ANTAGORAS OF AEGYPTUS MINOR

           

                          THE CREDULITY OF SAINT THOMAS

                   Though he was as prudent as a sceptical camel        

            Voiced his doubts clearly and without endless yammer

              Thrust a strong hand that could well heft a hammer         

                       Thomas rediscovered his lost faith anyway.         

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                            A Brief Excerpt From THE GEOMETRICAL

                            METAETHICS OF SPACE-TIME RELATIVITY

                     ...THUS SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISCONTINUITIES PRECLUDE

                     ANY UNIVERSALLY APPLICABLE MORAL CODE AND RENDER ALL

                     EFFORTS TO CREATE ONE TRIVIAL EXERCISES IN FUTILITY.

                     MORAL JUDGMENTS ARE NECESSARILY CONTINGENT UPON LOCALITY

                     AND CHRONALITY. THEY MUST BE MADE BY A RATIONAL OBSERVER

                     FULLY COGNIZANT OF RELEVANT SITUATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

                     TIME AND DISTANCE ARE DETERMINATIVE, SO EVEN RATIONAL

                     OBSERVERS CANNOT JUDGE EVENTS BEYOND THE EDGES OF THEIR

                     IDIOSYNCHROSTERE WHICH IS THE 1 CUBIC METER, 4-DIMENSIONAL

                     REAL-TIME ISOLATION BOOTH THAT SURROUNDS EVERY HUMAN BEING.

                                                THIS IDIOSYNCHROSTERE MIGHT BE A CUBOID

                                             6 FEET BY 3 FEET BY 2 FEET CONTAINING A SINGLE

                                               COPULATING COUPLE OR TWO ROTTING CORPSES.

                     BECAUSE COPULATING COUPLES ARE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS RATHER

                     THAN RATIONAL OBSERVERS AND CORPSES ARE UNABLE TO OBSERVE

                     OR JUDGE ANYTHING, MORAL JUDGMENTS ARE NEVER VALID EXCEPT...

                   

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                                              MAGNUM OPUS: IN SEARCH OF

                                                THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE

                                                 AND HOW DIETH THE WISE MAN? AS THE FOOL.

                                                                                    —ECCLESIASTES 2:16

                      A MOB OF TRUE BELIEVERS SEIZES THE FUGITIVE FREETHINKER

                      NEAR THE GATE TO THE SEPULCHRE OF THE SEVEN PATRIARCHS.

                      THEY STRIP THE HATED REBEL. BIND, BEAT, AND BLIND HIM.

                      DRAG HIM NAKED AND BLEEDING THROUGH JEERING STREETS.

                      IN THE ROYAL SQUARE THEY SHACKLE HIM, STILL DEFIANT,

                      TO A BROKEN GRANITE OBELISK BESIDE THE GREAT TEMPLE.

                      THE CROWD COLLECTS BRICKBATS AND COBBLESTONES FROM

                      THE RUBBLE FOUND IN PUBLIC PLACES. BUILDS BONFIRES AND

                      SHARES FLASKS TO FIGHT NIGHT'S CHILL. AWAITS THE DAWN.

                      THEN THE HIGH PRIEST WILL IMMOLATE A WHITE RAVEN

                      ON THE TEMPLE STEPS AND THESE RIGHTEOUS ONES WILL

                      RUTHLESSLY CULL A WICKED MAVERICK FROM THEIR HERD.

                      THE DESPISED PRISONER PONDERS THE OBJECT OF HIS FAILED

                      QUEST, THE TREASURE SOUGHT BY SO MANY AND FOR SO LONG.

                         WILL THE GREAT WORK SOMEDAY PERMIT MAN TO PERFECT HIMSELF?

                         OR MUST THAT GIFT FOREVER REMAIN BEYOND HIS GRASP BECAUSE

                         THE GREEDY GODS DECREE ENLIGHTENMENT TO BE THEIRS ALONE?

                                    COME MORNING, AN ACTUAL STONE WILL CRUSH

                                       THE SEEKER'S SKULL, ENDING HIS RUMINATIONS.