Comic Religion

Published on March 20, 2006

A visit to the comic book store reveals dueling impulses in pop culture religion: Atheist, in which our hero is a genius unbeliever doing battle with a host of demons he'll defeat through the power of rationalism; and American Virgin, in which our hero is chaste youth minister doing battle with televangelists and terrorists he'll defeat through the power of his untouched genitals. Sample dialogue from Atheist: "My dear, I don't believe in anything. I know, or I do not know. Belief is worthless." From American Virgin (to an evil prostitute who asks our hero who he's saving himself for): "It's God. And he's special as it gets."

A visit to the comic book store reveals dueling impulses in pop culture religion: Atheist, in which our hero is a genius unbeliever doing battle with a host of demons he’ll defeat through the power of rationalism; and American Virgin, in which our hero is chaste youth minister doing battle with televangelists and terrorists he’ll defeat through the power of his untouched genitals. Sample dialogue from Atheist: “My dear, I don’t believe in anything. I know, or I do not know. Belief is worthless.” From American Virgin (to an evil prostitute who asks our hero who he’s saving himself for): “It’s God. And he’s special as it gets.”

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