The Radical Religious
The Radical Religious
Like chickens they sit on a roost in the dark
With their toes holding tight to the perch
They feel safe in the night ‘gainst their neighbor beside
If the neighbor not jiggle nor lurch
They rise in the morn to the given command
Of the roosters flap and crow
It’s safe to come down to cackle and scratch
There is someone to protect us below
The farmer tells them it’s not safe outside
For they’ll be molested or hurt
They’re safe locked in their pen, never venturing out
And their lives are spent scratching the dirt
And so with the religious who need to be saved
“Tell me everything that I must do”
“Show me how I should pray, tell me what to believe,
Show me how I should worship and who”.
I shall bow to the east, bang my head on the wall
Make the sign of the cross if I must
I will cling to your dogma, live a god fearing life
Please convince me it’s you I can trust
Make my salvation easy, please do not make me think,
I will bow, I will bend, I will pray
I will give you my money, I’ll repent and confess
I will come to your church every day
I’ll do all the ablutions, read all of the psalms
I’ll believe what you tell me and more
If you can assure me that I will be saved
I will check my brains at the door.
They seek only the comp’ny of the similar kind
Very smug in their faith where they’ll stay
Never mixing with those of a different mind
Or those who worship a different way
Their tithes are prepayments for favors from god
In the hope that he’ll know them some day
When they step with great fear to the other side
Crying “please let me in, I did pay”
They sit in their temples, churches and mosques
Knowing theirs is the only true way
To each other’s dogmas their minds tightly blocked
Saying “God hears only us when we pray”
They force feed their children to think just the same
To fuel the hatred and fan the flame
Their preachers cry loud to a blood thirsty crowd
“ Do crusade or jihad, in gods’ name”
So certain they’re right that they’re willing to fight
For they know all the rest are astray
And they know it’s gods will that it’s alright to kill
For they’re all going to hell anyway
So the war rages on while all reason is gone
Saying “my god is greater than thine
We are the chosen and you are the lost
So your rights are lesser than mine”
Oh that one day they’ll find that we’re all the same kind
It’s the hate in their hearts that must fall
It’s not color or creed or the root of our seed
We must learn to have more love for all
War will only recede when each one will concede
That he is just equal not best
And then take the hand of their fellow man
And say “Come brother, in peace let us rest”.
Copyright © Vic Pister | Year Posted 2014
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