Cross Purposes
(on a conversation between George W. Bush and television evangelist Pat Robertson)
With differing versions of the Lord's decree
Directing U.S. foreign policy,
Pat Robertson and Bush play "God told me."
While one is warned that waging war goes ill,
His brother hears God say "Go drink your fill
Of Moslem blood. In my Name rape and kill."
So could it be, that bored with constancy
And messages of Love's consistency,
God speaks in tongues to His constituency?
'Twas Christ Himself, writ on the Bible's page,
Of prophets false forewarned the coming age
And how they would deceive on center stage,
Of wickedness in righteous garb's parade,
Of Satan in angelic masquerade,
His sons in seeming holiness arrayed,
Who strain out gnats, such as marriage of gays,
But swallow camels whole in murderous ways,
Torture of prisoners, military displays.
Christ the Established Order so decried,
Religious leaders of the day in pride,
Clean only on the outside, not inside,
A brood of vipers who in poison preach,
Imposing heavy burdens as they teach,
Condemning contrite hearts who God beseech.
Also in Scripture there is prophesied
A man of lawlessness. So, swept aside
Are Geneva conventions Bush defied
To pick a fight, breaking the UN charters,
Making a nation of unwilling martyrs.
In shedding others' blood for oil he barters.
The church his sanctimonious preserve,
Supposing God and money both to serve,
[11]
His end shall be what his actions deserve.
[12]
The self-appointed ministers meantime
Should better learn interpreting God's sign
Or better yet their unearned roles resign.
False prophets each, they fail to understand:
A whitewashed house, like others built on sand,
[13]
Against itself divided can not stand.
[14]
And men on Judgment Day must give account
For every careless word they did recount,
[15]
Especially when by words the corpses mount.
So when next Jesus authorizes rape
And angels down on human carnage gape,
Let us demand of Bush "play me the tape!"
October 2004
[1]
Robertson told CNN (October 2004) that Bush said, before the invasion of Iraq, "we're not going to have any casualties," to which Robertson replied: "The Lord told me it was going to be, A, a disaster and, B, messy."
[4]
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
[10]
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
