we are 
christian missionaries 
we are 
doing god's work 
we carry god's word 
in this little black book 
... 
jesus christ 
we believe is god 
the only god 
wrote every word 
in this little black book 
... 
maybe not 
every word 
but most of the words 
maybe not 
most of the words 
... 
ok so he didn't tell his followers 
to write his words down 
they wrote letters 
about his words 
after he died 
... 
the letters 
were renamed  
gospels 
sounds better than letters 
and were put together 
five hundred years after he 
left this earth 
and then called 
the new testament 
 ... 
actually  
the letters were put into 
the old testament bible 
making two parts 
the old testament 
and 
the new testament 
together they were given a new name 
the holy bible 
... 
well -  jesus christ 
never really said to do that 
but he never said not to do that 
jesus he knows everything 
he is god 
and since 
god knows everyting 
he knew we would 
make the bible 
so the fact that he said nothing 
about the bible 
while he was on earth 
means he approved what we did 
... 
that's why 
we don't have a signed 
letter from jesus christ 
saying that he approves 
of every word in the bible 
... 
jesus and his followers 
couldn't read or write english 
so you couldn't read the letters anyway 
the bible was not written in english 
we believe the translators 
did not make even one mistake 
... 
some of the apostles 
who wrote the letters 
yes - they heard god's voice 
speaking to them 
sometimes from the sky 
sometimes from bushes 
... 
yes crazy people hear voices 
but they were not crazy 
they were doing god's work 
... 
none of the letters 
really quote jesus christ 
saying he was god 
but we know he is god 
if you want to get technical about it 
we know there is 
no legally acceptable evidence 
that jesus christ is god 
there is some hear-say 
but that doesn't mean 
that hear-say is wrong 
so - we believe jesus christ is god 
... 
yes - people who are not believers 
ask questions 
and 
in order to protect our believers 
from questions they can't answer 
we have the following rules 
... 
you can't question god 
you can't question the bible 
you can't question anything 
we believe 
so - you must believe 
that 
we believers can't be wrong 
because we follow the bible 
and do god's work 
... 
if you believe 
you will be like us 
like your neighbors 
like your friends 
like your employer 
like your brothers 
like your mother 
like your father 
like your daughter 
like your son 
they can't all be wrong 
... 
yes - most of those that followed 
reverend jim jones 
died in mass suicide 
taking their children to heaven 
with them 
not leaving them behind 
not abandoning their children 
they were 
all happy doing god's work 
... 
yes - over the centuries 
millions of people 
were killed - some were set on fire 
children spied on their parents 
children were sexually abused 
it was ok to beat your wife 
it is still ok to beat your kids 
but that may be changing 
because of humanist pressure 
humanist anti-word of god pressure 
... 
there were some mistakes 
human mistakes 
humans doing god's work 
you can't blame god 
it was human mistakes 
we humans made the mistakes 
let's move on 
let's start over 
let's pray together 
let's believe together 
and this time really do god's work 
... 
you 
you who do god's work 
you have convinced me 
that believers are unstable neurotics 
offering a life 
of  hate - and - of slavery 
stuffed in a box 
of obedience - and  - submission 
all in the name of  
a non existent 
god 
and wrapped in 
words of love and care 
  ... 

Keith  O'Connor 
Ottawa  Canada 
2001  aug  26 
www.tinmangallery 
modifications:  01-09-01