proof for religion.

Louisa: It’s not about proof, it’s about faith

Jack: Yeah, that’s what your lot keep saying so you don’t have to provide any proof

Louisa: There’s loads of stuff you believe in without any proof

Jack: Like what?

Louisa: You believe in the Green Man

Jack: Huh?

Louisa: When you’re crossing a road, you always wait for the Green Man. I’ve never seen you run across.

Jack: Yeah, cos I don’t want to get knocked down

Louisa: So you, in fact, believe that this magical Green Man protects you from harm? You believe the Green Man is interested in your personal well-being?

Jack: The Green Man doesn’t exist. He’s just a light.

Louisa: If he’s just a light, why d'you trust him with your life?

Jack: Because I’ve always trusted him before and I’ve never got knocked down

Louisa: Yeah, but why did you first start trusting him? When you first crossed a road, how did you know he was there to help you?

Jack: I dunno, I guess my mum told me...

Louisa: Oh, you mean like my mum told me there’s a God?

Jack: Yeah, but she didn’t claim the Green Man was some magical being. She said he was created by humans...

Louisa: According to you, religion was created by humans. Why believe in one manmade thing but not another?

Jack: Everyone believes in the Green Man...

Louisa: Couple of centuries ago, everyone believed in God. You've no proof that the Green Man is looking out for your welfare. He could have his own agenda. Yet you believe in him anyway.

Jack: What you’re saying doesn’t make logical sense

Louisa: Logic's meaningless - a cunning argument can prove anything. Face it, Jack, you’re a crowd follower. Just like me.