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It was a Christian minister who drew my attention to the idea of the crucifixion as child abuse. He suggested there might be an alternative moral to the narrative. I thought trying to draw a consistent or clear moral conclusions from the New Testament was as feasible as pinning water to the wall. This poem has endured a lot of changes in form, content and even title. I'll keep working on it.

Hung Out To Dry

If God the father sent Christ to die
For the sins of you and I,
Wear a crown of thorns, bleed and cry
Oh dad you've hung me out to dry,
Forsaken me, nailed me high (heave and sigh) -
Then I don't understand the truth,
Of this cosmic act of child abuse.

Where one cannot do otherwise, blame
Cannot be assigned. Judas & the Jews
Constrained, fitted up, put in the frame,
A suicide null and void. A ghastly charade,
Of holy smoke and mirrors.
What conclusions should we draw from this?
What moral has been overlooked?
What meaning was missed?

That conscience makes penitents of us
In the end? Your old man doesn't
Always attend to your best interests?
Your friends will sell you to the enemy?
That the game plan depends upon a whim?
That a god who made all laws is bound by them?

Pause for thought. When it comes
To religion I'm wise enough to know
That once the cat's out of the bag
It's best to let it go.
If God is good, and omnipotent
Yet evil exists,
Then either he's not good, nor all powerful
Or he has a hand in it.

Yes, I agree, Jonnie. And an insightful, unique view from that minister, as well.
It sets up inherent quandaries that are never explained away to [my] satisfaction.

I like it...I like it a lot. Got me to think!

Christ Crucified.
One of life's riddles. We all suffer, at times. Some more then others. Is there really any difference between Christ and us? Are we not all sons and daughters of the most high? Iv been telling god what my best interests are my whole life...I think he laughs. Eventually, after a lot of disappointment, I laugh too!

I think Jesus is trying to give us a clue in here.... Luke 23:46 Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit."

But why a clue, not clarity and I'm still left pondering why this particular cruel charade? (Incidentally, I'd probably label myself agnostic at a push but atheist for all practical purposes. I have a hard time believing a supreme being might have any personal interest in me and my petty aggravations. I mean what sort of being would privilege lucky old first world twenty first century me over say someone born in the Bangladeshi slums in a flood and destined for a life of slave labour to satisfy our appetites for cheap clothes, but who happens to be Muslim by accident of birth)

I don't know Jonnie.

What I write are my thought and personal experience. I am of no authority on this subject. My belief in a G_d or any kind of higher power helps me deal with this somewhat often difficult and tragic world. I had to ditch a "religious god" and a god of others misunderstandings for a unconditional loving g_d or as Leonard likes to say it "the nameless". That I believe to be intertwined with the good in the human heart.

Personally I don't think he gives a crap about our "petty aggravations" and would rather see us, the human race, do something about the wrongs done and tragedies in this world. As a whole and in time the world has come along way....but it still has a long way to go. I play my part and do what I can to help. That's about all I can do.

Leonard also has said "You abandon your masterpiece and sink into the real masterpiece.” I believe that could be a God or some kind of higher power or better yet the goodness in the human heart. Not so much of what am I going to get out of the masterpiece but more about what can I contribute to the masterpiece.

This is what helps me cope. This is what helps me get by.