Machlokes / Controversy

Jewish World Review/ April 13, 2001 / 20 Nissan, 5761



Is B.C. for neanderthals?

JOHNNY HART AND THE 'R-WORD'







When does carelessness or bad taste end and hatred begin? Newspaper editors all over America are pulling a comic strip because of its overt religious tone --- during a religious season. This controversy may be taking place on the funny pages, folks, but it sure ain't a joke. IT IS TIME FOR BOTH CHRISTIANS AND JEWS TO TAKE ACTION!



By Binyamin L. Jolkovsky

http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- YES, folks, it's that "r-word" again.

No, not the horrid "racism."

Not even the nearly as terrible "recession."

I refer to the other "r-word," religion. Yes, religion. Or, more specifically, the intolerant who -- with little comment or action from those normally found shrieking about bigotry, both imagined and real -- are allowing people of faith to suffer merely because they are, well, people of faith.

Across the length and breadth of this nation, public displays of faith are under attack -- whether it be a candidate for United States Attorney General, dusty Ten Commandments plaques that have been fixtures at courthouses for decades or, as was recently the case in Ohio, a mere state motto with the very generic words, "With G-d all things are possible."

And now, the crusade for more secularism is making its way to the funny pages.

Yes, the funny pages. And it's no joke!

Johnny Hart, a believing Christian whom the Guinness Book of World Records recognizes as the most syndicated cartoonist alive, is being attacked by no doubt well-meaning, but thoroughly clueless, comic strip aficionados for -- Heaven help us! -- an Easter-themed cartoon that actually focuses on the spirituality of this Christian holy day and ignores chocolate eggs and big, purple bunnies.

The multi-framed storyline of the strip, like all art forms, is open to interpretation. An introductory passage notes that the Bible is a "Book of Sevens!" "Seven Days, seven stars, seven loaves, seven vials, seven churches, seven seals, seven feasts." Another frame then continues, "seven trumpets, seven notes in music, seven colors in the rainbow, seven candle stands, seven candlesticks."

Then a lamp, at first blazing seven lit branches, speaks: "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do." As the strip progresses, the fires of each branch are seen going out. Eventually, one is left. Next to it is a cross. Its fire, too, is smoldering. The last frame is a cross in the distance. Nearby is a cave with a flask of wine and a loaf of bread. The caption states in bold, "Do this in remembrance of me."


TAKE ACTION!

We are calling on our readers -- and all good people of faith -- to help stop this outrage. Jew or Christian, please call your local paper that carries B.C. and make sure they do not give-in to pressure to further secularize our society. (Thirty papers, we're told, are considering dropping the strip).

And, just as important, if your paper does run the strip, please call to thank them.


  —  BINYAMIN L. JOLKOVSKY

As a Sabbath-observant Jew, rabbinical school alumnus and publisher of the most-accessed Jewish website, I see absolutely nothing wrong with Hart's message.

By now, you are no doubt scratching your head, wondering, Shouldn't a Jew whose Judaism forms the core of his identity be the most outraged about this strip being disseminated around the world? Hardly. And there are two reasons why.

If Hart were blaming Jewry for having killed his savior, as anti-Semites have done and some still do, I would be troubled. Nay, I would be outraged! But this "B.C." strip, like most of his other clever installments, is not appealing to emotion, but to intellect. The series' characters aside, Hart is not out to push a message for neanderthals, but the enlightened. Indeed, Hart's message is exactly the opposite of what he is being accused of.

When Hart's lamp beseeches, "forgive," the message advanced is one of love, not hate. I believe Hart is preaching that, despite Christianity being the majority religion in this nation, members of minority faiths need not worry as they must in other lands. Love thy neighbor.

In the strip, there is also nobody extinguishing the menorah's -- i.e Jewry's -- flames, as some of the toon's foes claim. The only Nazis, bigots, or evil personified that can be detected ... are by those who want to see them.

What is happening, as I understand it, is the menorah is transforming --- into the symbol of Hart's religion, a cross. The "B.C." creator, after all, subscribes to the wild notion that -- OY VEY! -- Christianity is rooted in Judaism.

Using the strip's foes's own logic, perhaps we should start waging campaigns against history and theological book publishers as well.

The other reason that I do not find the "B.C." Easter strip offensive -- and certainly not anti-Semitic -- is that, unlike supposedly open-minded individuals such as Abraham Foxman, whose Anti-Defamation League seems to scour America for "insensitivity" or "hate" against Jews much like Inspector Clouseau in search of the Pink Panther, I am secure in my beliefs and worldview. A nativity scene on public property also does not bother me, since just as Christians believe they have "Truth" --- capital "t" -- so do I. A comic strip in honor of a holy season that is not my own doesn't send a chill down by spine nor make my blood boil -- even if it includes Jewish symbols.

And if I were to feel uncomfortable, there is always the choice of turning the page. Memo to Foxman and those worried at not offending religious minorities, agnostics, atheists or whomever: The majority religion in this country is still Christianity, and those who feel queasy about encountering public displays of it should grow some thicker skin. Have Foxman and the ADL been reduced to attacking comic strips in order to justify their existence? Wouldn't that make the current controversy all the more preposterous?

This is, of course, not to say that non-Christians should be demonized for their beliefs, or their religious needs, or not have their rights protected.

Are my liberal attitudes of "to each, his own" indicative of other conservatively religious Jews who attend synagogue more than three times a year and who do not use Judaism merely as a hotel --- checking into and out of only during life-cycle events?

Last week, before the onset of the Passover holiday, I found myself in several Brooklyn neighborhoods taking care of last-minute errands. As the lines inched forward, I struck up conversations with other Jews about this controversy.

I learned, firstly, that Hart has lots of fans who are Orthodox Jews. I also found that Jews, like me, who take religion seriously -- who understand that there is something bigger than ourselves, who use the Torah's teaching to love our fellow humans and have a duty to make the world a better place -- take all religions seriously. And we regard them and their institutions -- the central role of the family, decency, morality, etc. -- with respect.

Perhaps this notion was best illustrated by the following scene from last week: A father pushing a carriage paused in mid-sentence to remind his 4-year-old to recite loudly and clearly the blessing made before noshing his candy. After answering a heartfelt "amen," he told me, "How nice it would be if every page in a newspaper had that cartoon, instead of sickening stories of babies being dumped in dumpsters, college kids overturning cars after sports events and the latest spouse-swapping among Hollywood celebs."

Indeed.


Binyamin L. Jolkovsky is Editor in Chief of JewishWorldReview.com Send your comments by clicking here.

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© 2001, Binyamin L. Jolkovsky