A controversial poem which compares God to “a mythical creature, like a unicorn” was reportedly presented to students in the context of a lesson on Greek mythology at Cedartown Middle School. The lesson in question took place on August 30, as the sixth grade teacher discussed ancient Greek myths.

The poem called “Unicorn” was written by someone who goes by “K.H.” and it reads:

If you drink the blood you will
Live for ever.
It makes a good story in a book
Like Harry Potter.

The idea of God makes
Young children
Laugh and feel safe at night.
But when you grow older
And see the evil in the world
And the face of death
Like a shadow
Behind the eyes
Of every living thing,
Then where is God?

Then God is revealed in all his
Foolishness
A naked lie
A childish dream
A mythical creature
Like the
Unicorn

The school where the poem was presented has already apologized. Officials from the school have consistently rejected the notion that the poem was intended to dissuade children from believing in God. Principal Shannon Hulsey called the use of the poem a “mistake.”

“In no way whatsoever would we want to defame God or go anywhere in that direction at the school,” she said.

The Polk County School District echoed the sentiments of the school, calling the poem’s inclusion in the lesson “an unfortunate mistake.”

“We had meaningful conversations and believe that the inclusion of this article to have been made not by malicious intent nor the desire to denounce the faith or beliefs of any of our students, staff or community members.”

Of course, many parents were horrified by this text presented to their children. A statement from the school said district officials met with concerned parents Thursday. “We expressed that the selection will not be used in our school in the future. We are in full support of educating the whole child, including supporting the parent’s right to choose what personal beliefs about religion will be taught to their children,” the statement reads.

According to The Blaze, possible origin of “Unicorn” is a 2013 collection of poems titled “Reflections on God Islam and Life.” The author of the collection — “Johar Mohammad, aged 14-15” — indicates that “Unicorn” is among a number of poems penned by other teenagers.

The question is why the poem which tells about God from the perspective of those who don’t believe couldn’t be presented in school where the kids learn about Christianity and Greek mythology. Atheism as a stance on the existence of deities is something that students also need to learn about.

Photo Credits: Wikimedia