| A Discourse on Theology, Part III: The Final Part The wake was held the next day and funeral a few days after that, which was odd because this caused the ceremony to fall on a weekday and it could as been easily put off until the weekend since the embalming process would have allowed the body to remain fresh thus avoiding any inconvenience for the guests. He decided not to attend either for a pile of flesh had little need for attention, and the other though wanting to go opted not to since he barely knew anyone who would be present and for some reason could not bear going to such a thing without his impious friend. About a week later he and the other decided to go for a stroll in the quietest part of town which happened to be the very cemetery where the old man had been buried. “What a shame that such a beautiful landscape is wasted on a town for the dead,” he said. Annoyed the other replied, “This land is not simply an abode of the dead it is an area where the progeny of the deceased may gather in remembrance.” “How difficult is it to remember a corpse?” said he. “No, not the corpse but the man that was the corpse, or more accurately the man that the corpse was, is to be remembered.” To this he had no reply and he and the other continued on their way. Eventually he and the other passed an aberrant structure and he stated, “Such a monument detracts greatly from the surrounding beauty.” To which the other replied, “Surely you jest my impious associate for the beauty of this holy image can solely augment the natural monuments by the Creator. Only a callous boor could deny this.” “How intriguing it is that you slander incessantly in your god’s defense. Tell me, how is it that the almighty would feel about that?” “I assume that He would want the ignorant to of their deficiency in order to rectify it. Anyway, that has little to do with the dead or their monuments. Maybe it is you who wishes to find any opportunity to slander Him?” A bit flustered by this accusation, which was in part true for he had been attempting to slander Him as each chance arose but he did so only to emancipate his pious pal from service under faith, he answered, “What type of omnipotent being has need for the defense of man? What almighty being fears calumny from its slaves? What creator would stand for denigration from his creations?” “Undoubtedly none would allow it. Such things would be thoroughly disallowed and if perpetrated severely punished.” “Then where is the wrath of your god? Where is its divine justice? I have not yet seen my chastisement for my slanderous ways. Why has it not punished me? Surely my creator much like my progenitors would reproach me immediately after the insult, especially after the gravity of the one I have perpetrated? What is that you will say now? Will you pronounce the penalty of eternal damnation? No, that will not do for what of the stories from your precious book? What of the flames from the heavens? I am sure there are enough of us to warrant that. Or is it that my vile tongue is not so poisonous after all? Maybe I do not slander for how could one slander the nonexistent?” The other could hardly conceive what he said. This was the most passion the other had seen in him as of yet and knew that there was little he could say at this time that would not be scrutinized to the point of destruction; therefore the other decided to remain silent. “Nothing to say, eh? It seems that your piety has rendered you dumb,” he said as they ventured further into the city of the departed. Deeper into the dormant realm he and the other came upon a life-sized representation of the only true Christian strung up by the wrists on a cross. Immediately the other made a Sign, folded his hands and thanked the iron and stone for the redemption of the souls of the dead. Sensing an opportunity to liberate his pious friend he said, “Why is it that you pray for the spirits of the dead?” “For divine protection on the path to paradise.” “Paradise? The nonexistent land of recompense? Did we not already disprove its existence?” “No, your paltry proofs provide little to dissuade me of its existence.” “Well, that is interesting but surely you do not think the soul survives its creator?” “Indeed it does not for the Creator is eternal.” “What? You know full well the body creates the soul.” “Ha! You see, I told you that your blasphemy has no effect on the faithful for He is the Almighty.” Seeing that he was making no progress he changed the subject slightly saying, “Well, then tell me this; why do the souls of men, the invaluable creations of your god, need to be redeemed?” “Sin, the corrupter, the adulterator of the essence is what makes necessary the redemption of men.” “Please, elucidate further this concept for I have little knowledge of it.” “Oh, but you do, you know all too well what sin is for it is all you do, all you have ever done. Every blasphemous word you speak, every vile thought, every impious action, every indiscretion is sin and for this man must be redeemed.” “Indeed I truly am a sinner in your sense of the word but what of those to whom indiscretion is not extant?” “Well, if there were such a man even he would be guilty of the sin of genesis. Yes, even a saint needs to be redeemed.” “No.” “No?” “There is no such sin. What god would limit knowledge? What god would abscond with truth and tempt its progeny with it? Surely not your woman of a god.” “He would never tempt for he is not the tempter, He simply wished to protect them from the horrors of reality.” “Ah, it was your god’s will for man to live fallaciously in an illusory utopia. It was his will to deceive man. How benevolent can a deceiver be?” “Deceiver?” “Yes, it wished to fib to humanity. It wished to keep humanity safe and fed and happy and most of all ignorant to its captivity similar to how a man keeps a dog. Are we simply its pets?” “Verily, you are making too much of a false deity, or is it that now you think that He is real?” “No. No god that calls knowledge sin could exist. And without the existence of such a being, who decides what sin is? What could possibly have the rights of divinity? Could it be men? Could it be that men are the designers of these devices? Yes, man created sin to control other men. And why not go further to say men created your god to facilitate their rule over the baser men. But what gives them the right? No one. They have no right, hence there no sin. With no sin there is no redemption, so tell me now for what did your messiah die?” Verily, to this the other had no response and wondered, “If this were true then for what reason did the Savior die?” Realizing that his pious friend had once again become mute he went on, “I will tell you why. The true Christian died solely to make apparent you pathetic self-pity.” “Untrue,” said the other violently, “Can’t you see that that man was no true Christian, that he perpetrated the sole true sin. Yes, he died because of his pity for man.” Rain began to fall causing the rusted iron to drip over the sculpted wounds. Both he and the other decided that it would be better if they had started back now so they did. Returning to the shallow they could not help noticing the enhanced beauty of the cemetery in the rain. They had become closer somehow and seemed completely undivided as though they were one. Verily, this unity was not solely cognitive for the Christian and the Antichrist were parts of the same man. And this man now knew completely of the pious and the impious and undoubtedly beyond them. The man had risen to a greater height far above the point a lesser man could reach; the air was clear and fresh. The man had exceeded humanity, he had become a god. |