Death Bed
Gaz Brookfield Lyrics

A man once asked this question of me, "What do you believe?"
A man asked me about my beliefs

I said "I don't believe in anything or anyone, but me"
I stated that I only believe in myself

He said, "Aren't you scared of what will happen to you when you die?"
He asked if I'm afraid of dying

I said, "I'm more afraid of never living life while I'm alive"
I fear not living fully while I'm alive

And that man he looked me in the eye, convinced my soul was damned
He stared at me and believed my soul was destined for hell

Unless I signed it over to a fairy tale man
Unless I accepted a religious belief

He said, "My boy I'll pray for you, I know you can be saved"
He told me he'd pray for my salvation

I said, "Save your prayers for those who care, for me it is too late"
I declined his offer and said it's too late for me

I can't bare the thought of lying on my death bed with regrets
I don't want to regret anything when I die

Of places I've not ventured, people I have never met
I don't want to regret not exploring or meeting new people

I want to live like every second is the last I will achieve
I want to live each moment to the fullest

And as long as I hurt no one then who cares what I believe?
As long as I harm no one, my beliefs shouldn't matter

That man he talked for hours about the virtues of his faith
He spoke at length about his religious beliefs

And I could see the stony cold conviction on his face
I saw his unwavering conviction in his beliefs

He fired every weapon in his armory of lies
He used every argument in his arsenal, some of which were untrue

And some of it made sense to me, much to my surprise
Some of it was convincing, despite my initial skepticism

But I had to remind myself that he was well rehearsed
I had to remember he was skilled in rhetoric

At attempting to exploit fear by mis-quoting bible verse
He tried to scare me by twisting scripture

I know your game my friend, you target people when they're weak
I recognized his tactics of preying on the vulnerable

The vulnerable and disillusioned man falls at your feet
Those who are struggling are easily swayed by his words

If your beliefs bring comfort to your heart
If your beliefs bring you solace

Then who am I to try and tear your world apart?
I shouldn't try to dismantle your belief system

I wish you well in your endevours and your life
I send you my best wishes

And I'll leave you to yours, if you leave me to mine
We can respect each other's beliefs

It's not your place to impose religious law
You shouldn't force your beliefs on others

On the rest of us, like so many have before
As others have tried to do in the past

And it's equally not my place to say you're wrong
I shouldn't claim that your beliefs are incorrect

I don't have to read your book, and you don't have to like this song
We don't have to agree on anything

I know my way of thinking should allow the courtesy
My beliefs should afford me some humility

For men like you to testify your faith to men like me
You should be able to share your beliefs with me

But the difference that I see between belief, and having none
The disparity between having faith and not

Is a lack of faith has never waged a war with anyone
People without faith haven't instigated wars

And as long as I hurt no one then who cares what I, who cares what you, who cares what we believe?
As long as we don't harm anyone, our beliefs don't matter