Grand Delusions

Can there anything more depraved?

She said to me, “The only way to be saved,

That is, saved from being sent to Hell,

Is to believe all what I'll now tell.

“There came to Earth a long time ago

The greatest being, we believe him so,

From Heaven above being specially sent

By God Almighty with the clear intent

That all who believe him to be most great

Shall win for themselves a glorious fate

In Paradise above, a place of pure light,

There to experience eternal delight,

While those who don’t believe him to be

God’s chosen vehicle to save all humanity,

The best of beings who on Earth did trod,

The most exalted emissary of the Lord,

Shall be hurled into Hell’s fiery domain,

There being made to suffer awful pain,

Severe punishment and deadly torture,

For all time to come, the darkest future.

“Now that you’ve heard me, quickly decide

To join our fold, get on the sole saved side.

Believe just as I tell you if you want to be

In the great bliss of Heaven for all eternity.

And, if you don’t do this, I must make it clear,

You'll face Hell’s endless pain and fear.

God will send you to Hell because

You didn't believe what I told you was

The only way to be saved, believing as we do

In Him whom we insist is the only way to

Please God and a place in Heaven to earn.

For this your refusal, in Hell you’ll burn!”

I turned to the woman, and to her I said,

“With your foolish talk I won’t be misled.

I know vast millions believe as you do,

But it’s false, and most pernicious, too.

If your claims of Hell are true as you say,

To Hell perhaps you ‘re paving your way,

For clearly, only evil, nothing at all good,

Can come from a doctrine based on falsehood.

With your pride and hate, you already dwell

In a place a bit like what you call 'Hell'.”

From this brief encounter you can clearly see

How deluded we humans can sometimes be!