It's Iimi! One Big Fish Story?!

We meet the Science teacher who replaced Mr. Gehr. Like so many teachers in the school, he is skeptical of religious claims. But unlike many teachers, he's at least willing to listen to other views. When he announces his doubts about Jonah, how will Iimi approach his claim that it is no more than… One Big Fish Story

Post-Comic Notes:

Iimi's rejection of Mr. Chapman's argument as circular was inspired by Peter Kreeft's Between Heaven and Hell pp. 73-76.

Many people are surprised that the Bible never mentions a "whale" or the "shores of Nineveh." I suspect it is a holdover from Bible School/CCD for young children. But arguing over whether Jonah could have survived for three days in the belly of a whale is to miss the point. The point is that God is in control, and resisting when something is His positive will is impossible.

It is permissible for Catholics to believe it was intended as a story, not history. But if it is historical, then the fact that Jonah survived was due to God's miracle. Not Jonah's hardiness or amazing coincidences.

It's Iimi! Useful Idiots

Rick and Joella are at it again! They've requested Eris High to allow the first-ever high school chapter of the After School Demon Club in America. They believe they're heroically defending reason and science. Iimi thinks they're being played as… Useful Idiots

Post-Comic Notes:

The rights of students to discuss religion in schools can be found HERE.

Yes, the After School Demon Club and The Demonic Temple are parodies of a real atheist group that pretends to be a religion. The arguments and rhetoric Rick and Joella use are based on their propaganda. And they do only focus on Elementary school children aged 5-12, instead of older students who might question the rhetoric. 

It's Iimi! In Dust and Ashes

Ash Wednesday has come once again. Because Catholics make up such a small percentage of the Babylon population, the girls feel self-conscious about it and the rumors/stereotypes that come from it. But among the students, a few have sincere questions about why Catholics on this day are… In Dust and Ashes.

Post-Comic Notes:

The dates and events Tasha refers to are for the Orthodox.

To get a sense of religion in the Tri-Cities (Babylon, Hipso Hill, and Lovil, which combine at 13,000 people), the demographics are:

• Protestant: 50% (split between conservative and liberal denominations)
• Nones: 24.4%
• Buddhist: 7% (Mostly in Riverside and South Riverside)
• Muslim: 6.6% (Largely in Hipso Hill)
• Catholic: 5.7% (39% of them are active)
• Mormon: 2%
• Jewish: 1.3%
• Hindu 1% (Largely in Hipso Hill).
• Shintō: 1%
• Other (Eastern Orthodox, Native American ways, SSPX, Neo-paganism) 1%

 Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine's Day in 2024 (for those reading the comic later).

The "ashes as an extremist symbol" is a parody of an event in 2016 where a Dominican monk with a rosary was mistakenly viewed as a Klansman with a whip. Babylon is very ignorant of Catholicism and inclined to believe rumors.