TERSE VERSE - Faith & Hate

This man he came and he said to me,
Do you believe in God?
Where that was leading I couldn’t see
I couldn’t even nod.

“You know that’s really weird,” I said,
“Why you should ask me that.
I’ve been mulling it over in my head;
I thought I had it pat.

“See… I went to Sunday school and all.
I was pious as they come…
Sunday Mass and stuff in the old church hall
My teacher was a nun…

“She told us all about how God,
Was omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient
To argue with her would have been odd
Since she was not omni-lenient.

“But then into this soft cocoon of faith
That He was there all-seeing
I saw how faith merely fuelled hate
And couldn’t help but feeling

“That throughout this world’s poor history,
Thugs armed with crescents or crosses,
Kept ‘heathens’ in deepest misery,
Too fearful to fight ‘God’s forces’.

There are too many questions no one can answer
When a child is raped and is dying
Where then is the all-seeing, all-powerful Master
Or was my Sunday school teacher just lying?

"Then came the tsunami huge and vicious
Its destruction so vast and so open.
Did the Omnipotent have a plan so grandiose?
Or was it merely a quake in the ocean?

"I hope there’s a God who’s around but helpless,
I hope there’s a God who is kind.
If there isn’t just think how prayer is quite hopeless
And such a waste of time for mankind.

"We believe if we’re good and honest and well
We’ll live in Heaven evermore;
While the wicked and ruthless will burn in Hell
So it’s okay if they’re running the show."

I looked at the man, as he glared and hissed
Do you believe there’s a God or not?
I smiled and said, maybe I’m an atheist
But today? I’d say my answer’s “not”.

©Bevinda Collaco 2004