Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved to read the comics. However, reading the comics as an adult is a very different experience. I now notice that the comics are no longer a place to go for a few laughs...now they're often making some sort of political or philosophical statement. The danger in this is that kids can read these comics and be influenced without realizing it. As children, they don't have the maturity or discernment to distinguish truth from lies. Let me give you a classic example from one of the most popular comic strips, "Peanuts" by Shulz. This is how the comic reads:Linus: "...And then on Halloween Night the 'Great Pumpkin' rises up out of the pumpkin patch...and he brings toys to all the good little children in the world!"
Charlie Brown: "You're crazy!"
Linus: "All right, so you believe in Santa Claus, and I'll believe in the 'Great Pumpkin,' the way I see it, it doesn't matter what you believe, just so you're sincere!"
Do you see the lie embedded in this comic strip? The statement, "the way I see it, it doesn't matter what you believe, just so you're sincere," stems from classic postmodern thinking. In this philosophy, there are no absolute truths. Truth is what you perceive it to be...it's what is right for you personally. What Shulz is saying in this comic strip is that it's not about a certain belief being right or wrong, it's about your sincerity. What is true for Linus is not true for Charlie Brown; truth is relative.
Scripture clearly combats this type of thinking. The Bible teaches that there is one God who rules the universe. He has set forth His law and has revealed the truth in His inspired Word. People can sincerely believe in the book of Mormon or the Koran, and as a result sincerely go straight to hell. I believe there will be a lot of sincere people in hell. The truth is that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, and all other beliefs are dead wrong, no matter how sincerely you believe them. The trouble with the postmodern mindset is that it doesn't hold water. I could punch someone in the face, and I could respond that punching people in the face is my own sincere belief system. People would get mad at me for this, because they know that punching people in the face is just wrong, no matter what I believe. God has written His law on our hearts. We know the moral code, and we know the difference between right and wrong.
Postmodern thinking and moral relativism is fully indoctrinating our culture, and it's being done in subtle ways like comic strips. Know what the Scriptures say so that you can discern when something is untrue, and be on your guard against false teaching, because it is everywhere!
