Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for December 16, 2010

I’d settle too, Hobbes.

Not as innocent as you would like to believe.

Good Calvin. Add to the list of transgressions. Forget about getting on the “good” list this year.

Good Morning, Marg, Mike & ♠Lonewolf♠

One shovelful of coal in that kid’s stocking!

Love it!

I think you will lose the out of doors match, Calvin.

G’Morning, Grog, Marg & Mike!

2 All-time classic expressions here; Hobbes’ in Panel 2 and Calvin’s in the last panel. XD

Smart money’s on the tiger.

To settle it out of doors will be best!!

“insanity plea” would probably work, it’s so believable!!

Try the Flip Wilson defense, “The Devil made me do it.”

Yukoner: Or Calvin could try the Twinkie defense…

**Good morning Marg! Good morning Fran and Kizzzy! Good Morning L’Wolf! Good Morning Grog!**

I wonder if being a kid will help him get a lighter sentence. Is there a Santa Clause?

It’s not his fault, its his genetics!

Just an observation - Recognizing that all this is going on in Calvin’s imagination, it shows the id-ego conflict going on within his mind. Hobbes represents Calvin’s good side and this shows that Calvin really is a good boy at heart and is always in conflict with his darker side.

I think using Super Chocolate Frosted Sugar Zonkers (now fortified with vitamins) instead of Twinkies would be a better defense.

Love when Hobbes sticks his tongue out! Mornin’ all!

Give up twinkies? NEVER!!!

@davidf42 Funny you should say that, I just wrote an essay on Calvin and Hobbes which touches on those themes. Although it’s based on Lacan rather than Freud and his Mirror stage, although I do mention the Ego :)

Isn’t this a little early to learn about Lawyers?

Re: Calvins language and expression in panel 3, I think I might have worked with him for a while when he grew up.

I dunno, but I really see fewer longterm problems with the rebels like Calvin. He’ll never have to plea that he was just following orders because he never does follow orders. Raised a kid much like him, and he turned out to be a very successful attorney – uh oh – oops!

Better watch out Calvin, settling things outside is a far stretch from being a good boy.

RCMinor, I always go by the uncertainty principle: we can never be certain whether Hobbes is a stuffed toy, or a live animal. There are always two consistent explanations, and which one is in effect depends on your point of view.

Id, ego, and super-ego, to whatever extent they are valid, are expressed by the believer in the following scripture: “For the flesh (depraved old nature) lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.” -Galatians 5:17 The resolution lies in verse 16, and is dependent on the extent to which we love God and desire to obey him. ”… Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

not that this has anything to do with today’s strip, but i really enjoy fulfilling the lust of the flesh, if only in spirit – or maybe in spirited fashion.

Hobbes I think you’ve got your hands full with this one!

Calvin thats the attitude thats causing your problems.

OK, so today he is right-handed. An ambidextrous tiger! Who knew?

I remember the strip when Hobbes tied Calvin to a chair, making him miss his tea and getting him into trouble when dad came upstairs and untied him. Calvin couldn’t possibly have tied himself up like that, so hobbes must, therefore, be real (albeit able to play “possum” in the prescence of other people)

‘Balance’ sounds like half-decent, which many people seem to think is sufficient. The ‘pernicious belief system known as Christianity’ is the only hope for an irretrievably lost world. “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes unto the father, but by me.” - John 14:6 “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12

Calvin really isn’t as “bad” as some commenters usually make him out to be. They need to think back to their childhoods and remember all of the imaginative playing they did, and how some of it turned out. That’s all he does. He isn’t the least bit malicious.

The problem with these commenters is that they come here blabbing off in the role of snarky disciplinarians instead of in the mindset of a child, which is the way you are supposed to read Calvin. I’m glad to see that today, most of those people didn’t show up yet.

Don’t worry Calvin, Santa always seems to come through for you (and Hobbes), despite what people who don’t get the comic strip think.

AMEN…………

If Hobbes can help Calvin “beat the rap” on this one and get him off the “naughty list” and back into Santa’s good graces, then he’s got a wonderful(?) career ahead of him as a lawyer! If he can get Calvin off after everything he’s done this year (especially putting his parents’ car in a ditch!), then he can get anyone off — no matter what they’re being accused of!

Calvin sure is brave … not only willing to take on someone bigger than himself in a fight but someone who is also a ferocious tiger with “huge mandibles of death”!

Hobbes, clearly you’ve read more legal literature, because he’s giving him the correct advice!

Wonderful faces on both “characters”. Gave me a much needed laugh today. Sometimes it seems that Calvin is still a child, but Hobbes is an adult with an extraordinarily canny way of thinking. Puddleglum - I agree completely. It might be that sanctification is God’s way of keeping us from getting bored, who knows?

Night-Gaunt49, the difference is that Paul is writing about the “lust” of the flesh; the desire to use (abuse) others to fulfill my whims and neediness. It is only when I give more than I take from others–in a loving relationship–that our lust is broken and love, in its fullness, can be expressed.

