The Sword of God, A Saturday Centus

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I'm back once again to participate in week 166 of Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus, a fun and challenging literary meme that is an exercise in concise writing.  

You can visit Jenny's blog, off on my tangent, and share your own 100-word story or poem for the rest of us Centusians to enjoy by clicking on her button below.

This week Jenny has provided us a photo in lieu of a word prompt and instructed us to write a 100-word piece about this image.  What follows is my effort for this week.  I have entitled it:

The Sword of God

It was inevitable.

He’d seen enough torment and death.

For centuries man twisted His teachings of love and compassion for one another to fit their narrow-minded, prejudiced view of the world and to control and discriminate against those who didn’t conform.

Tonight there was no escape from His wrath.

Around the world lightning flashed, silencing those blasphemous voices that stirred the masses into a frenzy of anger, fear and intolerance in His name, while profiting from this wickedness.

Sadly, with the dawn new voices emerged, twisting His lesson as divine affirmation to continue their self-righteous, hateful ways.

The hypocrisy continued.

"We preach peace, forgiveness, tolerance and love. We practice vengeance, persecution, hatred and domination. My personal beliefs are supported and validated by my convictions. Oh, and never forget .... my religion is truth, yours is a lie." 

               
           — Religion, paraphrased (unknown)

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