I write to express my outrage over recent revelations detailing how DNC officials attempted to derail Bernie Sanders’ 2016 Presidential campaign. It is evident, based on released internal emails, that Deborah Wasserman Schultz and operatives within the DNC were working behind the scenes to marginalize Bernie Sanders, paving the way for Hillary Clinton to become the Democratic candidate for President. Earlier this year Bernie Sanders complained about attempts by Wasserman Schultz and the DNC to keep him from becoming the nominee. The DNC dismissed Sanders’ claims, categorically stating that both candidates were being treated fairly and equally. Thanks to Wikileaks, we now know better.
I am a diehard Bernie Sanders supporter. As a liberal, democratic socialist, I found Sanders’ policy positions to be the closest to my own. Sanders is the voice of progressivism; Hillary Clinton is the voice of centrist Democratic politics. Sanders is a man of principle; Hillary Clinton is a political opportunist. Bernie Sanders didn’t take a dime from Wall Street; Hillary Clinton made millions off of private Wall Street-sponsored speeches. Bernie Sanders opposes war in the Middle East; Hillary Clinton will continue the blood-spilling policies of the Barack Obama. It is for these reasons (and others) that I support Bernie Sanders.
I am also an atheist. Offensive revelations that Wasserman Schultz and the DNC considered tarring Bernie Sanders with the atheist label suggests to me that the DNC doesn’t realize that most atheists are political liberals who most often vote Democrat. It is also clear that the DNC doesn’t understand that scores of millennials are non-religious. These millennials generally skew to the left — good news for Democrats. Good news, that is, if the DNC stops treating non-religious people as if they have some sort of communicable disease.
I am pleased that Wasserman Schultz has been removed as the head of the DNC. But that action is not enough. Every DNC operative who thought labeling Bernie Sanders an atheist was a good idea should immediately be fired. A failure to take such action shows that Democratic leaders don’t value fairness. The DNC should also publicly apologize to the atheist community for their shameful use of the word “atheist” as some sort of pejorative term. A full-page apology in the New York Times and personal letters to the major atheists groups will suffice.
I plan to vote for Hillary Clinton come November. I will do so for one reason and one reason alone — Donald Trump. I cannot in good conscience do anything that will increase the likelihood of a Trump presidency. These are perilous times, and I must do what is best for my country. Quite frankly, if a centrist Republican was running for President I would likely cast my vote for Jill Stein. In doing so, I would be telling the Democratic Party that until they value me as a voter, they have lost my vote. I want to do this now, but I can’t. I know that if Donald Trump is elected he will fundamentally and permanently harm our Republic. It’s Hillary Clinton’s lucky day. She will get my vote, not because I think she best represents my views, but because Donald Trump is a real threat to national security and social progress. If Clinton wins the election, the DNC might want to consider how to keep my vote come 2020. If liberal, democratic-socialist atheists aren’t welcome in the Democratic Party, then perhaps it is time to start seriously considering third-parties that value people such as myself.
Sincerely,
Bruce Gerencser
A Former Right-Wing Evangelical Republican Turned Liberal, Democratic-Socialist Atheist
This is the fortieth installment in the Sacrilegious Humor series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a comedy bit that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please email me the name of the bit or a link to it.
Today’s bit is The Power of the Tongue by Unnamed Preacher.
Warning, many of the comedy bits in this series will contain profanity. You have been warned.
Mr. Robot is a USA Network drama starring Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a “cybersecurity engineer and hacker who suffers from social anxiety disorder and clinical depression.” (Wikipedia) Mr. Robot focuses on Alderson’s interaction with the hacktivist community as it attempts to battle global corporate influence and control. I am an avid fan of the program. I love its dark, complex storylines. I have been a Rami Malek fan since 2010 when I first saw him in the HBO miniseries The Pacific. If you are a fan of dark/sci-fi/dystopian psychological thrillers, I think you will really like Mr. Robot. And if you are an atheist, you will certainly love Mr. Robot’s negative — dare I say hostile — portrayal of organized religion. I am surprised that One Millions Moms — the outrage wing of the American Family Association — have not called on their followers to write letters to Mr. Robot advertisers, threatening to stop buying their products unless they immediately pull their ads.
