Exodus
Hypocrisy
*Malachi*
I was sitting at the back of the bus, staring out the window and waiting for it to take off, when one more boy got on. He was wearing all black; even his hair was black with pink tips. He nodded a little and made his way towards me, seeing as I was the only one with a free seat on the bus. This worried me slightly, scared me even. This boy looked like he could beat me up without a second thought about it. I gulped slightly when he dropped into the seat next to me and put his bag by his feet.
“Relax, I don’t bite,” the boy said, making me chuckle and relax slightly.
I held out my hand to him, “I’m Malachi.”
“Jonah,” the boy said, grasping my hand and shaking it. I grinned -- a good Bible name, he couldn’t be all bad, could he?
“So, Jonah, what are you looking forward to the most at camp? I can't wait for the preaching opportunities, myself.”
I heard him stifle a snicker, “Uh... I’m looking forward to... well; I was forced to come here, so I’m not really looking forward to anything."
I gasped slightly, “How can you not? I’ve been coming here since I was five and I love it! It always boosts my spirits and brings me closer to God,” I said looking wistfully at Jonah. “I love it, it’s an amazing place. You’ll love it too! Trust me.”
“Gee, sounds like you love it and thinks it's amazing.” he mocked me. I blushed a deep red and looked down at my feet. “Sorry, don't listen to me, no one else does.... if they did I wouldn't be here,” he said muttering the last bit so I just barely caught it.
I gasped again, “What do you mean no one listens to you? What about your parents? Don’t they? They must I mean who doesn’t listen to their kids?”
"Uh... well... generally parents don't listen to their kids when they don't like what they hear. They don't like that I don't feel like forcing their religion on everyone else. They don't like that they haven't been able to force it on me."
“How can you force religion on someone? Don’t you love our Savior?” I asked completely confused, my parents had never tried to force it on me. I had given my life to Jesus Christ freely, and I was better off for it.
"Not particularly --" I gasped, he paused then spoke again, clearly choosing his words more carefully. "I mean I have nothing against Jesus, just the way they've warped what he said."
“What do you mean?” I asked outraged, “They haven’t warped anything. The Bible is the word of God -- unchanged and untouched!”
Jonah took a deep breath before starting in on his rant, spewing facts that I had never heard. “The Bible was never pure, and it's nothing but change. It was never written by any of the apostles. Most of it was actually written by Pagan Romans. Which is why Sunday is the holy day in this religion. Originally it was Saturday, like in Judaism, but the Romans changed it to coincide with their festivals. And December 25th isn't Jesus’ actual birthday, it was said to be then so it would fit in with the celebrations of the Winter Solstice. Scholars say his birthday actually took place in the summer.”
My mouth gaped open in shock and anger. “How could you say that?” I asked harshly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Do your research. It’s all there. The only reason you don't know this stuff is because this religion doesn't allow independent thinking. They force information down your throat, and you accept it whether it's real or not. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the Bible is good, but a lot more of it is utter bullshit.”
My eyes widened, I opened my mouth to protest but no sound came out. He took my silence as an opportunity to continue his tirade. “It preaches love for everyone, then singles people out and says they're not worthy. It’s nothing but a load of hypocrisy.”
“Yeah but…” I paused and thought of the countless verses I had memorized in the Bible and realized… he was right. “Oh,” I said unsure as to what else to say. This boy had just managed to destroy everything I believed in the space of three minutes and I didn’t like it. I turned away from him to look out the window as a single tear slid down my cheek. I sniffed lightly and looked down at my parents who were waving happily at me.
Suddenly I wasn’t looking forward to this summer much anymore.
I was sitting at the back of the bus, staring out the window and waiting for it to take off, when one more boy got on. He was wearing all black; even his hair was black with pink tips. He nodded a little and made his way towards me, seeing as I was the only one with a free seat on the bus. This worried me slightly, scared me even. This boy looked like he could beat me up without a second thought about it. I gulped slightly when he dropped into the seat next to me and put his bag by his feet.
“Relax, I don’t bite,” the boy said, making me chuckle and relax slightly.
I held out my hand to him, “I’m Malachi.”
“Jonah,” the boy said, grasping my hand and shaking it. I grinned -- a good Bible name, he couldn’t be all bad, could he?
“So, Jonah, what are you looking forward to the most at camp? I can't wait for the preaching opportunities, myself.”
I heard him stifle a snicker, “Uh... I’m looking forward to... well; I was forced to come here, so I’m not really looking forward to anything."
I gasped slightly, “How can you not? I’ve been coming here since I was five and I love it! It always boosts my spirits and brings me closer to God,” I said looking wistfully at Jonah. “I love it, it’s an amazing place. You’ll love it too! Trust me.”
“Gee, sounds like you love it and thinks it's amazing.” he mocked me. I blushed a deep red and looked down at my feet. “Sorry, don't listen to me, no one else does.... if they did I wouldn't be here,” he said muttering the last bit so I just barely caught it.
I gasped again, “What do you mean no one listens to you? What about your parents? Don’t they? They must I mean who doesn’t listen to their kids?”
"Uh... well... generally parents don't listen to their kids when they don't like what they hear. They don't like that I don't feel like forcing their religion on everyone else. They don't like that they haven't been able to force it on me."
“How can you force religion on someone? Don’t you love our Savior?” I asked completely confused, my parents had never tried to force it on me. I had given my life to Jesus Christ freely, and I was better off for it.
"Not particularly --" I gasped, he paused then spoke again, clearly choosing his words more carefully. "I mean I have nothing against Jesus, just the way they've warped what he said."
“What do you mean?” I asked outraged, “They haven’t warped anything. The Bible is the word of God -- unchanged and untouched!”
Jonah took a deep breath before starting in on his rant, spewing facts that I had never heard. “The Bible was never pure, and it's nothing but change. It was never written by any of the apostles. Most of it was actually written by Pagan Romans. Which is why Sunday is the holy day in this religion. Originally it was Saturday, like in Judaism, but the Romans changed it to coincide with their festivals. And December 25th isn't Jesus’ actual birthday, it was said to be then so it would fit in with the celebrations of the Winter Solstice. Scholars say his birthday actually took place in the summer.”
My mouth gaped open in shock and anger. “How could you say that?” I asked harshly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Do your research. It’s all there. The only reason you don't know this stuff is because this religion doesn't allow independent thinking. They force information down your throat, and you accept it whether it's real or not. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the Bible is good, but a lot more of it is utter bullshit.”
My eyes widened, I opened my mouth to protest but no sound came out. He took my silence as an opportunity to continue his tirade. “It preaches love for everyone, then singles people out and says they're not worthy. It’s nothing but a load of hypocrisy.”
“Yeah but…” I paused and thought of the countless verses I had memorized in the Bible and realized… he was right. “Oh,” I said unsure as to what else to say. This boy had just managed to destroy everything I believed in the space of three minutes and I didn’t like it. I turned away from him to look out the window as a single tear slid down my cheek. I sniffed lightly and looked down at my parents who were waving happily at me.
Suddenly I wasn’t looking forward to this summer much anymore.
♠ ♠ ♠
The very first chapter. What do you all think? Shall we carry on?Comments = Love.
~trm