Teeth like
hot coals
my eyes deceive my soul
God spoke to me so gently,
"Son you're not alone. I'll show you for a small fee."

But the world was not enough for you,
you wanted more.
So you reached into the pockets
of a man,
on a bed,
that a dead man lived in
until you told him he could not afford euphoria.

You frighten me by showing me these things
like the end of the world
and places I'd never want to be,
and say, "Trust in me or die."
How could I,
when all you do is frighten me?
You scare the Hell out of me.
You scare the Death out of me.

(ASCENSION)

[interview with minister]
Minister: Religion is always in the control business, and so they created this fiery place which has, quite literally, scared the hell out of a lot of people.
Interviewer: But wait a minute, you're saying that Hell; the idea of a place under the earth or somewhere where you're tormented for an eternity is actually an invention of the church???
M: Oh yes. The church doesn't like for people to grow up. The people don't need to be born again, they need to grow up. They need to accept their responsibilities for themselves in the world.

Up in the light
there is a blindness
that will consume
your soul.
Down below
the embers burn
the dead will suffer
because he said so.

[interview]
Interviewer: What do you make of the theology these days in America which is that there is one guaranteed way not to go to hell, and that is to accept jesus as your personal savior.
Minister: Every church I know claims that we are the true church. That they have some ultimate authority; we have the infallible pope, we have the inherit bible. The idea that the truth of God can be bound in any human system, by any human creed, by any human book, is almost beyond imagination for me.

But the world was not enough for you,
you wanted more.
So you reached into the pockets
of a man,
on a bed,
that a dead man lived in
until you told him he could not afford euphoria.
But that was not enough for you,
you need control.
So you cut down nonbelievers
and their mothers
and their sisters!
The children run
until you told them
they were not alone.
You hold their hand.

And they say,
"I'll come with you
till it's me up on that bed.
I will wait until I'm dead
to know that lies are all you said."