If You Ask If I'm A Christian

If you ask if I’m a Christian, I will say, “It could be so.”
I respect Christ for his teachings on the world of long ago.
But then, we should remember, Jesus was a Jew,
In the footsteps of Elijah, as was John, his baptist, too.
Mohammed too is worthy, as are many other men
Who taught us social wisdom, for the world they lived in then.
Some were mighty leaders, others humble souls,
And, one and all, they cherished noble social goals.

So if you ask if I’m a Muslim, I will say “That could be too.”
And if you press me even further I’ll tell you I’m part Jew,
Even Bhudist, or Confuscian or perhaps a mild Hindu
For every single faith can have a valid social view.
But also I will tell you, “A believer I am not”.
For religions in the main are based on superstitious rot
From a time when nature’s mysteries could only be explained
By invoking “higher powers”, or by magic spells ordained.

The fathers of religions sought to teach men how to live
And abide by laws of justice, and even how to give.
But after they had perished, some advocates became
The cause of human carnage, committed in their name.
None more so than disciples of monotheist rote
As they sought out power and influence - and rivals swiftly smote;
As they built religious empires; as they redefined convention,
And made contradiction of their word a sin beyond redemption.

To deny existence of a God meant dreadful persecution,
An excruciating, pain-filled fate as means of execution,
To merely question dogma or propound new explanation
Of natural phenomena invited swift damnation.
But just because I don’t believe that God exists, or Gods,
Doesn’t make me wicked: Except to mindless clods
Who won’t accept I don’t believe in the imagined “truth”
That was inculcated in their minds throughout their early youth.

The Crusaders of Jerusalem were devout men in the main,
Taught to kill “the heathens” by those who stood to gain:
As were later generations who committed suicide
To kill the wicked “infidel”, and in the name of Allah died.
So if you ask if I’m religious - I’ll deny it all I can,
For I don’t believe the tallest tale ever told by man.
And when militant religionists cry “God supports our cause.”
To me, they might as well invoke the name of Santa Clause.
Petter Finne
copyright 26.08.2012