In a post titled Every Atheist Needs: Mr. Robot, blogger Godless Mom featured Elliot Alderson’s season two rant about organized religion. Alderson, answering the statement “God can help you, said what most atheists would love to shout from the mountaintops:
“Is that what God does? He helps? Tell me, why didn’t God help my innocent friend who died for no reason while the guilty ran free? Okay. Fine. Forget the one-offs. How about the countless wars declared in his name? Okay. Fine. Let’s skip the random, meaningless murder for a second, shall we? How about the racist, sexist, phobia soup we’ve all been drowning in because of him? And I’m not just talking about Jesus. I’m talking about all organized religion. Exclusive groups created to manage control. A dealer getting people hooked on the drug of hope. His followers, nothing but addicts who want their hit of bullshit to keep their dopamine of ignorance. Addicts. Afraid to believe the truth. That there’s no order. There’s no power. That all religions are just metastasizing mind worms, meant to divide us so it’s easier to rule us by the charlatans that wanna run us. All we are to them are paying fanboys of their poorly-written sci-fi franchise. If I don’t listen to my imaginary friend, why the fuck should I listen to yours? People think their worship’s some key to happiness. That’s just how he owns you. Even I’m not crazy enough to believe that distortion of reality. So fuck God. He’s not a good enough scapegoat for me.”
Are you a fan of Mr. Robot? What do you think of Elliot Alderson’s rant against organized religion? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.
This is the eighty-ninth installment in The Sounds of Fundamentalism series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section. Let’s have some fun!
Today’s Sound of Fundamentalism is a video clip of a prophecy by prophetess Stacey Campbell. In any other setting, such behavior would land a person deluxe accommodations at the local psychiatric hospital.
This is the eighty-eighth installment in The Sounds of Fundamentalism series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section. Let’s have some fun!
Today’s Sound of Fundamentalism is a video clip of sermon preached by an unknown preacher about the dangers of Pokemon.
Over the past eight years I have been told more times than I can count that I am going to hell At first, such proclamations bothered me. I thought, man if I am wrong I will fry in hell f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Since I spent fifty years hearing and preaching sermons about a vengeful God of wrath who sends unbelievers to hell — a place of never-ending pain, suffering, and torment — it should come as no surprise that eternal damnation was deeply imprinted on my mind. It took me several years to totally free myself from stray thoughts about being wrong and ending up in hell. I now view such thoughts as a hangover of sorts. Past Evangelical beliefs can be hard to shake, often hanging on for years after people deconvert. These thoughts are similar to vestigial organs that once served a purpose, but no longer do so. At one time, threats of judgment and hell reminded me of the great price Jesus paid for my salvation. They also reminded me of what happens to those who refuse to believe the gospel and be saved. Threatening people with eternal punishment is effective when attempting to increase church attendance. This is why Evangelical pastors encourage congregants to invite the unsaved to church. Once there, these sinners can hear what “God” thinks of them and their sin. Using a carrot-and-stick approach, pastors promise eternal life to those who will believe, and threaten eternal judgment for those who won’t. Needless to say, this kind of thinking can really fuck with mental wellness.
These days, threats of hell no longer elicit a what if I am wrong response from me. Of course, Evangelical zealots say that the reason for this is because God has given me over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1). I have crossed the line of no return, and my eternal destiny is sealed. I think this is one of the reasons many Evangelicals treat me so poorly. I am beyond help, so there is no need to treat me decently and with respect.
Recently, a person with the name I LOVE MY MESSIAH took it upon himself to let me know what he thought of me and where I should expect to spend eternity. Enjoy!
Text of Email
Name: I LOVE MY MESSIAH Email: cheweychewey
Comment: Maybe that is why your health is failing sir. You say the Steven Anderson’s of the world are many. I don’t know him personally , but count me in. I was very happy to hear you say they are many. I was beginning to think “YOUR KIND” were many. Whether you believe or not does not make Jesus Our Creator not exist.
