An Epiphany

I have a friend who claims that she will return here reborn one day The essence of morality bereft of our mortal decay

Payton and I

I have a friend who says that she

will return here reborn one day

The essence of morality

bereft of our mortal decay

 

She claims only those who believe

will be allowed to live here then

This tapestry her god will weave

from all faithful women and men

 

I have a little misgiving

that I pose to a faithful few

What is it makes life worth living

if not the character we hew

 

Tolerance be the holy way

humility tempers us true

So why curtail what others say

as if this world were just for you

Our religions seem a bit grim

even somewhat selfish at best

Save ourselves by worshiping him

and to hell with all of the rest

 

No good man worships another

nor our father wish that from you

He'd rather you helped your brother

as any good father would do

If the Word be Truth let it shine

and echo out over the seas

May the Dreams be both yours and mine

as the winds that blow through the trees

 

Author's Note

Born and raised a Catholic I still find I often think on this conundrum. Why would a god want worship anymore than a father of his children? It would seem counter productive for a god to demand worship of you at the same time telling you as a father to be humble. God did not give me a brain to follow others like sheep. It would be wrong not to use it to question the concepts we hold dear. If this upsets someone I am sorry. Not for the idea but for the injury. I am forced by nature to question all we hold dear.

Reviews

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

This is a beautifully written and thought-provoking poem. For all of those who worship "God" for the sake of their own skins, forsaking all the rest, I wonder what that same "God" thinks of him being forsaken for all the rest. So many profess to believe; and yet, they try to mold God in the shape of man rather than the other way around.

Take any issue: abortion, same-sex marriage, couples living together before marriage, etc.; and one can clearly see how society as a whole has forsaken "God" in favor of themselves. Even those who act most fervently in the name of their "God," do so for their own selfish reasons that have nothing to do with God.

Beware the man - the beast - as lamb.

[Tate Morgan]

It is funny how god takes on our characteristics isnt it

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Predictable and true. :-)

[Treo LeGigeo]

This is great. I'm not Christian myself but I do respect the religion, to a degree. And this poem expresses my own misgivings perfectly.

The idea that if you are good and pure in this life you will have better in the next (which, regardless whether or not heaven exists, is quite a good philosophy to live by) seems nice enough, but some points push it too far. In fact, it's in the ten commandments word for word "I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God" which is completely hypocritical. And I'm also pretty sure you'd be doing more good helping people than sitting around all day praying, even though becoming a monk or nun and doing just that is considered the ultimate good.

I agree with Christianity's basic idea of living a good life to be rewarded in heaven; it's the definition of "good" that I have a problem with.

Very well written and expressed, and containing some words that really needed to be said.

[The Analog Kid]

I agree with Zeitgeist to a degree. I am not very spiritual, but I believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God. You just have to be careful if you chose to belong to an organized religion. You can't blindly follow their doctrine. Intelligent design is a good theory in my opinion. I don't believe in reincarnation, but I do believe in the occult and spirits. The power of prayer and faith can be potent; it is more of an individual connection though.

[Allan Eddings]

A powerful piece upon a trying subject, how sad and small the man that does not question his place, his purpose, his meaning...

I find this piece particularly speaks to me as I am a stoic. For we are all sparks of the aether, all pieces of God, Nature, the Universe, however you wish to term it, and it is only through knowledge and understanding - which is ultimately in essence questioning - that we bring ourselves more in line with the aether. I term it aether, as stoicism does not prescribe a particular faith or divinity or divinities as being the correct one.

Anyway personal philosophies aside this is a powerful piece, that speaks volumes about its author. Your catholicism definitely shows through however, in your demand for good deeds to accompany our good intentions. I would commend to your reading the writings of His Holiness Pope Paul VI and perhaps even more critically the writings of St. Augustine for it was he who said,

""Let us seek with the desire to find, and find with the desire to seek still more."

[WynterPhoenix]

I'm not exactly a religious person. I do believe in God, but I'm not okay with everyone trying to push their beliefs on me. I'd like to learn about him myself, and develop my own rationalization to his existance and power. I don't mind going to church with my mother [ who is a christian ] but I'm not the type to sit there and listen to her and others tell me that if I don't continue going to church and get saved I will go to Hell because of my sins. I feel I don't need their opinions to know God in my own way.

