The Quill and the Crowbar: Religion of Doubt (Poem)

The Quill and the Crowbar: Religion of Doubt Poem)

Religion of Doubt

I would live "sans" religion of doubt.
No cutting edge sermon it preaches for me.
Was Thomas commended for all of his doubting
By Jesus who saved him from sin on the tree?

What of Bereans who searched Paul's words daily?
Was their search for doubt or certitude?
Who would want to call these souls noble
If not truth, but doubt, was the goal they pursued?

Ancient Babylon boasted a choir of false idols
Still the Devil fans forth in his death dealing hand.
Some fools will play each false card with vigor
Before heeding the life in God's clear command:

"For I am the way and the truth and the life,
No-one comes to the Father but only by me."
What part of "me" do we misunderstand?
From the sin of rebellion, Oh Lord! keep us free!

No-one finds joy and "peace like a river"
When tempest tossed and drowning in doubt.
Peter would have traded his faith for a shroud,
But Truth gave a hand and pulled the man out.

Why on earth hitch our wagon to a contrary star
That wanders in darkness of space in its head?
Those following Nietsche, Kant, Gibran, or Marx
Are knocking at Hades; those guys are dead.

Forty years in the wilderness of Zin
Sojourned God's children, grumbling seed.
Nothing would please them, not even God,
Though he provided for all their great need.

"Oh! we want to go back to Egypt," they whined
Till Moses put strong hands to his ears.
He rued his commission to guide these complainers.
They could bring an iron man to tears.

Nebuchadnezzar doted on lions,
Fed them on young men, fed them on old,
Starved them a bit to improve human flavor,
Prepped them for Daniel praying too bold.

You know the story, how they hurled Daniel
Down to the cats into imminent peril.
But did he cry "Stop, I may reconsider,"
Offering Nebuchad tears by the barrel?

No! He would not doubt his conviction
Though he be mauled and grated like cheese.
God puzzled the lions with cases of lockjaw,
Later fed them on doubters, their maws to appease.

Abednego, Meschak, and Shadrach were tinder--
Could burn down to ash as quickly as we,
But nothing doubted, bathed in fire's climate,
Like stones in a pitcher of mildly warm tea.

They, like Daniel, loved no false counsel,
Feared no dissemblers, recked no king's rod,
Chased no delusions, shunned self-promotion,
Bent their knees solely and wholly to God.