Makes no difference what religion or convenience you create to suit your hedonistic lifestyle. He will return and there will be judgement. Makes no difference at all that ignorance make him a fictional character. Well so long you had better hang outdoors allot and get used to the heat. It’s gonna get allot hotter for you folks!
GOOD LUCK !
Time: June 23, 2016 at 9:01 am
IP Address: 159.118.39.226
Thanks to ever-increasing media scrutiny and the willingness of sexually and psychologically abused people to tell their stories, Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) churches can no longer pretend that they don’t have a problem with sexual predators and child abuse. For years, IFB preachers have — with lustful glee — used the Catholic church sex scandals as sermon illustrations, reminding congregants that IFB churches don’t have such problems. We now know that predator IFB preachers, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and bus drivers, over the years, have had their perverse way with countless church children and teenagers. We also know that more than a few IFB pastors talk a great line when it comes to marital fidelity, but behind closed office, bedroom, and motel rooms, these “pillars of moral purity” are fucking their way through the church membership.
IFB churches are predominantly single-pastor run outfits or pastor/deacon run institutions, These pastors are often treated as demigods and given absolute control of their churches. When rumors of sexual misconduct become known, church members are expected to report the rumors to the pastor and/or deacons. It is then up to church leadership to determine what should be done about the rumors. Sadly, far too often church leaders hide these reports from congregants, preferring to quietly make problems go away. I know of two churches where numerous acts of sexual misconduct took place, yet congregants were never given a complete accounting of what happened. Hiding behind insurance company lawyers and following the advice of IFB “cleaners” such as the Attorney David Gibbs and the Christian Law Association, church leaders keep church members in the dark. Always protect the ministry, the church’s name, leaders are told. If congregants are told ALL the facts, why who knows what might come falling out of church closets!
Frustrated victims and their families have turned to law enforcement and the courts in attempts to hold IFB pastors and church leaders accountable for the vile things that have happened on their watch. In some instances, as in the case of the Catholic Church, settling lawsuits have impoverished and bankrupted offending IFB churches. I would think that IFB churches, now knowing that accusations of sexual misconduct or abuse could bankrupt them and lead to criminal prosecutions, would do their utmost to make sure their churches are safe places of worship. And many have done just that. While I still consider their theology to be psychologically harmful, I am grateful that some IFB church have taken steps to make sure church children and teenagers are not being sexually abused and that adult women are not being preyed upon by predator preachers.
Unfortunately, some IFB preachers think that church members suing is the problem. Using the Bible as a bludgeon, these so-called men of God warn congregants that God prohibits lawsuits against churches and fellow congregants. Thou shalt NOT sue churches, pastors, or fellow church members, IFB preachers often say. Allen Domelle is one such preacher,
In a July 18, 2016 post for the Old Paths Journal titled Suing a Church, REALLY? (link no longer active) Domelle writes:
Every pastor is always cognizant of the fact that one day his church may get sued. In a day when ambulance-chaser attorneys are very willing to represent clients who sue a church, pastors have to make sure they are extra careful with how their ministry is run. Every pastor knows that the Devil is more than willing to use one mishap to encourage someone to sue the church and cause them to face litigation for months, and sometimes years. Satan knows that this litigation will take focus and energy away from what the church is supposed to do; reach the world for Jesus Christ.
What is unexpected is for a church to be sued or threatened litigation by respected Christians. What surprises me is how well-known “Christian” leaders are not afraid to break the glass ceiling and actually file lawsuits against a church, or have their attorney send letters that threaten the church of litigation if they don’t do what the individual wants them to do. Whatever happened to the fear of God? I’m amazed that in recent years some of my pastor friends have had to deal with litigation because of preachers suing their church.
Never in my lifetime would I have imagined churches being sued or threatened with a lawsuit, especially by people who know better. There used to be a time in America when nobody would do anything against a church. Yet, somehow we have come to a low point in Christianity where people have stooped to the spiritual level of the church at Corinth. The church of Corinth was guilty of court litigation against fellow church members because they felt they had been defrauded. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:6, “Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?” I can only imagine that the Apostle Paul was just as shocked about Christians suing each other as I am.
