Napalm with Novocaine
So, let's have a chat about Chick's Tracts, a long-running series of comics written to let you know why you're probably going to hell.
If you don't happen to share Mr. Chick's views, it's very hard to discuss the man without exploding into a violent rage -- just ask Scott Kurtz. Chick certainly makes himself an easy target, and not just because his publishing company produces books that claim teaching evolution in the public schools causes students to go on shooting rampages. For decades, Chick has published comics about every subject imaginable. When you are telling that many people that they are going to hell, you're bound to anger a few of them.
Myself, I can barely begin to imagine the world from Chick's perspective, where evil lurks behind even the most mundane activities. My background in Christian theology is admittedly pretty limited, although probably no more so than it is in, say, the theory of evolution. I'm no more knowledgeable about gluons than I am about witchcraft, and I would probably be the wrong person to convince people that either exist. This is why I use this rant space to share my opinions about comics, as opposed to carbon dating. I don't try to inform people about subjects that I don't know anything about, because I don't want people to think I'm a jackass.
Unfortunately, Jack T. Chick is not afraid to tell people about things he doesn't understand. He is certainly sufficiently knowledgeable and qualified to inform others about his particularly intolerant brand of Christianity. But speaking as a person who has quite a bit of experience with rock music and Role Playing Games, I can tell you with complete assuridy that Chick doesn't possess even the most elemental understanding of either. I know from personal experience that most rock musicians and gamers are not knife-wielding, animal-sacrificing Satan worshipers. No, really! I am being totally serious.
It would be really nice if Chick would just stop talking about things he doesn't fully comprehend. In fact, it would be nice if people in general made an effort to actually learn in depth about a subject before trying to tell everyone else what to do. After all, you don't want to look like a jackass, do you?
Sam Logan