This is a brilliant piece, Tate, on a subject that is controversial to many people. You did a great job on this one and I thought you worded it beautifully.

[Dupree]

Well my review won't be as enlightening as others because I feel that the points I would make have already been made. Tate this is an amazing piece that shines a light on an issue that most seem to avoid. Or worse they deny there being an issue. Beautiful piece

[roy mccarthy]

i agree,
beautiful and thought provoking piece tate,
the 5th stanza is very powerful,
and the flow of the poem is perfect throughout the entire piece,
i feel like there is as much corruption in the church as there is in politics to be honest,
i must listen to the irish folk song you have included now!

[Fabric Pulse]

What Tony said, issue of much controversy but you spoke clear.

[Desert Dreamer]

I see no reason to have faith, but only to live my life in ways that benefit the land and all living things. I can't imagine any god that insists on our worship, sounds to me like a way to control people rather than tell us the right way to live. It is good to question, better than following blindly. Excellent work.

[Legacy]

Tate Morgan,

Not sure if I can possibly be worthy enough to leave a review.

Food for thought: (Garden of Eden) Intentions... Not sure, if so wouldn't we still be there? “Perfect-ville” is better left for Hollywood. As for the rest of us, (I'm with you) let the world revolve but question how.

I think not… Ex: pulling out of our drive at the same time as my neighbors every morning or all of us out there one summer day all mowing the same direction at the same time. Not my idea.

Questions allow us to grow in all facets of life. However in this day and age we are losing this fight to technology. It all starts with lack of thinking (how do I mean?) How many kids can tell time from an actual clock or work out a math problem in their head? What's the need we have digital clocks and calculators.

Conformity can be contagious (not always a bad thing or good thing).

Another thing... The days of baking a pie for your neighbor when they first move in to the neighborhood or a community barbeque are, if not already, extinct.

When it comes to a homeless person, what is our first reaction...? At best “Awwww, I wonder what his story is” as we continue to walk or drive by.

You said it best here -

Our religions seem a bit grim
even somewhat selfish at best

Save ourselves by worshiping him
and to hell with all of the rest
When was the last time (if ever was one) instead of passing by we stopped and talked? How many have opened their homes for shelter? We can't we have kids or if I wasn't married.

Sorry, off I went...
Awesome write simple terminology - yet difficult to swallow.

Have A Great Day

Legacy

[anne p. murray- LadeeAn..]

I couldn't agree with you more. I believe in the Almighty, my God. I do not believe in religions. My motto is: " Be Brave, Be Bold...Stand Up For What You Believe because, I'd rather live one life as a lion, then 10 times as a sheep.

I myself, had a personal epiphany, that occurred on St. Patricks Day, of 2004 at 5:30 am in my bedroom. I heard this voice coming over my left shoulder, as I lay in my bed. At first I thought a radio was on, but I realized this voice was not from this planet or from any electrical device, it said;

"I am your Father, I am your God, walk with Me and I will give you life, Yahweh, Amen".

I bolted upright in bed and went down to be computer, and posted it as a Word Document.
I still can't believe this happend to me, but it really did! I considered it a Miracle
I was raised Pentecost. I was a rebellious Pentecost. No religious organization or church will ever conspire to make me believe in man's take of God or His Bible.
I have many doubts, questions and have little tolerance for the ways of the churches.
I'm a natural born questioner, a thinker; I explore, investigate and read many books and articles. Yes, I get confused, BUT I will not follow some, man prophet like a meek lamb; there are many venues to explore, we can reach out to one another through selflessness; kindness, love and genuine humanity; It may sound harsh but soothsayers, narcissists and liars are seldom tolerated by me and have little or no place in my life.
I think God's Ephipany is nature, the Universe, individual Divine Reality. I think we should follow our own path. Don't just go there and stay stuck in the many religions that often times seem to brain wash us. If we go within and do our own soul searching, contemplating our own mysteries of self and how we "play in this Universe", playing nice, decent and loving; or evil, selfish and 'lucerifonic', (I don't even know if this is a real word)
Not allow our own human greed to override our true divine self.