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Mark Sebring

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Three Days In The Belly Of A Fish
by Mark Sebring → (All Poetry by Mark Sebring)
Tuesday, October 9, 2018    Rated "G" by the Author.
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In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And he made two people named Adam and Eve
who got tempted by a snake and kicked out of the garden.
They had a son named Cain and a son named Abel.
And Cain killed Abel and went to live somewhere else.
They had another named Seth and several others
but no one can remember their names.
And all the people in the world descend from Adam and Eve
though it's kind of unclear who their in-laws were.
 
Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
Three days and nights in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
 
 
Once upon a time there was a man named Noah.
And God warned Noah there was gonna be a flood.
(You see, God wanted to kill all the people
but He didn't want to kill the animals.)
So Noah built a big boat, just like God told him to.
And he gathered up two of every animal in the world
(every animal in the world!) and he put them in his boat.
And that's how Noah saved the animals from God's great flood.
Isn't that nice?
 
Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
Three days and nights in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
 
 
One day a perfect God came down to Sinai.
And He carved some stone tablets for His people.
And he wrote the famous words: "Thou shalt not kill."
But when His chosen people reached their promised land
He said: "Now go and kill those cursed Canaanites.
They keep worshipping other gods than me.
And don't just kill all the men.
Kill the women and children too."
That's your perfect God for you.
 
Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
Three days and nights in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
 
 
The ancient Greeks and Romans made up stories.
The Hindus and the Norse made up some too.
Of gods and goddesses, heavens and hells,
to explain where we came from and where we're going.
Nowadays those stories seem mighty silly
and there aren't many who take them seriously.
But are the myths of the Hebrews any different?
Are their stories any less incredible?
Do you honestly believe that they're true ?
 
Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
Three days and nights in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
 
 
There're some who still believe those old stories
and some who think they know what God wants.
Some are carryin' signs screaming "God Hates Fags!"
because, of course, the Bible tells them so.
And others fly airplanes into buildings
filled with people who believe differently than they,
believing they're doing what God wants them to.
Yeah, that's your perfect God for you.
That's your perfect God for you.
 
Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
Three days and nights in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
 
 
Of course, not all who accept those old stories
believe in hating those different from them.
In fact, many are pretty good people
who truly want to do what is right.
But they're all letting others think for them,
every believer in some Holy Book.
And they're all taught to follow their leaders,
whether saints or madmen or crooks.
And they all suspend reason to put faith in things
they're convinced and they wish to be true .
And they're following a path that doesn't lead to the truth
Is that your perfect God for you?
 
Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
Three days and nights in the belly of a fish.
Is that what you believe?
 

Mark Sebring (2009)


I don't believe that the concept of Hell is consistent with the concept of a benevolent God.
That a "God of love" would sentence a large portion of the human race to eternal torture
(instead of simply ending their existence) for the crimes of imperfection and not believing
in His existence. (See my commentary below.)





   


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 Reviews of "Three Days In The Belly Of A Fish"
Reviewed by Mark Sebring
Reviewed on October 22, 2018
Do you honestly believe?

That an omnipotent God made the first man out of dust and the first woman out of his rib?

That Adam and Eve were tempted by a talking snake into eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and that as a result they were banished from paradise?

That all of the people in the world descend from two incestuous families? (First, Adam and Eve's family. Where else did Cain and Seth's wives come from? Later, Noah's family.)

That a benevolent God would decide to flood the earth to kill all of the people? That an omnipotent God would need someone to build a boat to save the animals? That a man on foot would be able to gather up two of every animal in the world? That one man with primitive tools would be able to build a boat large enough to house all of those animals?

That a woman was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at two cities that God was destroying? (Fortunately for Lot, he still had his daughters.)

That a just God would send bears to attack children for making fun of a prophet's baldness?

That a man was able to make the sun stand still for a full day so that he could defeat his enemies? (He was also pretty handy with a trumpet.)

That a perfect God who had previously commanded his people not to commit murder would later command them to commit genocide; to exterminate entire races and kill even their women, children, and animals?

That a just God would strike someone down for trying to steady the ark of the covenant while it was being moved?

That a man was able to live for three days underwater, inside the belly of a big fish?

That a woman could be healed just by touching Jesus' garment? (Luke makes it clear that the healing occurred without his knowledge, indicating that his power was independent of his will. This is pure magic.)


These stories are no different from other ancient myths. Like other myths, they were obviously made up by primitive people.
They are obviously not the absolute truth, nor the inspired word of an omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent God.
Anyone who believes that these stories are actually true, who is unable to recognize the similarity between these and other myths,
who believes that the Christian Bible is the Holy Word of God and the absolute truth, has been deceived by a brainwashing cult
and as a result must constantly struggle with cognitive dissonance. I have serious doubts about their intellectual integrity.


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