On my hands and knees I’ve prayed,
Prayed for the strength to see the truth,
Hoping against hope for an answer,
One that has never come.
Is there more to this life than just living,
More than just breathing and being,
It is said, that if you believe there is,
Life eternal.
Words written by man,
Inspired by God,
Say there is life eternal,
If only you believe.
I have tried,
I have read the books,
So many books claiming to have the answers,
Yet logic dictates these are simply fables.
To see the damage done,
The hate ingrained in those claiming piety,
The intolerance toward our fellow man,
Surely this can’t be what the almighty had planned.
We are our brother’s keeper,
Only if our brother believes what we believe,
Lives by the same code,
As we interpret God to will.
The Ten Commandments hold no meaning here,
We keep the Sabbath for sport,
Money has become our false idol,
The Lord’s name is taken in vain,
Adultery glorified in celluloid,
This can not be what God intended for those claiming to be chosen.
Is not living a good life Godly,
Is not loving our brother Godly,
Is not caring for those less fortunate Godly,
Would not God look favorably upon these.
Does our fellow man’s race make him unworthy,
His creed or color make him unworthy,
Does his God given orientation make them somehow less worthy,
It think not!
Hypocrisy, hate and prejudice are plagues on this world,
Perpetuated by those claiming to be born again,
Claiming to be following God’s infallible words,
Simply to belong.
Instead I choose to live a good life free of dogma,
Loving my fellow man without condition,
Honoring God, by my thoughts and actions,
And not by the edicts of man and his institutions.
Dom DiFrancesco 
Faith doesn’t mean that one has to agree with the dictates of religious dogma. Men get things very wrong when they twist scripture or a religous text to justify judging others, or being hateful. Christ’s message at its very core is one of unconditional love and grace. Whatever path you take to the God of your understanding as long as it is a loving path then one is on the right track. Even the Dalai Lama, who is a Buddhist, teaches us to follow our own spiritual path and treat those we meet with compassion and unconditional love. Thank you for posting this poem as what you wrote was a very important message about why people feel that religion has failed them.
Thank you for your comment. I agree whole heartedly with you. Religion in and of itself is good. It is many (not all) of the institutions that corrupt religion.
Looks like you have a better, truer vision of God than many! He loves Justice, Mercy, Integrity, Honor – all that is good and right. Man-made traditions cloud the vision, and add layers that hide His true character rather than reveal it. Jesus blasted Religion for religion’s sake, and taught that living a simple and godly life is more important than following a system of rules set up by human ideals. May you find what you seek, when you seek with a pure heart!
Thank you for your wonderful comment. I will continue to seek and hope someday to find what I am looking for.
“You will find Me when you seek with all your heart” – you will. At the right time, the right place, in all the right ways, your heart will find its rest when you truly seek!
living a life free….xxx
Thank you. :)
The problem with the world is that there is not enough love. Where there is love there is peace and justice. We don’t have that in today’s world.
You are so right. That was just my point in this poem. Religion is not the problem, people are the problem. Thank you for taking the time to read my poem.
You are welcome!!