Actually, this reminds me of a Gregory Peck western movie in which outlaw Greg is mistaken for a preacher. In the process of pretending to be the preacher, Greg ends up experiencing a changed life.
Just wanted to note that, although some have mentioned that most new believers get a better grasp of Biblical concepts by studying the New Testament, the plain facts are that, when Jesus and the disciples were on earth, the ONLY Bible available was the Old Testament. For example, when Jesus met with the disciples following the resurrection, Jesus told the disciples: “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,” Luke 24:44-45.
Later on, in the Book of Acts, when Philip met the Treasurer from Queen Candace’s court, the Treasurer was riding along in his chariot - puzzling over something which he was reading in the prophecies of Isaiah. Philip offered to explain the passage to him and the Treasurer soon became a new convert. Acts 8:26-40.
In Paul’s famous chapter on the importance of faith (Hebrews 11), Paul mentions many examples showing the importance of faith which were first written about in the Old Testament, including Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Later, when James wrote his explanation of the importance of demonstrating faith through good works, James mentioned many of the same Old Testament examples. (James 2).
In the Gregory Peck movie, Greg ended up meeting many different people who seemed to have faith that Greg would do the right thing for them - and Greg ended up living UP to their expectations.
So, personally, as far as this story goes, I would have been more impressed if Upton had met more of the people from Gasoline Alley on his way to gaining some fresh insight into his life choices. However, in this case, I am inclined to put Upton in the same category as Queen Candace’s Treasurer. Those who are earnestly seeking to discover the truth will suddenly have a door opened for them so that their prayers will be answered. Remember, the REAL Rev. Peacegood has yet to put in an appearance.
Technically speaking, faith has always been an important element in the Gasoline Alley strip - at least it was back in the 40s and 50s when I remember reading the strip on a regular basis. In fact, even TV shows as late as the 60s had a respectful view of the expression of religious faith. I remember a TV series about some time travelers who traveled to places like ancient Israel during a time when David was fighting the Philistines. Those stories were always written with respect for people of faith. So I personally see nothing wrong about the current story. Although I believe that the story would have had more impact if Upton could have met more of the people in Gasoline Alley along the way, I am presuming that, nowadays, there is no longer the time left which it takes to develop such a story. In the meantime, as others have mentioned, the art work has been VERY impressive.
Deborah Reyes said, “…Although I believe that the story would have had more impact if Upton could have met more of the people in Gasoline Alley along the way, I am presuming that, nowadays, there is no longer the time left which it takes to develop such a story. In the meantime, as others have mentioned, the art work has been VERY impressive.”
Deborah wrote “So, personally, as far as this story goes, I would have been more impressed if Upton had met more of the people from Gasoline Alley on his way to gaining some fresh insight into his life choices. However, in this case, I am inclined to put Upton in the same category as Queen Candace’s Treasurer.”
Actually, I can name some more modern converts who fit more Upton’s image (those who actually are not seeking a changed life, but whom God encounters).
“brigand” (he actually was one, like most members of his tribe, Erukula, prior to conversion; the area where the tribe lives, Stuartpuram Taluk of Guntur District, was much feared by train-drivers–who would actually “coal-up” at Madras so as not to stop there) Yesudas (you can find his testimony at http://lefi.org/beautifulbooks/testimony.html, titled “I was a highway-robber”), 1950’s. Entire Erukula tribe later became Christian and caused shutdown of local police station–due to lack of work
D. Devasahayam, a (nominal) Lutheran from Chirala converted through prayer by (unrelated) B. Devasahayam and Brigand Yesudas, 1960’s
Powerboy said “I wonder how he managed to get through all the Begotten’s without dozeing off.”
Maybe he skipped over them. But, I’m told, in some parts of the world, including the middle east, a list of ancestors is interesting. For some people, even the most interesting.
Simple method of getting through the “begats” is to read them like an auctioneer (I’ve seen Hindu “vaadhyaars” quote such ancestry-lists at auction-speed, so…).