Let me make this clear; it is just as evil to sue or threaten litigation as it is to attack or change the KJB, play rock music in church, live a sodomite lifestyle, or commit adultery. It is just as wrong for a Christian to sue or threaten litigation against a church or fellow Christian as it is never to run one bus or lead one person to Jesus Christ. Your Christian credentials are out the window if you would even consider suing a church.
….
My friend, suing a church is a direct contradiction of Scriptures. It doesn’t matter what the reason may be, it is always wrong. Just because others have chosen to disobey the Scriptures doesn’t make it right when you have been wronged. Listen, we have all been wronged, but for the sake of Christ, it is better to be defrauded than to go to law and make a mockery of the name of Christ.
While Domelle doesn’t mention abuse or sex-related lawsuits, there can be no doubt they are included in what he considers sinful acts of litigation against IFB churches and pastors. I find it interesting that Domelle calls such claims “mishaps,” acts inspired by Satan meant to sidetrack churches from their singular purpose — winning souls to Jesus Christ. Evidently, Domelle doesn’t value truth, justice, and restitution as much as does protecting — at all costs — the “good” name of IFB churches and pastors.
While I am indifferent towards IFB preachers suing each other or pastors suing former churches over being fired, when it comes to punishing predatory behaviors, I passionately support victims and their families in their use of law enforcement and the courts to punish offending churches and their leaders. The only way to put an end to rampant abuse is to make it so painful for offenders and their enablers that they will stop treating victims are collateral damage in their war against Satan.
Allen Domelle is best buds with Bob Gray, Sr. Both men are graduates of Hyles-Anderson College, and both sport honorary, pay-for-play doctorates. (Please see IFB Doctorates: Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Everyone’s a Doctor .) Both men worship Jack Hyles — an IFB demigod who was once accused of adultery. (Please see The Legacy of Jack Hyles.) Domelle, an evangelist, considers the Longview Baptist Temple to be his home church. Longview was pastored by Gray, Sr. for many years and is now pastored by his son, Bob Gray, II.
Both Domelle and Gray, Sr. know about the plethora of rumors concerning sexual misconduct in IFB churches. Several readers have told me that Domelle’s preacher father was caught up in a sexual scandal of his own years ago. Since this scandal allegedly took place before the invention of the internet, I have been unable to verify this claim. Knowing these things, however, casts Domelle’s post in a different light. Of course he doesn’t like congregants suing IFB churches and pastors. Doing so opens up IFB outhouse vaults for all to see (and smell). If these accusations make it to court, defenders of the one true IFB faith know that discovery and sworn testimony will expose hidden secrets, dredging up past sexual misconduct claims.
Over the years, I have spoken privately with several victims of pastor sexual misconduct and child abuse. Their stories are heartbreaking, especially the parts about IFB adults and church leaders who were supposed to love and care for them and didn’t. Putting church “testimony” and reputation first, these abuse enablers shamed victims into silence, often suggesting that what they experienced is their fault of some sort of perverse test from God. Upon hearing such stories, I encourage victims to do three things:
Tell law enforcement
Consult a competent, non-Evangelical lawyer
Publicize your story
By publicizing their stories, other victims often find the courage to tell their stories. As is often the case, IFB sexual predators and abusers rarely, if ever, stop their behavior. This is why victims, if they are able to do so, should use the legal system to punish IFB churches and their leaders for their misconduct. If doing so forces churches to close their doors, so be it. As Tony Barretta famously said, Don’t do the crime, if you can’t do the time.
Millions of Evangelicals plan to vote for Donald Trump come Election Day. Supposedly, Evangelicals are people of principle, people who resolutely believe and practice the teachings of the Bible. Yet, these very same people plan to vote for a man who is the antithesis of everything they believe. I realize that many Evangelicals wanted a President Cruz or President Carson, yet in primary after primary Evangelical voters carried Donald Trump to victory. It seems that Evangelicals value political power more than they do Biblical principles. Evangelicals have even gone so far as to convince themselves that Trump is a Christian.
