Monday, May 9, 2011

Second Class God


He is said to be a perpetual also-ran in Their contests of wisdom and power
But, He notes, they count on Him to help gin up Their own wider support
Though He, too, has wondrous plans for us, they may be overruled in the end
Our faith, as such, is a wager with a higher payout but greater potential loss

Our God is demonstrably not the greatest in the field of monotheistic saviors
His works even praise the truth and righteousness of His holy competition
He bids us keep an open mind and to find something better should it appear
This second class God admits of no perfection, often stumbling on His way

We overlook that His omniscience is not quite what the majority demand
It is painful to hear how glowingly others describe their own true faiths
His mercy is not quite infinite and often He may not be everywhere, all at once
Nonetheless, He permits us to also take a measure of pride from our beliefs

Sometimes it happens that truer religions cast down our sacred temples
Our faith cannot always sustain us but He will not refund us our pledged eternal souls
His demands are not as stringent but His rewards are not federally insured
He might have been around forever but doesn’t talk of the end of the world

He is, by necessity, not extremely strident on this false idol business
The temples that He demands might not satisfy a discriminating believer
His pomp and ceremony, though coordinated, are perhaps not rich enough
His blind, halt and sick have a less than average miraculous recovery rate

Mediocre fund-raising results are often cited as evidence of His weakness
His promises and threats are not quite colorful enough for many of real faith
A majority do not find his Creation Myth provides a truly satisfying spin
His disinterest in government ties cuts off a rich source of support

Some say He exists only as a teaching instrument for the greater gods
His share on the great pie chart of souls is only steady, possibly even decreasing
His Word may need to be updated for today’s new generation of seekers
His handlers say his universal love and understanding may lead to ambiguity

It is whispered that He does not rage violently enough against His heathen enemies
Our faith does especially poorly in those lands of great wealth and power
His tolerance may be a turn-off to those with the need for black and white solutions
He has been criticized for not demanding or answering prayer often enough

A less-than-clear permit to dominion of the earth has hurt His numbers
Word on the street has it that His congregations may be ripe for a takeover
Perception that He might allow animals in heaven has raised many eyebrows
He may not be the choice of those who demand only the finest in a Savior

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