Surrogate Mary's

Surrogate Mary's

 

 

Sunday rules

knees bent in genuflection

but somehow not in genuine

affiliation

 

with anything close to reverence

just the motions

the words

the lips moving in song

a communion with conscience

ephemeral at best

 

and so wrong

hypocritical 

prayer

to a God they stopped believing in

approximate to the minute

religion class let out

 

when the "habits"

tried to control

the mass exit

from a God 

to whom they apologized

for our behavior.

 

 

erin-cilberto

6/18/23

Reviews

[AYVID N]

This poem confirms what I always feel. Organized religion is really of no point. Faith is such a different ball game. I personally feel, no human on earth is good enough to preach to me because most are rotten and imperfect within. As is their tendency to destroy everything of beauty including faith. And because I never let my faith be exposed to them or influenced by them, there are no disillusionments and my relationship with God is strong and steady. There is no giving up and exiting. I know I'm in the right because even Christ threw out the money changers.

[Andrew John]

Enjoyed reading this review, Divya. I have no faith, no belief in goddy stuff. I do think there's too much of it about, and a short few generations may enable us to be rid of it. A world once served by gods and heroes / Now gets by with ones and zeros.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Well, I totally agree with your assessment of organized religion and humans preaching to us, when there own backyard is filled with imperfection.
thank you, Divya,
j.

[W. Barrett Munn]

I get a kick out of the nuns apologizing for our bad behavior- their belief is so unshakable one must wonder of their sanity. I am certain of nothing.

Winston

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I know, it is as if it were their own bad behavior.
thank you, Winston...

[emmajoygreen]

Whether or not people go to church, have a faith or whatever.. they can be cruel, manipulative hypocrites snd do not deserve faith in their lives anyway. However there are some who feel guilt or pain but turn to what so many think is ancient dogma. Is war better than faith, is consensus better than a prayer? I find it hard to delete my past learning but of course, think of my faith as being in the All About which scientists tell is nothing to do with the Creation but came about because.. Great writing, jacob.. as ever, Inspires one to think.. doubt ., accept or research

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, I believe the scientists are right about evolution and what it has been, but to me all stems from a Creation...why can't people accept a combination of both?
Thank you, em,
j.

[emmajoygreen]

Am still thinking because .. I must

[Betty Hermelee]

When one is forced into thinking or is in a situation relative to religion, but is uncomfortable when a prayer is said before a meal or one is forced to go to Sunday school or church with no feelings toward God then we must protest, and not let our feelings or our beliefs be controlled....I am a non believer, so I feel very strongly about this subject...and I have sat in on meetings where prayer is obligatory before and it bothers me to no end....but I do live in the Bible Belt! for discussion!
Best, B

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I hear ya, Betty. It cannot be forced down one's throat.
thanks for the feedback,
j.

[willweb]

My friend, I couldn't agree more on just about all of your latest pieces on religion but anymore to me, church is no different than Home Depot or Walmart or the local liquor store, all are just a business in it to make a profit not a prophet. Not that there's anything wrong with making money but...whatever happened to truth in advertising? And who or what gives anyone the right to apologize for my behavior (Unless of course they are my parents and I, their adolescent son has just tracked muddy footprints across the neighbor's brand new fancy Persian rug) Nice one again Jacob.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Oh, that Persian rug...shame on you...
Yes I agree with what you have said here...Heaven Depot?
could be these days.

[Soren]

I have seen this too from the time I was small and as I grew going to so many different religions and denominations. People are people regardless of religion or not. I loved the play on words in the last stanza "mass exit" very Catholic in every sense of the word. This one struck close to the heart.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

thank you for your kind words, Soren...
j.

[Chris Shaw]

You don’t need to go to church to prove you have a faith in my opinion. Organized religion has no place in my life. There have been some pretty unkind people in the churches I used to attend. By the age of sixteen I had come to that conclusion J.

Chris

[jacob erin-cilberto]

There were many in my church as well, Chris...
and that was one of the reasons for my departure.
It took me about two years longer than you...but I got there myself.
thank you,
j.

[Lorry]

This is exactly why I never believed Jacob. I was too busy wondering what others were thinking around me and constantly asking myself if the rest believed it or were just playing the part, holding their rosary and moving their lips at the right times.
I felt the same for school too. Making us wear our Sunday best, which is a shirt and "noose", in later life, but just clothes you can't play football (soccer) in when you're young.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Yes, the old shirt and tie uniform...ugh.
thank you, Lorry,
j.

[Andrew John]

Thanks, J. I've enjoyed this. I recently put a poem up here called "Sabbath" and how we might feel nails in our palms. Are we digging our fingernails in, or feeling something else in our thoughts . . .? Great fun! Oh, yes: Sunday rules!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I think we are digging our fingernails...
I am going to relook for Sabbath...
thank you, Andrew,
j.