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 pecking 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”.