It's Iimi! The Light Shines in the Darkness…

When Krysta affirms to Daryl that as long as he remains part of the SSPX, they cannot date, Daryl searches for a way out. In an act of desperation, he approaches Iimi. How will she answer him in a way that doesn't "win the argument but lose the arguer?"

Pre-Comic Notes:

Because I'm sure certain Radical Traditionalists and Anti-Catholics who read this will object to the cover/verse combination, read page 9 before posting angry comments.

Post-Comic Notes:

While I pray the misreporting on the "Pope okays transgender baptism" stories will be corrected by the time this comic is published, see HERE for the actual text if it is not.

The removal of Bishop Strickland from his diocese happened while I was working on the final production. So, it only got a few mentions in this story. But this incident would not change the story. If we trust God to protect His Church, we can trust that the Pope cannot teach error. That doesn't mean a "Pope teaching error" loses teaching authority. We can trust God to prevent the Pope from binding us to error."

It's no contest when it comes to following the Pope or following a bishop who opposes him. We must obey the Pope. The bishop loses his authority when he teaches in opposition to the successor of Peter.

In regards to scandal-mongering headlines about the Pope dining with transgender individuals, which came out after this comic was finalized, I’ll share what I wrote on my Facebook page:

“In other news, Jesus dines with prostitutes and tax collectors. Pope Francis is doing the same kind of thing… reaching out to the sinners with love.

Before we are tempted to act outraged, let’s not forget what Jesus said to the Pharisees who acted like that.”

Art Credits:

The Backdrop for the cover and street/park scenes are AI-generated. 

It's Iimi! The Challenge!

Two classmates thought they had devised a way to trap Iimi in a dilemma. They would ask a question that would force Iimi to either admit religion was not logical or to come up with an evasion they could call out as dishonest. How will Iimi handle things when faced with… The Challenge!

I recommend Peter Kreeft's A Refutation of Moral Relativism, which covers the topic in Socratic Dialogue form far better than a comic can handle.

No, Nila is not an idiot. Nor is she being portrayed as a stereotype. Instead, Bahrudin, Zara, and Raziq consider her an "uneducated foreign servant." (See Issues 116 and 117 for how Zara treats maids). Nila exploits it to pick up information for Sumeja. 

 

It's Iimi! You Bet Your Life!

 When her friends have prior commitments at lunch, Iimi accidentally encounters Rick and Mike, discussing belief and disbelief. When Mike says that he should consider skepticism because he doesn't know whether God exists or not, Iimi explains the concept of Pascal's Wager and the proper approach you should take when… You Bet Your Life!

Post-Comic Notes:

It should be noted that Iimi's presentation is a modified version of Pascal's Wager. Certain parts of the original seem to presume Jansenist tendencies (such as: "In the state of fallen nature no one ever resists interior grace," which opens the Wager to accusations of "fake it until you make it."). Iimi's take is more of a Mollinist approach, trusting that God will reach out but emphasizing the importance of using free will to respond when He does.

Rick's objections are the ones that always turn up on atheist sites that make fun of Pascal's Wager. The problem is these objections show they have a superficial focus.

The text and explanation of Pascal's Wager can be found HERE.

Art Credits:

The Page wallpapers were created from AI and Clip Studio assets except for…

Page 15: Wallpaper by Figu Design

The Cover is AI. The man playing Roulette is Blaise Pascal, as imagined by AI.

It's Iimi! International Intrigue!

When Bahrudin brought his wives to Malta with a scheme to get them all European citizenship, he hoped for a peaceful and simple trip. But Sumeja realized this was her one hope of setting up an escape hatch. But is she being followed? And if so, by whom? From the Emirates to Malta, from Malta to Zurich, from Zurich to Lisbon, how will Sumeja handle being caught up in the middle of… International Intrigue

Post-Comic Notes:

This was indeed a story aimed at providing background information for future stories. So, our heroines don't appear much in this story. But Iimi's point is a good one to frame the story in. We should pray for people to protect them from harm or to mitigate inevitable harm.

And, of course, when looking for heroes and villains, it would be good to remember that Kismetta's family is dysfunctional.

Between the rough draft and the publishing date, the EU requirements for a UAE passport holder changed. When the story was being prepared, an Emirati passport holder needed a Visa to visit the EU nations. It now allows visa-free travel for 90 days (It still needs a Visa for the United States). The American passport, beginning in 2025, will require an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) to travel Visa-free for 90 days in the Schengen zone countries of Europe.

That change required a rewrite of some pages. But the long and the short of it is that Sumeja wants Kismetta to live with her, and Bahrudin's polygamy means Zara can't apply for permanent residency in the United States. Therefore Europe. 

Art Credits:

The Cover was designed by "Bree Orlock" and Stardust Publications. Used with permission.

All page wallpapers by Figu Design.

Most of the panel backgrounds were done through AI. I wanted to capture the feel of these countries without risking violating the photography rights of those providing actual photos in the size and resolution I needed. (You can get free photos, and you can get high-quality photos. But the two categories seldom intersect.)