Chick tract in my mailbox today

[notself]

Chick seems to have a thing against Catholics. I found four tracts that were anti Catholic and only one against Buddhism.

The one against Buddhism was more about stupidity and greed than about Buddhism. I don’t think Chick put much effort into it.

I think his tracts are harmful if they are read by young people. I remember when I was the only Catholic in my neighborhood back in the olden days. My “friends” would only play with me if they had no one else to play with because I was Catholic. Tracts like these spread bigotry among the young and ignorant.

Once something like these tracts are believed by the young, it is difficult for them to change their minds as they grow older. I think this is why they are in comic book format.

 

[strngrnrth]

Once something like these tracts are believed by the young, it is difficult for them to change their minds as they grow older. I think this is why they are in comic book format.

Precisely. He was trying to figure out how a man who couldn’t do anything special besides fight (WWII, Okinawa) and draw mediocre cartoons could serve the Lord right after his conversion. He realized that the kitschy, outlandish, emotionalistic comic style of Communist revolutionary propaganda cartoon tracts was causing even people who didn’t believe them to read them anyway and it was swaying people subtly by repeated exposure. he deliberately imitated that addictive absurd style and it worked. It was over a decade before Alberto turned up at his door playing the fugitive and bent his ear into allowing him to dictate some publications. He had a natural sense of propaganda and yet was a very naive man socially in many ways and still is despite the fiasco with Rebecca Brown, John Todd and the rest of the people who have used him. That’s what I find fascinating about him. It’s rare to find someone now with such a specific knack for persuasion whoi is himself so oblivious to others’ persuasive tactics with himself.

 

[StevenFrancis]

It saddens me sometimes when I think of the miserable horror the tract people have to walk around with in their heads. All that time lost from their lives looking around everywhere for some impending, awful doomsday scenario to happen.

I believe they are genuine and sincere in the belief that they are helping God’s children in some way. I just wish they wouldn’t cut themselves off from the joy to be had in the experience of God’s love. Without the joyful experience of life, and the hope, faith and trust in His abiding and unfathomable heart of mercy, one is left with only fear and desperation. It is really missing the point of our creator’s relationship with us.

The glory and majesty with which He will return to us in the fullness of time, and the hope that is held out for all of His children for eternal life through Jesus, the way, and the light. This is what the world needs. The tract folks need our prayers in order to experience the lightness of their being as humans. The playful joy that can be experienced in our lives. If hard times are going to fall, so be it. Christ asked, who of us can add one iota to their days with the worry. And that’s what I sense from the tract folks. Insecurity. Worry. A kind of dour disdain for all but a few of God’s vast landscape of humans, who are all made in the very image of the Lord God. Let today’s trouble be sufficient for today. Christ said that too.

The love of each other we are supposed to exhibit is damaged by a life lived in fear of wrath. Preach the Gospels…of course. We are all priests. But also…DO the Gospels. Love your neighbor as yourself, and love your God with all your heart and soul. Keep His commandments. But…remember also, that He loves us too! More than we can even imagine with our finest use of the intellect.

So…consider dropping the tracts, (in a recycling bin…please…no littering), and just go out and live the Gospel. Instead of handing them out. Go to a shelter, and feed the poor. Go pray with some folks at an abortion mill. Go visit somebody in the hospital, or jail. Fix somebody’s flat tire. Make up the difference, (if you can), for somebody who’s a few cents short at the check out counter. Smile at a fussy child in the waiting room at the doctor. Say good morning to strangers on the street. You get the idea. All of these are much more effective than spreading hatred for other faiths, and general fear about the sky falling down.

The coming of our Lord is a thing to look forward to with joy and abandon. Not fear. You can’t stop it. You can’t predict it. You can’t rush it. And if your intent is to add repentent followers to the roll call, they’ll be much more attracted to you if you’re living a life in grateful servitude to the Lord, and letting people see for themselves what a Christ driven life looks like. People loving and helping each other is inspiring. Telling people that Catholics are evil, and promoting general apprehension about the future is not inspiring. It promotes hatred, cynicism and fear. Not exactly hallmarks of God’s handiwork with his creations. And certainly not consistent with the way in which the Lord Himself taught and spread the word during his incarnation.

Peace to you,

Steven

 

[SORROWS]

It saddens me sometimes when I think of the miserable horror the tract people have to walk around with in their heads. All that time lost from their lives looking around everywhere for some impending, awful doomsday scenario to happen.

I believe they are genuine and sincere in the belief that they are helping God’s children in some way. I just wish they wouldn’t cut themselves off from the joy to be had in the experience of God’s love. Without the joyful experience of life, and the hope, faith and trust in His abiding and unfathomable heart of mercy, one is left with only fear and desperation. It is really missing the point of our creator’s relationship with us.

