Selective Hearing

The church is a sort of hospital for men's souls and as full of quackery as the hospital for their bodies. - Thoreau

Image: Crooked Steeple Hall

           (crookedsteeplehall.com)

living in the lurch

it was his first time at church

he was looking for a spiritual guide

a place to one day tie the knot with a beautiful, loving bride

didn't pay attention to the crooked steeple

let alone the crooked people

being shy, he decided to sit way in the back

next to the seemingly holy, dedication plaque

wasn't sure if the preacher said, "hallelujah" or "i'll screw ya'"

with the acoustics twisted, he just couldn't hear very well

so he left, not knowing if he was bound for heaven or hell

Author's Note

"The preachers and lecturers deal with men of straw, as they are men of straw themselves. Why, a free-spoken man, of sound lungs, cannot draw a long breath without causing your rotten institutions to come toppling down by the vacuum he makes. Your church is a baby-house made of blocks, and so of the state....The church, the state, the school, the magazine, think they are liberal and free! It is the freedom of a prison-yard." - Thoreau

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I am especially entertained that this guy goes to church to snag a wife & then gets much more than he bargained for! So much Christian-eze is cloaked in language of "permanency", it's near impossible to extricate oneself, once you take the big dive! I've gotten snarky about religion lately, as have most of my closest & favorite poet-friends. I think this attitude is trending (((HUGS)))

[Pete]

i don't advertise or boast about my religious beliefs. i try to stay away from discussions about religion but recently this "acquaintance" started insulting my religious beliefs. one day he said, "oh why don't you go worship your god" to which i replied, "why don't you go worship your's - the nip bottle in your pocket". i often wonder about the money in the collection plate though ... :)

[lightsong]

Powerful and a stunning brave one dear Pete. what my belief is that the true essence of religions has been twisted and lost through the time, and thanks to those fake religious men whom are the fuel to this. wise and aware men will know what's the right and what's the wrong, the fake from the real, who is the liar and who is the honest, what to follow and what not to follow. faith lives in their hearts and from there they are closest to God.

[Pete]

agreed. proof is in faith not religion, there is a difference. our actions and reactions in life are what matters. making the sign of the cross over our shoulders doesn't always bless us ... :)