For Good and Love

Begin with begetting

And then to the beheading

Piety is all .

Piety is all

As kings and empires fall

Baptized clean again .

Baptized clean again

With a clear, fiery rain

All is forgotten .

All is forgotten

Turning saints and sins rotten

Just let me be free .

Just let me be free

I can see my truth clearly

I don't want to believe .

I don't want believe

In the hateful lies they weave

Good for goodness sake .

Good for goodness sake

And yet sent on to the stake

Is good, good enough?

Is good, good enough

When you don’t believe their bluff

And heroes are sent to hell .

And heroes are sent to hell

For their nonbelief, they fell

While sinners party .

While sinners party

With full abandon hearty

From innocence bought .

From innocence bought

Not penance or guilt of thought

All is not equal .

All is not equal

When heaven and hell are full

With those just misplaced .

With those just misplaced

With despair and hope laced

I find myself there .

I find myself there

Losing faith but not my care

Do good, to be good .

Do good, to be good

Because it is what you should

Not for religion .

Not for religion

Not faith or pious vision

Not for something eternal .

Not for something eternal

But the conscience internal

Free from all judgment .

Free from all judgment,

Away from all sacrament

But not to avoid hell .

But not to avoid hell

Or to live where angels dwell

Not for self, but all .

Not for self, but all

I'd be ready to take the fall

From grace if it be .

From grace if it be

For I will choose empathy

Guiding me, not shame .

Guiding me, not shame

Though they may share the same name

Religion might then be .

Religion might then be

The lock for some, and others the key ,

To me it’s a fight .

To me it’s a fight

Where I defend what is right

And then am told I’m wrong .

And then am told I’m wrong

By one who misquote gospel song

Or claim their deep piety .

Or claim their deep piety ,

While representing their deity

As just a tool to judge .

As just a tool to judge

A moral line that won’t budge

It’s just not for me to believe.

It's just not for me to believe

In the hate they want me to perceive,

I would rather believe in love.

I would rather believe in love

Whether on Earth or from up above,

Thou shalt love, so the line goes.

Thou shalt love, so the line goes,

And it is more than just flowery prose,

Is love not so much better than needless hate?

Is love not so much better than needless hate,

Is not something we should even need to debate.