The Ship Of God

From the safety of my ship I saw theirs. I read the name on its bow: "The Ship Of God". All around the edges were crosses crucifying men, women and children alike. The ship's captain was livid in his lecture to them.

"God damn you people! Just who do you think you are to ruin the lives of others? Who the hell are you to think it's OK to take lives just because you see fit? Who can live with people like that? Nobody, I tell you! You are monsters!"

As further penance for their treason the crucified were also gagged to "prevent them from spreading further poisonous lies."

"For your militant and obstinate ways you now pay! Who are you to insist how we are to live at the expense of my life? We shall not let you bring death to us! God will not allow it!"

Wild cheers overflowed the ship from the uncrucified. The newly elected captain had come to take charge and save their sinking ship at last. One child had yet to be educated.

"Captain, sir, how do we know you're right and they are wrong?"

"Son, we live on a free ship and the citizens have spoken! It's time you learned the value of voting. It's your civic responsibility and without it this ship would sink."

"But doesn't the idea that voting alone will save us presupposes that the people voting are not assholes?"

"First mate! Prepare another cross!"

The boy was gagged, crucified and educated under the hot sea sun.

"We've heard enough from the traitors, always tearing us down, always hurting our feelings. We're not going to take it anymore. We shall be loved!"

Nobody wanted the party to end

The captain was of the Hole Driller party ("Drill, baby, drill!" their slogan) and for years had been drilling holes through the hull in great glee. But they'd had enough of the "fascists" telling them they couldn't have their holes and ship too.

"Look at them! These people would prevent us from living our lives as we see fit. We shall keep our godly ways! Are we not named the ship of God? We bless ourselves!"

The Hole Drillers were celebrating the era of a new dawn, glorying in their victory. "They said we had to change. They said we weren't good enough. But who's sorry now? It's drilling that makes us great, that proves we are above nature. Our ship is not sinking from the drilling we've done. It's sinking because we've not drilled enough!"

Horrid debates had raged between those who were for sinking the ship and those against it. In the name of fairness, both sides were given equal time to ensure an honest and objective outcome. In the end the media declared themselves the winner for pretending to not know the truth.

But the captain was of a new breed, uniting the ship as one (except for those on the crosses, of course). He bewailed the effects of drilling while yet even increasing its practice. This appeased both sides: those who wanted to drill and those happy giving mere lip service to change. The captain crowed in his victory.

"Let the naysayers be heard to be wrong! We are a great ship and we are going back to the great days when he had fewer holes and our ship rode high in the water! Rest easy, good people. The debate is over. We shall continue on. We have protected our future!"

As I watched from my own ship I knew it wouldn't be long before they reached the point of no return. In their haste to "prove" their morality, all the life boats had been burned, deemed unnecessary on such a perfect ship. Soon, reality trumped all debate as water levels rose beyond what the pumps could handle (even though they had promised technology would always save them). As the ship sank, I heard one lone voice cry out: "There is no God!"

I could only shake my head in refusal. "Just because there's no God on your ship doesn't mean there's no God!"