What happened to the people who, at one time, said they would only vote for a man who had a Christian worldview? Surely they know that Donald Trump is a misogynistic, narcissistic, adulterous liar, a man who, as John McCain before him, is using Evangelicals for political gain. Readers might remember, in an attempt to pander to the religious-right, McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. I say chose, but what I really mean is that Evangelical power brokers forced McCain to add the former Alaska governor to the ticket. By choosing Fundamentalist Mike Pence as his running mate, Trump, in McCain-like fashion, is betting his political future on Evangelicals voting for him on November 8, 2016.
Millions of Evangelicals plan to vote for Trump regardless of what The Donald says or does. These Clinton haters and closet racists have been stewing for eight years now, forced to endure the indignity of living in country led by the Kenyan-born, Islamic sympathizer Barack Obama. These gun-toting, Jesus-loving voters would vote for Donald Duck if it meant ripping the helm of the U.S. government out of the hands of Democrats.
Millions of other Evangelicals have convinced themselves that Trump, once elected, will be sympathetic to the issues that matter to them. These people seem to be oblivious of the fact that past conduct is a good rule by which to judge how a candidate will act in the future. Trump is a thrice divorced skirt-chasing sociopath who rarely attends church. I have yet to hear one statement from the mouth of Donald Trump that remotely suggests that he has any idea about what means to be a follower of Jesus. I highly doubt he reads/studies the Bible or prays. Trump’s statement about having no need to ask God (or anyone else) for forgiveness should tell Evangelicals all they need to know about Trump’s moral and ethical compass. Despite all of this, millions of Evangelicals still plan to vote for Trump.
If Evangelicals want to be true to their so-call Biblical principles, it seems to me that they either should abstain from voting, vote for a third-party candidate, or write-in a God approved candidate. Instead, millions of Evangelicals who zealously hate President Obama and presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton plan to vote for a man who is the least qualified major party candidate in modern American history.
A month or so ago, scores of Evangelical leaders met with Donald Trump. When I read the pro-Trump comments made by men such as Tony Perkins and James Dobson, it finally dawned on me that many Evangelicals have sold their souls to the Devil. Once Hillary Clinton trounces Trump in November, the proverbial writing will be on the wall for the Republican Party. If Clinton wins the election, this means that Evangelicals have been unable to deliver the goods for three presidential election cycles — four if you consider the election George w. Bush stole from Al Gore.
After three straight losses, I wonder if Republican party leaders will finally wake up and realize that Evangelicals can’t deliver on their promises. As long as the Republican Party is being held hostage by the NRA, Evangelicals, and the Tea Party (Many Evangelicals are also members of the NRA and the Tea Party.) they will continue to lose general elections. Of course, from a Democratic perspective, this is wonderful news. But the Democrats have problems of their own, issues that were pushed to the forefront by Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders. Democrats are just as doomed as Republicans if they fail to truly understand the social and economic angst that is fueling the unrest that has turned into protests and violence.
In many ways, we are reliving the 1960s with its protests and violence. If we as a people do not quickly learn from the past, we most certainly will repeat it. What has happened in recent weeks is but a preview of the bloodshed and outrage to come. Blacks have had enough. Police have had enough. Millennials are restless. Political leaders have their heads up the asses of corporate donors. There is increasing economic despair, a widening gap between the one percenters and everyone else. The United States is involved in numerous wars in the Middle East and is fighting secret wars in Africa. Drones continue to rain death upon terrorists and innocent civilians. The CIA, NSA, and the FBI continue to spy on American citizens, using tools sanctioned by President Obama and Congress. Increased word battles with Russia and China warn of a resurgence of the Cold War.
