The Believers Poem by Romella Kitchens

The Believers

'Those who have faith stand up and are counted in life again and again. For, they are God's children, responding to His mighty call.'

1.
Sociology class many years ago, the professor,
a chauvinist, an intellectual bully and a rod rigid atheist,
self-espoused.

'Students, ' he railed, there is no God. God is a fiction used
by societies to control the masses, to make human beings feel safe, supported and protected. God is a folktale. Any intelligent person would not believe in Him. You are educated people, surely you do not believe in this. Or, you believe in the Easter Bunny, too.'

My friend and I, believers in God and Christ raised our hands in dispute.

'Surely not ladies. It is parental teaching you must divorce yourself from. Well then, ' he admonished, 'Tomorrow, if some of you believe in God, I will defy you! I will challenge you to stand up for your beliefs before everyone else. No matter how silly you will look. No matter what hair brained donkies you are. Be prepared! Class dismissed! '

My friend and I ate lunch together. Prayed. Decided to stand.
2.
The next day, the Professor, large, red haired, imposing brash voice said, 'Well, ' rustling his lecture notes on his lecturn, 'It is time to demonstrate idiocy, blatant fallacy. Will anyone regressed enough, a primitive peasant enough to believe in God please stand? '

And, my friend and I stood, both of us Christians.
Then,4 more students stood.
Then, a Muslim student stood stating, ' Look, the point here is, we all love and believe in God. No matter what name we call Him. He is Most High.
He is all I know in this world with certainty. You will not
deter me. Of course, I stand proudly.'

Then, his friend stood, smiling, his face glowing, 'God is God.Yes, I stand, too. Can't stop me.'
And, a student who was Jewish stood.
And then, an Asian and a Hindu.

A young blonde, shy, female with pretty green eyes stood as well beaming, 'Just call me primitive.'

Other students applauded.
The teacher flushed red. 'Well, ' my friend said, 'What happens now? Do you stone all of us? Or,
maybe here a few hard slams with a chair? If so, I stand prepared. That is what super humans do, aye? Stone the 'feeble minded'? If not physically, emotionally? '

The Professor turned even redder.
'Well, actually, Miss. Cottrell. I had not anticipated this. My apologies.I have never had a class with students who had the courage to stand.'

We, the 'standers' all smiled at each other, nodded and were never bullied for our beliefs again.