The glory and majesty with which He will return to us in the fullness of time, and the hope that is held out for all of His children for eternal life through Jesus, the way, and the light. This is what the world needs. The tract folks need our prayers in order to experience the lightness of their being as humans. The playful joy that can be experienced in our lives. If hard times are going to fall, so be it. Christ asked, who of us can add one iota to their days with the worry. And that’s what I sense from the tract folks. Insecurity. Worry. A kind of dour disdain for all but a few of God’s vast landscape of humans, who are all made in the very image of the Lord God. Let today’s trouble be sufficient for today. Christ said that too.

The love of each other we are supposed to exhibit is damaged by a life lived in fear of wrath. Preach the Gospels…of course. We are all priests. But also…DO the Gospels. Love your neighbor as yourself, and love your God with all your heart and soul. Keep His commandments. But…remember also, that He loves us too! More than we can even imagine with our finest use of the intellect.

So…consider dropping the tracts, (in a recycling bin…please…no littering), and just go out and live the Gospel. Instead of handing them out. Go to a shelter, and feed the poor. Go pray with some folks at an abortion mill. Go visit somebody in the hospital, or jail. Fix somebody’s flat tire. Make up the difference, (if you can), for somebody who’s a few cents short at the check out counter. Smile at a fussy child in the waiting room at the doctor. Say good morning to strangers on the street. You get the idea. All of these are much more effective than spreading hatred for other faiths, and general fear about the sky falling down.

The coming of our Lord is a thing to look forward to with joy and abandon. Not fear. You can’t stop it. You can’t predict it. You can’t rush it. And if your intent is to add repentent followers to the roll call, they’ll be much more attracted to you if you’re living a life in grateful servitude to the Lord, and letting people see for themselves what a Christ driven life looks like. People loving and helping each other is inspiring. Telling people that Catholics are evil, and promoting general apprehension about the future is not inspiring. It promotes hatred, cynicism and fear. Not exactly hallmarks of God’s handiwork with his creations. And certainly not consistent with the way in which the Lord Himself taught and spread the word during his incarnation.

Peace to you,

Steven

Beautifully written. Great job!!

 

[HashemEchad]

This thread reminded me of the “chick tract collecting” I used to do, along with a friend, in the 70s. I decided to Google Rivera to see what he is up to now.

Apparently, he died in 1997 (!), I didn’t know that! Wikipedia says he is buried in some obscure location in Broken Arrow, OK, and Chick says they moved his body to keep Jesuits from defacing it (!?)…evidently a priest prayed over the grave to ask God to help Alberto atone for his sins.

 

[kell0618]

Wow. I thought it was pretty annoying when someone at my place of employment left these laying around, but it’s really annoying when there’s one in your mailbox!!

I don’t think the mailman would have done it, because that could cost him his job. I think it was neighbors next door.

Maybe I need a Benedict 16 flag hanging up (on their side?)

You see this little “literary classic” is called, “THE BEAST” and it describes how the Anti-Christ will rule the world from the VATICAN!

I can’t help but take that personally!

Funny how the little blank spot on the back where the proselytizer can sign their name is ALWAYS blank!

I love getting chick tracts and booklets from the JWs. Our Catholic school makes money for recycling paper and I am so appreciative for these ‘evangelists’ who contribute to our school. God bless them for helping our fund raising efforts.

 

[elvisman]

**Slander is not funny, not at all. But is what looks slanderous to us intended as slander ? I doubt it, & I think one has to doubt it; simply because one should not assume that what strikes us evil is necessarily meant as such. **​

**Gotta disagree with you there, my friend. A tree is known by its fruit. **When there is a genuine hatred, the slander comes out.

**Chick has written volumes of filth against the Catholic Church. ****When I was doing research on anti-Catholicism, I acquired many of his publications. **

**I walked into a Protestant bookstore and asked where they kept their Chick publications. The woman at the counter discreetly took me into a back room where there were crates of every type of anti-Catholic rubbish. ****Most of it was from Chick Publications. **

This was a well-known chain bookstore on the West Coast.

 

[fbl9]

as a Catholic i sometimes wonder which would be worse for one’s soul viewing a porno flick or reading/listening to some one who promotes anti-catholic teachings as truth.

 

[inthecloud]

Both some types of hard core porn and Chick Tracks are hate propaganda.

 

[Tsuwano]

If you’ve received a Chick tract in your mailbox from an anonymous evangelist, take heart! You must be doing something right. At the very least, your “missionary” knows that you are a practicing Catholic and is concerned enough to take the trouble to drop this filth into your path. You are obviously a witness to your faith in ways you don’t even know.