Rich nations, poor nations,
the former perceived as the seat of cancers,
the latter considered as less cancer-ridden.
Rich nations employ science – of good governance, research and alliances,
poor nations battle with malaria, TB, AIDS plus corrupt government.
The former advance significantly in their vision,
the latter now triple burdened by tropical diseases, cancer, plus corrupt government.
Rich nations now bidding goodbye to unhealthy lifestyle,
poor nations now hugging Western-owned tobacco industries and diets.
Whatever happened to poor nations’ religions?
To jampacked churches and coliseums?
If by choice, more human bodies are assaulted by smoking?
Have smoking Buddhists and Hindus, Taoists and African indigenous religionists, Christians and Muslims,
taken to heart the sacredness of the body-as-gift?
What’s the point of worship when religionists,
stick by stick wage war against their bodies?
Isn’t religion also about choice for the sacred, for life?
Rich nations are making intelligent choices,
poor nations still starry-eyed over puffed heart-shaped smokes.
Is it time to revise the creeds?
Or simply the time to be true to what one confesses?
——————
Inspired by a Medline report that cancer death will hit 17 million in 2030, notably in poor countries with tobacco smoking as a key determinant in cancer risk.
Photo credit: David in Birmingham
Climbing Mt. Tabor/DesertFishing... 
thanx
Yes you are right, I agree with what you say, but!!! we all have free will, you don’t have to smoke, you can choose to take precautions when having sex, as a spiritual person myself, I choose to eat good food, I choose not to smoke and take that toxin into my body, I choose not to over indulge in alcohol, I am married, so the sex thing is OK, but if I was single, I would choose to take precautions with sex, and would commit to one person, and not be searching for sexual partners all over the place, when following a spiritual path there are a certain amount of sacrifices, if you can call it that, giving up on the stuff that creates havoc in the body, and other peoples lives, what’s wrong with self discipline. if you can’t discipline your self, then what is that telling you. kind regards, John.