THE THOROUGHLY MODERN SPIONZA.

• Author: Bagge, Peter

BLASPHEMER!

HERETIC!

YOU MUST DIE!

?!?

LATER...

... ALL I SAID IS THAT THE BIBLE CAN'T THE WORD OF GOD, SINCE IT CLEARLY WAS WRITTEN BT MEN--

HUSH

YOU MUST NEVER SAY SUCH THINGS OUT LOUD!

YOU SHOW SO MUCH PROMISE BENTO...

I'LL EVEN PAY YOU TO STAY SILENT ON SUCH MATTERS...

OTHER-WISE WE'LL HAVE TO EXCOMMUNICATE YOU!

REALLY?

I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WITNESS AN EXCOMMUNICATION CEREMONY...

LET'S DO THIS THING!

?!?

AND SO...

"... WE CURSE YOU BY DAY AND CURSE YOU BY NIGHT..."

(BENTO! NONE OF US CAN YOU UNLESS YOU REPENT!)

FINE BY ME...

...SINCE NOW I CAN BE MY OWN MAN...

AND PURSUE KNOWLEDGE ON MY OWN TERMS...

... WHILE EXCHANGING IDEAS WITH OTHER LIKE-MINDED SCHOLARS!

HOURS LATER...

GREETINGS, MADAM, I SEE YOU HAVE A--

SAY AREN'T YOU THAT GOD-HATING JEW I HEARD ABOUT?

LATER: A VISIT FROM ASTRONOMER CHRISTIAN

I MUST SAY, JEW, THAT YOUR CRAFTMENSHIP IS SECOND TO NONE...

THIS MICROSCOPE YOU BUILT FOR ME IS THE BEST I'VE EVER SEEN!

YOU ARE TOO KIND SIR...

...I MYSELF AM QUITE INTERESTED IN THE SCIENCE OF OPTICS--

I TELL EVERYONE: "YOU MUST USE THE JEW OF VOORBURG'S LENSES...

"...YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!"

I, UH DO HAVE A NAME, YOU KNOW..

NO NEED TO THANK ME, JEW...

JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

MY TUTOR'S DAUGHTER POSSESSES A FINE MIND...

PERHAPS ONE DAY SHE AND I COULD--

HEY, MARIA! LOOK AT WHAT I BROUGHT YOU!

IF'S THAT BRASH YOUNG BORDER...

=GASP!=

A PEARL NECKLACE!

WANNA HIT THW TOWN WITH MW?

YOU BET!

SLAM

HURRUMPH...

GIRLS ARE STUPID!

BEIDEN UNIVERSITY, 1660...

DESCARTES IS OFFICIALLY BANNED FROM THIS SCHOOL...

BUT WE OPENLY DISCUSS HIS PHILOSOPHY ANYWAY...

AS WELL YOU SHOULD!

DESCARTES' APPEALS TO REASON HAVE HAD A PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON ME...

IN FACT, I'M CURRENTLY WRITING A TREATISE ON HIS WORK!

OH? PERTAINING TO WHAT, EXACTLY?

PERTAINING TO EVERYTHING HE GOT WRONG.

8670...

IN MY

NEWEST TREATISE, I ARGUE THAT RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY MUST BE SEPARATE...

... THAT RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE ONLY GETS IN THE WAY OF FREE SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY...

UH-HUH

...AND THAT CHURCH AND STATE SHOULD SHOULD BE SEPARATE, TO PREVENT RELIGIOUS LEADERS FROM IMPOSING THEIR BELIEFS ON OTHERS...

INTERESTING.

OUR THRIVING REPUBLIC IS PROOF THAT DEMOCRACY IS THAT BEST FROM OF GOVERNMENT...

... AND THAT ALL

MEN SHOULD HAVE A HAND IN DEVISING OUR SOCIAL CONTRACT.

UHHH...

YOU DO KNOW THAT A FRIEND OF OURS JUST DIED IN PRISON FOR WRITING SOMETHING SIMILAR...

INDEED! AND I', DETERMINED TO PUBLISH THIS IN HONOR OF HIS MEMORY!

B-BUT AREN'T YOU AFRAID THAT--

NO, BECAUSE I WANT MAKE THE SAME...