believers

you mean you still say i believe even if i don't believe?

yes, and i say you believe more than the believers who can't bear to think there might not be a god. they go to church out of fear, and the church says, "come here for forgiveness -- but don't change! stay drunk, poor and ragged -- we need you stupid, to fight our wars and kill for the god we tell you exists!"

mingus, are you a communist or something?

what i'm saying is as old as man's first time out. during the stone age while the others were out with clubs beating each other up some cats were thinking this way. bird and i talked about this.

bird believes in god, mingus?

you know he does. someday one of us put-down, outcast makers of jazz music should show those church-going clock-punchers that people like monk and bird are dying for what they believe. that duty's supposed to be left to holy men but they"re so busy building temples they haven't got time for you and me. dig? you say you're dying and know it, fats, and you aren't afraid. then why don't you die now? if you know there's no god then you have the power of god. there's no need to kill yourself -- think yourself to death. go ahead, fats, you know you're right there ain't no god. you now more than christ, buddha, socrates, plato, mohammed, bird, judas, mingus, casals, stravinsky, benjamin franklin, swami vivikananda and norman mailer! you know there ain't no god, you know more than anyone except some of them dumb agents, critics and congressmen.

charles mingus, "beneath the underdog", 1971