Hi Puddleglum2: I have a question and I am not being sarcastic. What do you think happens to the people who are not “Christians” by definition but who are very, very “Christian” by the way they live (tree worshipers, pagans, atheists, all non-biblical religions, etc.). I am old and have met lots of these people and always have felt that when we all get up to the pearly gates (if we are lucky enough to make it that far) God (or whoever) is going to look into that big book and see exactly how we treated our fellow man and how we lived our life in general. I have a feeling he/she isn’t going to check out how many times we entered an actual house of worship for formal services or how many times we have consulted the Bible. I have always felt (although I never met Him personally) that Jesus was a pretty accepting sort of person. He did not seem to judge people (except for the temple moneylenders). It was people who wrote ABOUT Him that had that problem. It’s just that I have known lots of folks who had great kindness but not much organized religion. Just my opinion.

Hello Teresa: That was the point I was trying to make although I may have missed the mark. I, too, have messed up trying to do a good thing but I also think He understands that we are trying to do our best, although it may not turn out the way we intended. I have always thought that Jesus must have been a pretty understanding person, especially when he changed the water into wine so that the bride and groom would not be embarrassed at their wedding (He also was nudged by his Mom) and when he multiplied the loaves and fishes so all those people did not have to travel while starving. I think we can all take a lot of lessons from his thoughtfulness and caring. I doubt he asked people in either situation what their religion was (and it probably was not Christian at that stage of the game.It didn’t exist yet. He was a Jew). My thought was that if we are all as kind as we can be to each other, without regard to religious beliefs, the world would be a much better place. By the way. I love Calvin and Hobbes too. Not only is it very entertaining, but it has a lot of lessons to teach us all.

pattybf and others,

I feel the same about how God will judge us. Goodness and love of all life is what it’s all about.

Apostle4God: You are missing my point. What about the tree worshiper who cannot read or write, lives in the jungle, never heard of the Bible, much less Christ but loves and provides for his wife and children and is wonderful to his neighbors,helping them in time of need, sharing his food with those who cannot hunt, tending to the sick and elderly, etc. Do you think Christ is going to reject him? I don’t think so. That is why I agree with Teresa.

I love what Hobbes wrote “Hobbes Esq.” Wow! He is legit!

But can anyone be 100% ‘good’? God wants His kingdom to be perfect. If you aren’t perfect, you aren’t going there. The only way to be seen as perfect is to accept that the penalties for your transgressions have been paid. Only one has paid them. If you don’t accept that, then you will be judged according to your works. No matter how good they may have been, they are not perfect. Therefore, unless you accept His atonement, you’ve got a problem.

In other words, you aren’t judged on a preponderance system. It’s all or nothing. Or, let Him be your advocate, and avoid judgement altogether.

Hi pattybf, You bring up much more than can be answered adequately in a short space. I will say as much as I can as briefly as I know how. Keep in mind my previous comments and verses. I believe the Bible is the word of God. See II Timothy 3:16,17; Psalm 119:105 and other verses too numerous to mention. “Do not add unto his words, lest he reprove you and you be found a liar.” - Proverbs 30:6 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” - Romans 3:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” - Romans 6:23 “For he (God) has made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” - II Corinthians 5:21 Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity. He was begotten from eternity. God is love, but he is holy, righteous and just among other attributes in his love. The sin of all mankind deserves punishment; God’s justice requires it, but God in his grace and mercy has provided a way of salvation. Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being, while still remaining God. He lived a sinless life to qualify as a substitute (vicarious atonement) to pay for the sins of all mankind on the cross where he shed his blood and died for the remission of sins. “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” - Ephesians 2:8,9 “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” - Hebrews 11:6 … Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” - Romans 14:23b “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:13 God wants all humans to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth according to I Timothy 2:4 God is not actively willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance according to II Peter 3:9. Not all will be saved. All who reject salvation do so willingly, whether they have heard of Jesus Christ or not. All that will receive Christ (God’s elect) will hear the gospel, somehow, somewhere. God is the righteous judge. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 There are hundreds, if not thousands of verses to back up what I have said here. I have only mentioned a few of them. I hope this is helpful. I appreciate your concern for others.

So, thebird55, it sounds like you are saying that humans can’t win this one on their own merits, so they need to “settle out of court” before it is too late.

I’m glad that we tigers don’t have to deal with all of this complexity. We get a free ride by using the “we don’t have a conscience” plea.

– Hobbes

thebird55, You posted your comment while I was composing mine. I saw yours afterward. Between the two of us, I hope they’re sufficient.

Hobbes tends to make good sense with his comments. “They’re Grrrreat!”

If it was not for computers some people would have a hard time finding the trash they consider the truth

Hello ratlum

Did you find this quote using Google? (Just kidding)

What makes you an authority on trash? Where do you get your incontrovertible information? “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.” Proverbs 26:5

Don’t feed the trolls.

slowly backs out

I love Hobbes’ sticking his tongue out in the second panel. LOL

I have always felt that if dogs are not allowed into heaven then I will be perfectly happy to go wherever they (and tigers) are hanging out. The same goes for folks whose religion is unorganized. In general they are a lot more interesting than the organized ones, and that’s the truth!