By Frank Raj

I was once a label in the great supermarket of religions
Doesn’t matter which; all the brands have their pigeons
Revered products, they engage in a marketing competition
And the gullible learn how to bribe God while imprisoned

IN my old religious club I was faithful, militant and cocksure
But dangerously adrift on a ship of proud fools, all of us lured
Captive to our besetting sins with no one to rescue or to cure
Hiding our plight, our pious faces faked certainty despite failure

I thought I was safe if I followed my religious identity
Paid my dues and showed up for ritual worship regularly
Deluded with slaves pretending to be a real community
On the fast track to nowhere we had such good company

A lifetime vanished in my traditional, religious fantasy
My spiritual pride blended so well with my hypocrisy
Ignoring how the clergy bamboozle people universally
I coasted along mindless on a blind journey to eternity

LIFE as a brand on the religious shelf is futile you see
Until you realize people need real faith, open and free
When I saw stark differences between truth vs legality
I knew for the first time the evidence for real liberty

I figured people are just people not any religious brand
And religion is not the Truth, but business cleverly manned
Fanatics and fools can be found in every religious strand
Only humble, repentant seekers see God’s gracious hand

PEOPLE not bound to any religion are not trapped in slavery
Not following manmade rules like robots; they’re simply free
Paying lip service to tradition, caring little for any hierarchy
Love of Truth, devotion to God is their number one priority