Sorry, God, We Had No Choice

At the time of return, this was found:

A war-torn smoldering planet of rubbish. Seas littered with debris to last a thousand millenniums. Air destroyed, infected with disease and pollution. Deforested land, sapped of minerals for growth. Water poisoned from factories and a fractured earth. Heaping piles of toxic waste like boils upon the planet. The point of no return had passed. The damage irreversible. From paradise found to paradise lost.

And God asked, "Why?"

"Sorry, God, we had no choice."

A migrant farm worker spraying poison on food replied, "This is my job. I have to do it or my family dies. No choice."

The farmer replied, "I have to spray on poison or lose too much of the crop and I die. No choice."

The corporation that owned the farm replied, "We have to maximize production or we go out of business and we'll die. No choice."

A shareholder in the corporation replied, "If the stock falls I lose everything and I'll die. No choice."

The shareholder's child replied, "If I rebel my parents will cut me off and I'll die. No choice."

The child's teacher replied, "If I teach them not to obey I'll get fired and die. No choice."

The teacher's principal replied, "I have to make the parents happy or they'll leave me to die. No choice."

The taxpayers who funded the schools replied, "We have to support the schools or the government takes our homes and we die. No choice."

The leader of the government replied, "If I don't give the people what they want I'll fall from power and die. No choice."

A wealthy man who supported the leader replied, "I have to make it so I can take all I can or others will take all from me and I'll die. No choice."

The wealthy man's wife replied, "I must support my husband or I'll be divorced and die. No choice."

Their priest replied, "I must support those of means for the church to survive or the church will die. No choice."

A finance man who attended the church replied, "I must worship my numbers or be left to die. No choice."

A polluting factory owner replied, "I must do what the finance man says or lose my factory and die. No choice."

Military men who defended the factories replied, "We must follow orders to kill or we will die. No choice."

The military's nation replied, "We must make war on the world or we'll all die. No choice."

The world's liars replied, "If we tell the truth we'll be crucified and die. No choice."

Then God replied, "As always, I'll take you at your word. Nothing can be done. Goodbye."

The world replied, "But wait! You can do anything! You're free to do what You want! Please give us a world where we can live."

God replied, "I'm sorry, but when you say you have no choice you leave me no choice."