Rhetoric

~ Doctrina Christiana en lengua española y tagala, 
1593, Manila


What is it to trust something or
       someone? We learned about empirical 
evidence,  about proof provided through logic 
       and materials, and the ways they've been 
documented to behave in experience. Any 
       departure from what we've come to call 
the norm makes us uncomfortable, even 
       suspicious—For doesn't the sun rise 
in the east and set in the west? And yet 
      there are waterfalls which appear to cascade 
upwards, and hills where vehicles in neutral 
      ascend rather than descend. For centuries,
catechism meant suffer your fate in this vale 
      of tears; collect reward in the afterlife.