Don't Know Jack (Chick that is)

In My Humble Opinion
1

Until recently, I never veen knew the name of Jack Chick.

But reading many of the posts (especially in Great Debates), I keep seeing his name appear. So, I thought I would ask for your opinions, but with an explanaition as to why you feel the way you do about this guy.

Firt of all, allow me to start:

Although, I had never heard of Jack Chick, I have seen some of his comic books. I must admit, though, that I have always enjoyed reading his comic books, but have never really considered them to be much more than that…just comic books. Much of what he says is factually correct ( from the few I have seen, he always has his cites), But I have difficulty understanding the links he uses between various facts, though.

HOWEVER…I will also admit that whether I agree with him or not, I do respect:

  1. his right to free speech,

  2. his conviction of faith.

I respect all people who, not only say they believe something, but actualy take action in accordance with their beliefs, such as the JWs, the Mormons, and the Baptists. These three groups are probably the most well known for their proselytizing. I have never had a catholic, methodist, presbyterian, episcopalian, or any other group ever knock on my door.

Anyway, with that said…what is your opinion of him, but more importantly why? Please this is not a debate, so keep it clean.

2

You’re going to get a million replies to this, from people who follow his stuff far more avidly than I do ( which is virtually not at all ), so I won’t delve too deeply into this topic. However, this…

…is demonstrably incorrect as far as I have seen. Folks will no doubt be by to cite chapter and verse on this ( or you can search a few Pit threads for notable examples ), but one of the biggest complaints about Chick is that he rarely gets his facts right. More usually he twists “facts” to support his own biases.

The other big complaint against him of course is that he is a nasty hate-monger.

Couple that with the very real camp value of his tracts, which are so over the top in both message and artwork as to be inadvertently amusing, it is not surprising he garners a certain amount of attention.

Personally I don’t see much of his stuff in my area ( liberal SF, don’t you know ), so it is usually pretty low on my radar. But I do occasionally like reading the snarky deconstructions on this board.

  • Tamerlane
3

Tamerlane,

I understand what you said about the “twisting”, that is where I have difficulty understanding how he relates certain facts to each other.

From what little I have seen, his basic facts are usually correct, it is his conclusions that may not be correct.

But thanks, I appreciate your input, I look forward to hopefully hearing from both sides.

4

Jack Chick provides some of the funniest stuff available on the Internet, if you ask me. And about as chock full of good information as a Geocities ‘Proof of UFO’s!’ website.

5

His basic facts aren’t usually correct.

Off the top of my head is “Dark Dungeons” where he has Dungeons and Dragons as a front for a dark witches cabal. As any D&D geek can tell you that’s unfortunately not true. Plus he has girls playing! :wink:

6

Brutus,

I agree that his books are just comic books, but you know…

I wonder if anyone has ever “converted” because of one.

7

I’d be mightily surprised.

Chick tracts are essentially straw-man arguments so extreme that the representations therein are unlikely to strike a chord with even the most brain-damaged Satanist.

And who are all these people who’ve never heard of Jesus, yet cave in immediately on the word of one stranger (and a rather nasty one at that) who presents His word in the form of Divine extortion? Chick not only is unable to present those he purports to convert in any sort of realistic light, he also has some pretty strange ideas about God.

8

Sure, he has footnotes for all of his factual evidence. But ever notice that all the works cited are published by Chick Publications?

9

For royjwood, a synopsis of recent threads about Jack Chick: (all taken from the Pit)

Favorite Chick Comic

Chick is at it again. Haw, Haw

Hey Kids! Jack Chick Comix! #1 in a series: Collect them all! - “Wordless Gospel”

Hey Chick fans, check out the Onion

Up Yers Chick Don’t Tell Them To Ruin Halloween For The Kids

New Chick Tract: “Gladys”

10

No, his facts aren’t usually correct, IMO. Here’s his website:
Jack Chick .

Here’s a load of Chick’s Lies about evolution. Here’s a funny rebuttal .

Chick is a disgusting human being, in my opinion.

11

Factually correct? Have you ever read the crap he writes about Catholicism? His “cites” have holes big enough to read Moby Dick through.

The so-called former Jesuit is nothing more than a notorious con artist who never even graduated high school?

The man has NO credibility.

12

He was a jesuit?

13

Isn’t that Alberto? They even have a book out “proving he’s real!” Haw Haw Haw…

14

Jack Chick was not a Jesuit. He has a story about some guy named Alberto Rivera or something like that, who supposedly was a Jesuit, until he “saw the light and accepted Jesus.”

However, Rivera has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt as a fraud and a con artist. He didn’t even graduate high school, IIRC. How the hell could a high school drop out get into one of the most scholarly of orders in Catholicism is beyond me!

15

As an avid collector of religious tracts, the goofier the better, I adore Jack Chick as the ultimate in the art form. He is the example all other tract publishers ought to strive to follow. While he may lack so-called “factual support for his arguments,” his thick booklets are full of gruesome pictures. Who could ask for anything more?