A prayer to the faith based

All of you who think that the Bible rules? Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean that we should put our interpretation of the Bible or our religious beliefs on the backs of those who don’t believe the way we do. If we force someone to conform to our form of Christianity we are no better than the early Romans who sent the early Christians to death and persecution because they wouldn’t sacrifice to the Gods. So I love this prayer.

A Prayer to the Faith Based
I’m sorry, and I don’t mean to offend
you,
And you didn’t even ask for this but
I’m going to put in a plug for your beliefs
So that you won’t get too mad at me as I utter words
With which you or someone you know may not agree,
(No matter how utterly wrong you may happen to be)

It is good that you are religious
And I will personally defend your right to believe
Whatever it is you do in fact believe,
And I affirm that it is OK to put
Phrases regarding your beliefs on my money
And for you to assume thatI will swear to your god
when I am on jury
duty
when I am drafted into the army
when I am elected to office
when I am in the witness standand
whenever else I must affirm
that I am moral and will not lie.
i Will Capitalize Your Word for
God
And the Name of Your Holy Book
And Other Entities and Documents
As You Dictate These Rules To me.

I offer this pandering to your particular beliefs,
regardless of what they may happen to be,
despite the fact that your cultural ancestors,
the mavens and leaders of one church or another,
burned at the stake or otherwise humiliated mine,
The early scientists and freethinkers,
I affirm this because I cannot at the moment
Remember where I put my spine.
Amen.

I saw it first at Pharyngula, but it came from Greg Gladen. Thanks for the prayer.