Tag: poetry

Decoding Doctrine

Uninformed Christians

Debating every doctrine

Cults in sheep’s clothing

“One man’s cult is another man’s religion.”

Annie Parisse

With over 45,000 different Christian denominations worldwide, churches are constantly debating their doctrines. Baptism is one of many doctrines up for debate. For instance, what is the proper way to baptize: sprinkling, pouring water on the head, or immersing in water? Does baptism provide forgiveness of sins? Is baptism necessary for salvation? Should you baptize babies?

Someone should tell these churches what a Baptist preacher once told me, “You cannot understand the Bible unless you are saved!” Which made me wonder if I was ever saved.

If You Believe In Magic

Magical powers

Were not in God’s playbook to

Eliminate sin

“A miracle, my friend, is an event which creates faith.”

George Bernard Shaw

The Christian religion would have a multitude of followers if God was powerful enough to eliminate the sins of man. He thought that he could do it with the Great Flood. That didn’t work! And killing his own son hasn’t been proven to work either. Of course, we’re told that we must wait and see until after Jesus comes back to judge us – the ones who are totally sinless because he died for our sins. I’m not at all confused.

Inheritance From God

Eve’s innocent bite

Made bad apples of us all

For generations

“Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not have possibly met.”

Fran Lebowitz

Eve and Adam disobeyed God and took that luscious bite out of an apple that created the first sin in this world. But how did they know that disobeying God was good or evil without taking that first bite? And didn’t God have a little evil within himself to test his first ignorant humans like that? Dirty little devil. Maybe we got it wrong, and God created Original Sin.

The Abortion of Man

Life didn’t begin

Until God breathed into man

Not into a fetus

“…then He Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”

Genesis 2:7

The Bible is such a mysterious and confusing book. One group of Christians says that abortion is clearly defined in the Bible. Another says that abortion is nowhere to be found. What’s a Christian to do? Abe Lincoln had the same problem with Christians during the Civil War. One side favored slavery, and the other didn’t – both claiming that the Bible told them so. Can both sides be right? Depends on who you ask!

Masks of Hypocrisy

Reading the Bible

And not loving your neighbor

Christians wearing masks

“The difference between a saint and a hypocrite is that one lies for his religion, the other by it.”

Minna Antrim

I sometimes think that loving your neighbor is more difficult than following the Ten Commandments. And Jesus says that we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-48). How difficult is that? In a time when our country (the USA) is so divided, I would think that most of us are wearing masks. I know I am! But then again, I am not a Christian. It took me years to get me into this state of confusion.

Eternal Hope

Believe, faith, and hope

Words uttered by the godly

Unsure of their fate

“Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.“

Friedrich Nietzche

A Christian is always praying and never knowing for sure. The life of a Christian is always wondering if you’re good enough for God. I always thought that I was never good enough. I often wondered if God ever forgave me for hating my father for beating my mother. After all, that commandment made the top ten. When Jesus said that only a “few” will enter the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14), I knew for certain of my fate. How long is eternity? Forever!

All We Are Is Dust In the Wind

A dust in the wind

Naming all of god’s creatures

A pain in the ribs

“The Lord made Adam, the Lord made Eve; he made ’em both a little bit naive. “

Yip Harburg

God created Adam from the magical dust of the ground. Before God created his helper, he told Adam to name all the creatures on the planet. Can you imagine naming all the animals on earth? It wasn’t until he completed this monumental task that God tore through his chest, pulled out a rib, and created Eve.

The Predator Wants Your Silence

Pray for your pastor

He prays while grooming young boys

Prey, for your pastor

“The predator wants your silence. It feeds their power, entitlement, and they want it to feed your shame.“

Viola Davis

Need I say anything about predators in the pulpit? It’s not only in the church. I saw yesterday’s news that a local school teacher in this small town I live in was caught masturbating in his classroom.

SCOTUS: Okay to Kneel and Pray White Man

SCOTUS says okay

To now kneel and pray on field

White man wins again

“People are dying in vain because this country isn’t holding their end of the bargain up as far as, you know, giving freedom and justice and liberty to everybody.“

Colin Kaepernick

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in favor of a white coach for kneeling and praying on a football field after the game citing a Constitutional Right. But, what would Colin Kaepernick and Jesus think?

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:5-6

Southern Hospitality

Southern Baptists list

Men disguised in ornate robes

Cower behind God

“Protestants can be very arrogant when pointing to Catholics… I think we are worse.“

Boz Tchividjian, a Liberty University law professor and grandson to Billy Graham

The Southern Baptist Convention hid a list of pastors who were credibly accused of sexual abuse for 15 years or more. The Executive Committee finally released a list recently which caused an uproar. How are we to measure the standard for morality when our church leaders are sexually abusing the audience who idolize them? How long will our churches keep hiding the abusers? How many other Christian organizations are cowering behind God?