Label Me No Labels
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I have become increasingly more spiritual as I age, perhaps I am 'cramming for the final exam', as my grandfather might have said, or maybe I simply am more aware of the power of faith, but truthfully, I find myself more and more amazed at the logical and scientific basis for faith in an Almighty.
Now, I would be perfectly willing to debate, argue, discuss, banter, and agree to disagree about the topic with anyone who has an interest. I do try to keep my mind open, and I have read Max Lucado, and Lee Strobel, as well as the works of atheists, apologists, excusers and skeptics.
But that is not what this poem is about, not at all.
I find myself wondering how both political parties in this country can claim some kind of 'divine' mandate for their policies, and voice their opposition to the other parties policies as if they were heretical in the eyes of God.
I wrote this piece after listening to just such a debate on the radio, over an hour of both parties claiming a religious basis for their point of view, and decrying the other side as blasphemous.
In disgust, I penned the following.
Help me here to define a man, tell me how to name him.
I shall give you his ten parts, you give me his calling,
Tell me if you find him wise, or find him mad,
Do you think he is to be admired, or merely appalling?
In the first, he refuses bloodthirsty entertainment,
Finding it criminal to debase the human form.
In the second, he refuses to fight in his country’s wars,
Finding conquest and combat outside of the norm.
In the third, he condemns all forms of abortion,
No mortal has the right to take another’s life.
In the fourth he respects and values all women,
Keeping them as partner and not slave or mere wife.
In the fifth, he is only faithful to his sworn spouse,
He would never consider extramarital sex.
In the sixth he would not lay with another man for sport,
Love to him is more than concave versus convex.
To the seventh point he is generous, giving and sharing,
His hospitality is unparalleled and freely bestowed.
In the eighth, he is radical in his support for the poor,
Feeling societies fringes are the ones to whom it is owed.
The ninth part finds him mixing all races and social classes,
Seeing no difference in a person’s culture, clan or skin.
And for the tenth he believes his God is the only One,
The path to redemption from all man’s sin.
Should he hold to the values of the first, second and fourth,
As well as the parts labeled here eight and nine,
By all conservatives he would be decried as a liberal
A spendthrift, a fool with the ideology of swine.
But if he believed in parts three, five and then six,
And barreled his weight behind part number ten
All liberals would label him strict conservative
And denounce his ideas again and again.
But the men who held all of these ideas all at once
For whom only perfection of intent had sufficed
These men who neither conservatives nor liberals were,
Were early followers of the one known as Jesus Christ.
Now, I would be perfectly willing to debate, argue, discuss, banter, and agree to disagree about the topic with anyone who has an interest. I do try to keep my mind open, and I have read Max Lucado, and Lee Strobel, as well as the works of atheists, apologists, excusers and skeptics.
But that is not what this poem is about, not at all.
I find myself wondering how both political parties in this country can claim some kind of 'divine' mandate for their policies, and voice their opposition to the other parties policies as if they were heretical in the eyes of God.
I wrote this piece after listening to just such a debate on the radio, over an hour of both parties claiming a religious basis for their point of view, and decrying the other side as blasphemous.
In disgust, I penned the following.
LABEL ME NO LABELS
Help me here to define a man, tell me how to name him.
I shall give you his ten parts, you give me his calling,
Tell me if you find him wise, or find him mad,
Do you think he is to be admired, or merely appalling?
In the first, he refuses bloodthirsty entertainment,
Finding it criminal to debase the human form.
In the second, he refuses to fight in his country’s wars,
Finding conquest and combat outside of the norm.
In the third, he condemns all forms of abortion,
No mortal has the right to take another’s life.
In the fourth he respects and values all women,
Keeping them as partner and not slave or mere wife.
In the fifth, he is only faithful to his sworn spouse,
He would never consider extramarital sex.
In the sixth he would not lay with another man for sport,
Love to him is more than concave versus convex.
To the seventh point he is generous, giving and sharing,
His hospitality is unparalleled and freely bestowed.
In the eighth, he is radical in his support for the poor,
Feeling societies fringes are the ones to whom it is owed.
The ninth part finds him mixing all races and social classes,
Seeing no difference in a person’s culture, clan or skin.
And for the tenth he believes his God is the only One,
The path to redemption from all man’s sin.
Should he hold to the values of the first, second and fourth,
As well as the parts labeled here eight and nine,
By all conservatives he would be decried as a liberal
A spendthrift, a fool with the ideology of swine.
But if he believed in parts three, five and then six,
And barreled his weight behind part number ten
All liberals would label him strict conservative
And denounce his ideas again and again.
But the men who held all of these ideas all at once
For whom only perfection of intent had sufficed
These men who neither conservatives nor liberals were,
Were early followers of the one known as Jesus Christ.
well written. i often wonder about the use of god in political circles and the seeming dominance of it in american politics. i confess being not well-versed on the issue, but i am very interested in the topic. your poem is a great commentary on it. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm a firm believer in the strict division between religion and state. I think your observations are quite accurate.. we choose whatever we want from the scripts to follow... and then we can all claim to be religious... (and actually what you've written describes a good muslim quite well too)... very well written poem
ReplyDeleteVery, very clever. I am an instant fan!
ReplyDeleteha. it is pretty sickening how religeon and politics have become entwined...while a christian i am far from conservative and would probably lend more toward liberal...which def causes tension, but you are right that this was not always the way
ReplyDelete