Poetry – Embracing Science – a poem about fundamentalism

Embracing Science

 

A fundamentalist is a person who sees everything in black and white. Every word is fixed. It has been written. It must be obeyed.

There is no nuance.

There is nothing to discuss.

Black and white. No doubt. For a chosen people.

Rejecting all other interpretation. Picking and choosing the texts that suit.

Of the thousands of faiths followed by mankind they adhere to one and reject all else.

A seat of intolerance. A message of division. A cause of hatred.

Yet the world is not black and white.

The world is full of colour, wonder and awe.

 


 

Embracing Science

 

We embrace science –

The Kalashnikov

Explosive vest

And the IED.

 

There is no latitude

Or room for doubt,

Or tolerance

Of any kind;

For it is written.

 

We reject the Hadron Collider,

Skylab

And the microscope.

 

We pick and choose

On our trip

Into the past.

 

What use for the Richter scale?

Or vaccination?

When all is God’s will.

 

Opher 18.5.2016

17 thoughts on “Poetry – Embracing Science – a poem about fundamentalism

  1. And it seems getting older either opens your eyes to the truth of how gray things or, or you go just plain blind! At least that’s been my experience with folks when it comes to religion and science.

    1. I agree. Instead of living in a world of colour, love, beauty, tolerance and equality some people stick to a rigid doctrine that betrays life. The older I get the angrier I seem to get. I guess it’s frustration.

      1. I can’t imagine it Cheryl. As soon as I discover the flaw in the system I lose faith in it. Religion, of all persuasions, seems shot through with holes – now spirituality……………

      2. I think that’s why I’m so drawn to Celtic Mysticism. The Celts honored everything. There was a “god” or a “spirit” for every hill, well, what have you. To me it just says that they were more aware that all things are one. I’ve heard that everything (including inanimate objects) vibrate at their own frequency. Is that true?

      3. I think it is Cheryl.
        I went to a really interesting demonstration in London at some institute or other back in the sixties. They put this fungal spore powder on metal sheets and passed a vibration through it. By altering the vibration they could get all manner of shapes. It came together into a ball or spread out spinning like galaxies. It formed into organis patterns like cells. I was fascinated. It looked to me as if the shapes of nature were all there. All governed by vibration.
        Too much to read things into it – but it was quite fascinating and thought provoking.

    1. There is no room for common sense or compassion in the head of a fanatic. Cheers Dave – Nick Harper tomorrow night!

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