What if I were president? What party, what values would I hold?
If I were president would I be humble, honest, and bold?
When I talk about greater justice for immigrants, I'm a Democrat.
When I speak out against abortion, I'm a Republican.
When I talk about racism and racial inequality, I'm a Democrat.
When I mention small, localized government, I'm a Republican.
When I support the common good and solidarity, I'm a Democrat
When I say the family should be strengthened, I'm a Republican.
When I speak up against the death penalty, I'm a Democrat.
When I refuse to fund contraception, I'm a Republican.
So, where does this leave me? You have to pick right?
Well in some ways I'm both, and in some ways neither.
You see, if I pick Democrat I'm going against my Republican values
And the same is true of my Democrat values if i decide Republican.

If I were the president I'd work for peace, love, truth, understanding
I would work to build bridges between the peoples and the nations
Walls and fences do not, the best neighbors, make.
I won't convince you with anything I say, but if I do my best to live and
To reflect love, to give hope, to find joy maybe you'll want it too
To lift up the lowly, help others help themselves, to forgive and to love
That's some of what I hope to do.

In truth, I'm a member of an institution that teaches that freedom is when a person no longer acts under the influence of someone else. An institution that encourages free will and free thought. An institution that doesn't fit inside a man-made box.

This is being true to myself, this is who I am.

I'm Catholic

Forgive me father,
for I am Sin
and I am here
to take you in.

Its been thirty years
since my last confession,
but mere moments
since your last transgression.

and though you thought
all had gone unseen,
your hands and soul  
remain unclean.

You took
our Father's Sacred Trust,
and through it proclaimed
yourself as just.

And, while children,
yes, they will believe,
the eyes of mine
you can't deceive!

I know what you did
and you know to who,
and I'll not let you
draw the curtain through.

Your crimes,
these I will expose;
For my friend,
the victim no one knows.

No one knows him,
because he's dead.
because of you.
Because he bled.

You see,
he thought he
was just a boy.
Not some secret to destroy.

So,
it didn't make sense to him to live,
because of what you said
and what you did.

But, don't you ever believe
that Our Lord allows
men like you to break these vows,
and then disclaim
and then rebuke
a boy who dared to speak the truth.

You watched as a child sank and died
and to the Courts, how loudly you denied.

But,
don't believe that I am ever fooled,
and my vengeance will not be overruled.

For I am Sin,
and I don't care how much you cry.
**My Hell awaits the day you die.

He’s a little boy, sweet innocence,
Against priestly-rites worth seven pence,
And Mama, Papa, don’t you care?

While Father’s searching for his peace in a bottle;
Billy’s the only thing there…

Run little boy, Billy, run,
Old Father’s drunk, hear him whine again,
Crying misery and wallowin’…
A nightly muse for his chagrin,
And you’re the one he calls his; “sin.”'

So run little boy, Billy, run,
Cause Father’s drunk on his wine again,
Into his holy chambers -he’ll drag you in,
To show something he calls a sin,
And take you down to Hell with him.

He was a little boy, sweet innocence,
His name was Billy and he was heaven-sent,
A tortured child who lost his faith,
To the drunken musing’s of a cold-hearted wraith,

Run little boy, Billy, run; Jesus weeps for you son.
*Run little boy, Billy, run; Jesus weeps for you son.

It's ironic.
All of those years,
sitting through bible studies,
being forced to attend weekly mass,
rather than building a relationship with their God,
I built anger towards the very idea of it.

*******
******* is a mortal sin
*******
my dog isn't going to heaven
*******
and every contradictory ******* teaching in your "holy book"
*******
and your homophobic, thieving, child molesting "ministers"

I don't believe in that ****

Why should I feel guilty about breaking your ******* commandments

You tried to brainwash me from the time I was a small child until the time I graduated highschool

And I'm supposed to believe that the evil ones reside in the islamic faith

*******

I relish in every scandal that befalls you

I wish I could unlearn the "ideals" that have been force fed to me throughout my entire young life and now plague my character

I hope change comes with time

I hope I find out what God really is

She looks
me in the eyes,
for just a moment,
as if it helped her to say
“I am only going to date you
if you just go to confession first.”
I think she wants me
to clean my soul
before I shave my chin
for her.

I unlatch
the wooden grate
and feel what it’s like
to look through the holes
of an Irish potato sack.
It’s the kind of guilt you feel
not having enough
******* for the recycling,
again.

He accepts
my quiet words,
Metabolizing them,
into fuel to keep nodding,
and I think of that stolen ******
in the back pocket
of my Sunday best,
between the fabrics,
and pressed by the polished wood.

Back to the sack insides
still, he wants to know,
the anatomy of my soul.
He wants to trace the outlines
of my spiritual blood vessels
all the way to my spiritual
heart, tucked behind spiritual
lungs. So he asks,
when I’ll come again.
I’ll need another two dates,
for the three date rule, to apply,
I think.

We knew of "The Troubles" for most of our lives
They were there before we were born
But, to speak of "The Troubles" to those who don't know
They can't see that our country is torn

Pop stars sing songs about England go home
They make money, while we fight the fight
They stand on the sidelines just flapping their gums
While we live, breathe, and sleep this all night

Soldiers unknowing, just why they're here
They choose sides because that's what they do
They don't know the issues, how deep "The Troubles"  go
They're just here, and that's all they know

The orange and green, divided as one
Catholics and Protestants alike
Both fight their battles and both live for peace
And the British...can get on their bike

A land half as lovely, torn asunder by war
would be laid waste, with nothing to show
But "The Troubles" aside, there's lots here to see
And lots of great places to go

It's a war of attrition, where neither side wins
Each army gets recruits from the womb
You stay on your side, and I'll stay on mine
And we'll disagree to agree to our tomb

Fighting for freedom, religion or rights
It's political, hatred and worse
Religions involved, and we've only one God
So which side does God cheer or God curse

The battle still wages, though not like before
It's a war that is fought underground
"The Troubles" remain, and will for all time
And I pray for the dead, not around

Those who've lost, or who've been lost;
The people who have nothing left.
If what that red-brick shell provides

Soothes but one of these sufferers,
It serves a purpose to us all.
A purpose it should not overstep.

The glory of God awakens a piece inside us. In our regular lives, how often does one get the amazing feeling of God being there and smiling down at them? More often than not, they're are unable to feel his constant encouragement to keep going and to work through the bad times.
So what is it about many children of God are praising and praying together, we can suddenly feel all the positive energy, the excitement, and the love God is sending us?