It’s Iimi! A Question of Authority

Once more, Kismetta has questions for Iimi. But they’re not so much aimed at “debunking” Christianity as it is asking to learn about Christianity. Iimi needs to tread carefully because how she replies could permanently affect how Kismetta accepts the Church’s answer to… A Question of Authority.

Post Comic notes:

It was a bad idea to use Arabic instead of <bracketed English> as Sumeja knows Arabic.  

For those curious about the dialogue Sumeja is hearing on the other end, this is the Google Translation of Page 2, panel 1:

Voice (Zara): من هذا عزيزي؟  (min hadh eazizi?)

(Who is this, dear?)

 

Bahrudin: أنا أتحدث إلى سوميجا ، الزوجة الأولى ، عزيزتي  ('ana 'atahadath 'iilaa Sumija, alzawjat al'uwlaa , eazizati)

 (I am speaking to Sumeja, the first wife, dear)

 

Zara:  لماذا اتصلت متأخرا جدا؟  أليس بعد اثنتي عشرة ساعة هناك؟  (limadha atasalat muta'akhiran jidana? 'alays baed aithnatay eashrat saeatan hunaka?)

(Why is she calling so late? Isn’t it twelve hours later there?)

 

I wrote it in English and translated it into Arabic. I’m sure a speaker of Arabic would have problems with the translation. Also, I didn't know it at the time, but Clip Studio tends to flip right-to-left languages into left-to-right. If you're an Arabic speaker, I apologize for the mess.

It’s Iimi! “Because X. Therefore, You’re Scum!”

We've become so polarized that we believe anyone who reaches a conclusion different from ours must be acting with willful malice. Sometimes, that can be true. But not always. We can't forget that some can be mistaken about the facts. Some can have a different but valid view that goes against ours.

 

If we would avoid rash judgment or calumny, we need to ask whether our views are true before we say that our opponents are guilty of knowingly siding with evil. Otherwise, we are to blame for the mutual hatred that divides us. Above all, we must reject the bulverism that claims one holds their position BECAUSE X. THEREFORE, YOU’RE SCUM.

It’s Iimi! Trust and Dialogue

When Pope Francis spoke to diplomats, he mentioned "Cancel Culture" (he used the English word) as one of the dangers of this time. He described the phenomenon as we know it in the West. It would be easy to think that "only they do that, but we do not" and conclude that we do not need to change.

 

The Problem with that kind of thinking is that the Pope's remedy is something we all should do but tend to neglect when we interact with others we disagree with: the willingness to take part in TRUST AND DIALOGUE.

It’s Iimi! Reigning Cats and Dogs

When Pope Francis mentioned the attitude that focusses on pets as if they were human while refusing to be open to raising actual humans because they are seen as inconvenient, he jogged many consciences and made many angry. But the arguments they raised to "refute" the Pope actually proved his point for him.

 

Whether through being open to children in marriage or through adoption, those who are able to create families with real children instead of "Fur Babies" take the unselfish attitude.

 

No, it's not a sin to have a pet. But it is past time to dethrone them from the altars we make for them. It's time to end the attitude of REIGNING CATS AND DOGS.

It’s Iimi! Paradigm Shift

We would rather stay in our comfortable little world instead of facing up to things that mean a change in how we have always understood things. But because God is "The Way, The Truth, and the Light," we can't always remain in such a state. When that happens, we have to determine what to do when facing a Paradigm Shift.

 

Post Comic Commentary: Perhaps some readers will think that the author note in the last panel kills any mystery about what Kismetta is up to. But in these suspicious times, I figure I must make that clarification about Kismetta. Why? Because either someone with anti-Muslim attitudes will wait eagerly for me to produce a comic where Kismetta to “go on a rampage” and justify their beliefs, or else someone will accuse me of being Islamophobic for “implying” she is a terrorist.

It’s Iimi! The Lies That Bind

Ever since Paula witnessed Krysta make the same bad judgment that led her to sexual activity, she’s been struggling with how to deal with it. Iimi’s still grounded. So, she’ll need to approach Krysta on her own. Will she be able to show to Krysta that the belief that carrying contraception “just in case” is not the last line of defense but instead something that weakens resolve. It’s not a truth that frees. It’s… The Lie That Binds.