Your extensive study of the non-existence of God
Has led you to become strong in your skepticism
You've learned to deal with your existential stance
You're alright in your conscience
Sometimes you feel guilty for the things you do
But you've been taught to cultivate an inner life of goodwill
and you're convinced that you're basically a good person
who occasionally does bad things
You could win an argument with any theologist
With 12 solid statements of unbelief,
there is no one who can penetrate your intellect
And you have meaningful friendships
You're generally not concerned about the overwhelming problems of the world
You'll look in the open coffin with a friend's corpse inside
and accept that this is all there is
You're balanced in your approach to life
Discipline and responsibility are nicely blended
with the little pleasures in you're everyday satisfying routine
You're not afraid of the silence
You've quieted the voices inside that question everything
And you don't need alcohol or drugs to cope with any sense of meaninglessness
You're able to give an answer for most things people don't even question
You never feel alone or weak
You understand that in nature you're not in complete control
But you accept your vulnerability
and feel no need to hide

There is no one like you.
You don't exist.
Beneath the hollow exterior you pretend to be all these things
But the truth is you don't know enough, you're afraid,
alone, guilt-ridden, and you don't know how to deal
with the questions that surface within
You're missing one thing
beneath the convenient distractions
One thing that proves every effect has a cause
and if you could unplug everything to it's source
maybe there would be something beyond your denial of absolutes
If you would open your closed open-mindedness
Realize that everything you stand for is a contradiction
and utterly ridiculous
Would you finally be able to picture yourself
over your own cold, dead body?
It's an awkward moment,
Especially with the laughter coming from above
Daring you to grab your frigid hand
and recite your lines one more time.

A dead man got up and walked.
So release yourself from your earthly attachments
Take the tag off your toe
From One all things come
To One all things return
From nothing, nothing comes
Don't call it Creationism or Intelligent Design
It goes way beyond what we have defined
So hope not in worthless questions
For since the creation of the world
the answers have been obvious from the beginning.
You're too intelligent to give excuses.
A dead man got up and walked.
The government could have easily silenced the din of uprisings
If they'd only found the corpse.
If it's a lie and the disciples hid the body
why would they all die a horrible martyrs death
to protect a dead man's bones?
It's good to believe, it's good to be free.
And to know, to have the answers to what it all means!
It's way too hard to be an honest, introspective pagan
Trying to consider what could be the most important question
and the one that should be asked first by everyone:
"Should I, or should I not commit suicide?"

07/30/2006

Author's Note: Based on a series of teachings by Steve Brown called "The Proper Care and Handling of Pagans". He's well-known in apologetics which is the practice of proving and defending Christian beliefs. Please check out Max Bouillet's response: The Well-Adjusted Believer. Max and I have enjoyed the challenge as we have messaged in private. I've concluded that he's somewhat tolerable. :)

Posted on 07/30/2006
Copyright © 2024 Tim D Livingston