upon a lie and because of the lie
it may or not be sin
Brother Klogphorne
isnât lying a sin?
Not always young proselyte
There are categories of both sin and lie
to which all poets and piddlers are exempt
by fact of diplomatic and professional immunity
and all politicians guilty
the divisions being first malicious
and then those designed to prolong oneâs life, sacrosanct idleness
marriage or commerce with teenage progeny
which should be automatically forgiven
but not so the malicious
which are lies designed to inflate the self like a toad
or tear down another person like a glow worm
deliberately crushed beneath a miscreantâs heel
in order to take away or mar what is rightfully his
or in some instances hers
Brother Klogphorne, then what is sin?
the ones they say you can go to Hell for?
Well sir young believer
while Brother Dante Alighieri who well may
have preached a revival service at this edifice some time in the past
did a remarkable job of stratifying hell-bound sin
I will offer the following as my personally updated
Texas-based additional considerations
The only sins you can go to Hell for from any god I could believe in
are murder of one who did not need killing
stealing something of value or precious memory from someone who
needed it, fraud on the part of politicians and currency manipulators
provocations of any war without the intent
of taking an active role in the actual combat effort
that being overt cravenness
and then the ones youâre familiar with from this training
designed to produce the next generational crop of deacons
and elders including not being a tithing member
of whoeverâs church youâre talking to
having sex with children
dancing for Baptists and Campbellites
the latter for which it is the Unforgivable Sin
not putting enough money in the collection plate
and malicious and political lying
all others are recreational and forgiveable
or just bad manners
which is why we have wives
to affect and inflict punishment
You donât think adultery
and fornication are sins
then?
I believe I have covered that topic
as well as I am able
the remainder is the parental responsibility
based on familial moreâ and obfuscation
What else can I do for you young potential missionaries?
Mr Klogphorne
can I ask you a personal question?
Of course you may
I am all rimed ears
so you fire away
Did yall have sex
when you were alive back then?
Young man
this being inside a churchhouse
I am bound by oath, covenant, and custom
to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
so here it is complete and intact
We invented sex
It did not exist prior to our discovery
the world being dystopic and non-functional
My generation gave our youth wholeheartedly
to the definition, methodology and perfection of the practice
up to the point that it exists today
which is the legacy of trust we pass on to you
for final realization and fulfillment
If any of you have doubts whatsoever
as to the veracity of that statement
ask your parents or grandmothers
and I promise you this
Your parents will look you directly in the eye
and lie to you about the subject
as a matter of sacred protection of our mutual trust secrecy
regarding divine inspiration and creation
and your grandmothers will blush and deny that sex exists at all
then go sit somewhere in the cool shade
with a purloined Baby Jesus fan
wondering whatever possessed you to ask such a thing
and that will be your unimpeachable proof
mark my words
Brother Klogphorne
do you remember when you learned about it?
Young fellow sir neophyte
I most certainly do
every one of you in this room should know Maxine Durrant
and if you have not been in her Womanâs Store
to buy your mother a birthday present
I am ashamed of, with, by and for you
as she was the most beautiful young creature
in the world since Eve when we were going
about the business of inventing sex
I
Antony Beevor, Artemis Cooper
Mark Reinfeld, Jennifer Murray