Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for May 31, 2009
Transcript:
Rev. Sloan: "The wrath of God being revealed in Heaven!" Sam: Again? Reverend Sloan, I've been noticing something about the readings in church... Rev. Sloan: What's that, Sam? Sam: Well, whenever you read from the Old Testament, God is always crabby and snarky to everyone... but the New Testament isn't about anger at all - it's about love. God's only son is this total pacifist - he wouldn't harm a flea. He's just this humble dude who's mellow to everyone - even the Romans! He only really snaps once, right? B.D.: With who, honey? Sam: The moneylenders, Mom! B.D.: Oh, right. What is it about moneylenders? Rev. Sloan: They do seem to set people off, don't they?
Steve Bartholomew over 15 years ago
He didn’t like that fig tree much, either.
BE THIS GUY over 15 years ago
He has always been in religion. Reverend Sloan has been around since the beginning of the Doonesbury strip
DesultoryPhillipic over 15 years ago
Told it like it was to the whited sepulchers and those who were of their father the devil also.
pschearer Premium Member over 15 years ago
Christianity is based on the doctrine that man is inherently flawed if not downright evil, and that the reward for a good life on this corrupt earth comes in a perfect afterlife after we die. So it is natural that those who “pile up riches on earth” rather than preparing for the next life are despised. Surely you’ve heard that “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven”.
These are just a few of the intertwined anti-reality, anti-happiness, anti-success, anti-man principles of the most consistent practitioners of Christianity. I still struggle to understand how anyone can believe this junk.
Detrick Premium Member over 15 years ago
One thing I like about Trudeau is that he can be specific to now and also be timeless.
3hourtour Premium Member over 15 years ago
Ha….jesus done right…great strip..
IanThal over 15 years ago
This particular strip perpetuates a misreading of the Bible.
In the Tanakh, the Jewish Bible, which Christians refer to as “The Old Testament”, God can be “crabby and snarky” as Sam suggests, however, God is also portrayed as loving, forgiving, merciful, and nurturing as well. It all depends on what passages one stresses.
By contrast, the God of the New Testament is the same God who condemns most of humanity to eternal damnation if they don’t accept Jesus as Christ– I’m not certain that it’s fair to say, in Sam’s words, that “It’s about love.”
This misreading of scripture has been used for many centuries to excuse, and even promote, Christian contempt for and hostility towards Jews and Judaism. Rev. Sloan, who has been presented as a progressive since his first appearances, should have corrected Sam’s misreading (or even questioned if he’s been giving her and his other congregants the wrong message.)
Joel Deitch Premium Member over 15 years ago
Thank you, Ian - you just said what I was about to type.
skyzyx over 15 years ago
Leave all of it out but the words of Jesus, and there you will find what true Christianity is. Self-serving “doctrine” (doctoring) has been plastered over the meaning and the message. Xtianity is now known to most people as only a power-play by the political powers that be, who are, of course, the moneylenders themselves.
pibfan868 over 15 years ago
I firmly believe that every day, we–all humanity–make or break heaven and hell right here on earth. If we ever really get it that what happens to one happens to all, the world will be a really different place.
KenyarJad over 15 years ago
Messianic Jews.
Nairebis over 15 years ago
People hate moneylenders because the lenders expect people to pay back the money they borrow. People always hate others who expect them to be responsible.
pouncingtiger over 15 years ago
It seems like Gary Trudeau is starting to be influenced by George Carlin.
Paudil over 15 years ago
“Christianity is based on the doctrine that man is inherently flawed if not downright evil, and that the reward for a good life on this corrupt earth comes in a perfect afterlife after we die.”
Nope. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works. Those who live good lives get essentially the same reward as those who live bad lives.
ronebofh over 15 years ago
IanThal and others: the Old Testament God is clearly an abusive spouse: sweet and kind when He wants to be, but if He doesn’t get his way, that’s when the belt comes out. It’s a pretty classic pattern. He loves us… so long as we don’t cross Him.
sammyd: you’re so cute when you’re being clueless.
IanThal over 15 years ago
“IanThal very good post. Trudeau is very intolerant of people who do not think exactly as he does.”
Thanks, fbjsr, however, I don’t think you are being fair to Trudeau. B.D. is a case in point of a character whose politics are very different from Trudeau’s own, yet is treated with great sympathy.
Sam is actually repeating an interpretation of Scripture that is common to both Catholic and Protestant Christianity. In that sense, Trudeau is representing Sam (and mainline Protestantism very fairly.) The problem is that Sloan has always been presented as a progressive, liberal clergyman who cares deeply about social-justice issues (likely a reader of James Carroll or Gary Wills), and so would be aware that Sam’s interpretation of Scripture has anti-Semitic implications– even if she never intended it that way.
IanThal over 15 years ago
“The Canon of what we now consider the Bible was decided by the Counsel of Nicea”
Actually, DoctorToon, that’s only the Christian Canon. Your use of “we” in that sentence excludes Jews from the conversation, after all, Sam is making statements about Jewish scripture, and thus, indirectly about Judaism that have ugly interpretations.
RonBerg13 Premium Member over 15 years ago
Obama’s icon is going to be moneylenders?
risitas over 15 years ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGrlWOhtj3g
TapiocaHead over 15 years ago
These Wallstreeters!
wndrwrthg over 15 years ago
If man is “inherently flawed”, then that means his creator is fallible. Why would a creation be created with a flaw? If man was given free will, why is he punished for exercising it? Truth be told there is no god.
Shikamoo Premium Member over 15 years ago
Nairebis said, about 9 hours ago
People hate moneylenders because the lenders expect people to pay back the money they borrow. People always hate others who expect them to be responsible.
Money changers in the temple charged the Gentles an exhorbinant price for thier “temple money” Jesus knew this, because he knew his scripture, which of course was the Tanakh. That is why he told them they were turning his Fathers house into a “den of thieves”.
Shikamoo Premium Member over 15 years ago
DoctorToon: How true. If fact, anyone who has studied scripture knows that the Jewish scripture over the centuries has undergone revisions too. The canon called the Old and New Testament is meant to be a Christian Bible, or Holy Scriptures. It includes Jewish Holy Scriptures with Christian Holy Scriptures. The New Testamnet, especially the Gospels has hundreds of quotes form the Tanakh and the prophets.
jaiel over 15 years ago
I think what we are really missing is that Sam never asked her question. We cant defend or destroy a child for innocent question of her faith which all children do at least Rick listened and not shut her down like some adults do.
Durak Premium Member over 15 years ago
Let’s cut Trudeau and Rev. Sloan some slack here. This is supposed to be a chat around the kitchen table, not a lecture hall. It’s a cute joke. And like Detrick said it works now and it’ll work 100 years from now. Christ probably would have laughed at it himself. I think a sense of humor is probably a requirement for God. I mean, look at human beings. You know there had to be a joke involved there.
gimmickgenius over 15 years ago
jaiel said, about 5 hours ago
…. at least Rick listened and not shut her down like some adults do.
Rev. Sloan’s first name is Scott.
Llywus over 15 years ago
gmartin997 said, 1 day ago
Since when did Garry Trudeau get into religion?
“And the part of baby Jesus will be played by a hidden 25 watt light bulb”, Reverend Sloan announcing the annual Christmas pageant, ca 1972
Solomon J. Behala Premium Member 7 days ago
All the “love” of the NT are just quotes and repackagings from the OT.