Throw all these things in a pot, season them with global warming, and there is no doubt that we have entered a dangerous time, one that could easily be turned into uncontrollable wildfire. Does anyone honestly believe that Donald Trump can handle these things, that he can lead us through the current political and social minefield? I am no fan of Hillary Clinton. I voted for Bernie Sanders in the Ohio primary, but now that Clinton will likely be the nominee, I must put the needs of my country first. A Trump presidency would be disastrous, turning the United States into butt end of a joke. Hillary Clinton may not be my first choice for President, but I know she is a seasoned politician who knows what matters. Republican leaders, cheered on by Evangelicals, have done their best to destroy Hillary Clinton, yet, here she is, still standing. Regardless of the facts concerning Benghazi or her misuse of email, Clinton knows how best to lead the United States forward during difficult times. I can’t think of one way a Trump presidency is better for America. Despite promises from Republican operatives that Trump will “change” after the election, he continues to act like a petulant child who has never had anyone tell him NO! Do we really want such a man to control the U.S. military and have access to nuclear launch codes? With all the turmoil in the Middle East, do we really want Trump to have the keys to the car? I know I don’t.
So I ask you this, Evangelicals: without mentioning your hatred for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, please give me one good reason why ANYONE should vote for Donald Trump.
This is the one hundred and twenty-ninth installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.
Today’s Song of Sacrilege is God’s Away on Business by Tom Waits.
I’d sell your heart to the junkman baby
For a buck, for a buck
If you’re looking for someone to pull you out of that ditch
You’re out of luck, you’re out of luck
The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking
The ship is sinking
There’s a leak, there’s a leak, in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers
God’s away, God’s away,
God’s away on Business. Business.
God’s away, God’s away,
God’s away on Business. Business.
Digging up the dead with a shovel and a pick
It’s a job, it’s a job.
Bloody moon rising with a plague and a flood
Join the mob, join the mob
It’s all over
It’s all over
It’s all over
There’s a leak, there’s a leak in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers
God’s away, God’s away,
God’s away on Business. Business.
God’s away,
God’s away on Business. Business.
[Instrumental Break]
God damn there’s always such a big temptation
To be good, To be good
There’s always free cheddar in a mousetrap, baby
It’s a deal, it’s a deal
God’s away, God’s away,
God’s away on Business. Business.
God’s away, God’s away,
God’s away on Business. Business.
I narrow my eyes like a coin slot baby,
Let her ring, let her ring.
God’s away, God’s away,
God’s away on Business.
God’s away, God’s away,
God’s away on Business. Business.
This is the one hundred and twenty-eighth installment in the Songs of Sacrilege series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a song that is irreverent towards religion, makes fun of religion, pokes fun at sincerely held religious beliefs, or challenges the firmly held religious beliefs of others, please send me an email.
Today’s Song of Sacrilege is Come Down Jehovah by Chris Wood.
Come down, come down from your mountain, Jehovah,
My neck is terribly stiff.
Hitch up your robes and your raiment, Jehovah,
Climb down to the foot of your cliff.
And drink from the stream that was always beneath you,
Drink from our wonderful font.
‘Cause paradise is right here on earth, Jehovah,
What more could we possibly want?
Come down and talk amongst friends, Jehovah,
Come down and sit at your ease.
Walk through the woods and the valleys, Jehovah,
Sail upon glistening seas.
Pass on what you’ve learnt to the children, Jehovah,
And listen to what they have to say.
They say, ‘Paradise is right here on earth, Jehovah,
Not tomorrow, but right now, today.
And Devil come up from your fiery furnace,
Come up and show us your face.
There’s nothing you can teach us of evil or hatred,
We don’t have right here in this place.
There is nothing so evil as man in his mischief,
Nothing so lost or insane.
And bring your demons up, too, so we’ll know it’s not you,
But it’s us who must carry the blame.
It’s us who must live with the shame.
Come down, come down from your mountain, Jehovah,
Come down and be with us here.
Heaven and hell and the life ever after,
It’s such a beguiling idea.
But our spell on this earth is much richer, Jehovah,
Richer than you’ll ever know.
When it comes time to leave it behind,
We just close our eyes and let go.
If we’ve done our best we’ll be ready for a rest,
We just close our eyes and let go
