'' Our Respect Is Gift You Must Earn '' Poem by Bri Mar

As new religious leaders are elected,
Lavish ceremonies the people then follow,
They tell us why they've been selected,
Their speeches are so hard to swallow.

They will help the poor and the needy,
How they'll do it is thin on the ground,
They'll condemn the rich and the greedy,
Saying there's more than enough to go round.

They'll spend millions on their celebrations,
Live in luxury while they're in power,
Spouting their nonsensical proclamations,
From within their own ivory tower?

Religious leaders are like politicians,
What they say they rarely do,
As they form their corrupt coalitions,
We know they won't see their work through.

What right have they to tell us how to live?
When all they do is take, take, take,
When caught abusing they expect us to forgive,
In the meantime they are still on the make.

Hundreds who've been caught abusing,
Are hidden behind their closed doors,
Their victims find it confusing,
They're the ones left with raw sores.

Hypocrisy is rife they don't accept blame,
They believe they are holier than thou,
Fact is they should feel nothing but shame,
But contrition religion won't allow.

As more and more of us turn away,
Religious leaders continue their lying,
Just like in politics we do not have a say,
That's why congregations are dying.

One bad apple needn't spoil the bunch,
But the lesson religions must learn,
Is truth is God when it comes to the crunch,

‘' Our Respect Is A Gift You Must Earn ‘'