Ik ontving laatst een mailtje van mijn vader, die ook wel van dit soort dingen houdt. Geen idee waar het vandaan komt, maar het is geweldig

Thursday, June 30, 2005, 4:33:02 PM, Dougie McGibbon
(DMcGibbon@tollnz.co.nz) wrote:
DM> If you were transported back into the 14th century, how would you
DM> convince the pope that the Earth was round ?

I was discussing this very problem with a neighbor kid today<grin>. We were
actually discussing the question of whether a falling tree makes noise if no
one is around to hear it, but the issue is the same. Of course the tree
makes noise, and anyone who argues differently is just trying to annoy and
frustrate you (though I suppose you might first need to agree on a
definition for "noise".

The solution is not to argue the point at all. I don't waste energy on such
arguments. Life is far less frustrating that way. It's pointless to argue
with someone who already knows they are arguing for something that isn't
true.

The pope is infallible, so, of course, any pope in the 14th century already
knew the earth was round. Were such a pope to argue that the earth was flat,
he would just be trying to "get your goat", so to speak, to annoy you, and
you're best off ignoring him. After all, if he's purposely arguing a
position he knows is wrong, no argument you can give will change his
position.

That's my answer, and I'm stickin' to it