Fundamentalism
Freedom’s such a fragile gift,
Bought dearly with copious blood
Of guileless youth, too young by far
To fully comprehend
The irredeemable finality of death.
It’s tragic when we know so much,
Can access with an on-screen touch
The truth of how we came to be
Yet, neither you, nor me, or anybody else,
Knows how to counter the insanity
Of the fundamental wish to subjugate us all.
How may we strive to win
This crazy contest for control?
Born from religion’s dread desire
To dominate the world.
How shall we reasonably explain
To our betrayed and unborn young
Our failure to confront this
Life denying vision of a world
Controlled by bigotry and fear?
How might we one day, finally persuade
Those who love death, to cast aside their
Terrifying certainty of faith,
And finally, embrace the freedom
Which can only come from doubt?
©James Rainsford 2011
Note to readers: This
was written in response to the terrible atrocities committed due to the
deluded and insane belief of some, that they know the mind of God.
Your views are very welcome and I'll try to respond to all who leave a comment. Please click on the comments tab below to have your say. Peace to all who visit here. James.
I really like this poem a lot...
ReplyDeleteBlending religious themes of love and death faithfully and your metaphors are amazing!
You ask some really important questions, James. For me, the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Faith knows that what it believes cannot be proved by any human means and so proceeds (or at lest should) with a degree of humility; certainty is far more dangerous because it feels the need to eliminate anything that might cause it to crumble. It seems to me that one way to overcome the certainty of fundamentalists of all types - atheist, Islamic, Christian and others - is to keep asking questions and honestly searching for a greater understanding of truth.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had an answer--not just for you, but for myself and my children as well--Fear can be a terrible thing--and violence born out of that fear hurts us all--
ReplyDeletethe scariest part for me is having to explain to our children why this is...and how we let it come to be....i agree it is in our asking questions and challenging positions....as well as our understanding...extremmism in any regard is dangerous...
ReplyDeleteA thought provoking poem that made me stop to ponder. We live in a diverse world where there will always be different views on religion and faith. It is sad that there are so many questions and not enough answers. In the desire for control the world might just self destruct.
ReplyDeleteA thought provoking poem, James. I feel the same as Brian anything to the extreme is dangerous.
ReplyDelete"The fundamental wish to subjugate..." It seems to be the one constant throughout history. Maybe doubt ,and true freedom, is just difficult and threatening for many to endure. This is a perceptive piece; well developed around a thoughtful and important premise.
ReplyDeleteHaving grown up during the cold war years I know the underlying stress of insecurity. Can there ever be answers when everyone thinks their side is the only one right?
ReplyDeleteJames, The entire poem is so very well written but the words that stab at me are "those who love death." Perhaps they have never truly felt love because if so, they would never entertain death as a pawn in a game. Exceptional, as always.
ReplyDelete