Actually, during Jesus’ day, there was an “Old Testament”, consisting of the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) and the books in the current Old Testament that are bundled together in the Hebrew Scripture (but not the Christian Old Testament) as The Prophets (the Books of The Writings were not to to be canonized for another 100 years). The Pentateuch had already been translated into Greek as the Septuagint.
For further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanakh
@joe allen doty, In new testament times, good Jewish kids, including poor fishermen like Peter, memorized their Scripture at temple. There were no chapter and verse, so favorite passages were referenced by first line. So, for example, when Jesus said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, He was referencing what we call Psalm 22.
wow, this storyline is inspiring the most longwinded posts EVER. For me, frankly, there are too many hateful self-righteous hypocrites counting themselves as the purest of Christian for me to buy into any organized faith. But having said that, I think the core messages of Christianity (and most faiths) are true and good and I don’t think it’s inappropriate to put them in a comic strip.
Here it is I came back today, like a dirty old man to take a peep at the seductive looking blonde in her underware (the females over at Dick Tracy are all bland) but only to find that she seems to be an atheist.
And then, I thought my posts were the longest on these boards until I saw Deborah kicking in TWO full length sermons today, At first I had some difficuly figuring out what Gregory Peck and “Gunsmoke” had to do with Upton reading the bible. And I’m NOT being rude here, believe me, but when she started writing in Greek she completely lost me !
Rough day for the Censors, hope they can undersaand Greek (?)
Upton’s right, it can be a real page turner, when you’re in the right mood. Or need.
—
Deborah - I agree, I’ve always wondered why so many other comics, but not Pogo? Something wrong with the Walt Kelly estate? RE: Long posts Hey, if you’ve got something to say, let it out! I thought your posts were fine. And the scroll button works for anyone not interested.
Thanks for all the info, Deborah. I was the one mistaken when I said “Glenn Ford” the other day. I knew it was a western, with one of the classical western actors. You have set it straight. I will probably look it up on IMDB now that you have given me the right actor.
Great comments in addition to that as well. I know people whose whole life changed because they just picked up a Bible and started reading.
I nominate Deborah for the good-samaritan award for going above and beyond in providing information. It’s also fun to see someone whose knowledge runs across so many fields, from comics, to TV westerns, to religion, to classical languages. I had two years of Latin in high school, and loved it.
My gosh GA is just a comic strip for goodness sake. The lengthy treasties written by some of you could fill a book for cry not loud! Geez Louise! Gocomics must limit the wordage.
435rge Re; “…The lengthy treasties written by some of you could fill a book for cry not loud!” AMEN to that one!
Now I know why I used to fall asleep in Church - long ramblings about the same old passages…year after year. I figured Some Folks weren’t all that bright if they couldn’t get the concept of “Love One Another” message after the first go-around.
Sorta figure most “Organized Religions” are more for fund-raising….Except those whose focus was on Charitable Acts like Salvation Army & Mother Theresa.
BTW - I have a statue of Madonna (not the singer, but Mary - Mother of). She keeps watch on my bedroom & the gateway entry to my garden!
Hey, GJ, you’ve written some long post on State of the Union! Besides, you can quickly scroll down and not read them if you don’t want to, like I sometimes do with yours…
Wow. I can’t figure out why some people even read comics. No sense of humor and unable to say anything friendly. For those type of people, I recommend “Jane’s World,” which is full of grouchy people.
vasgar1 - Cool - Glad U Can Read - Go thank a Teacher who now a’days have a pretty thank-Less job trying to teach in crowded school systems!
Figured some folks who are S.O.T. U. fans are like that old saying ” lights on, but nobody home” OR their elevator hasn’t made it to the “Top Floor”.
For those who find some of my “longer postings” sorta funny (The Ha, Ha kind of funny (NOT “Funny – Strange” like the comment posted above)) Re:
“Luke 4:17 in the Greek looks like this:
ΚΑΤΑ ΛΟΥΚΑΝ 4:17
17και επεδοθη αυτω βιβλιον ησαιου του προφητου και αναπτυξας το βιβλιον ευρεν τον τοπον ου ην γεγραμμενον”
Check out S.O.T.U. - just finished with my personal “editing” of a rough draft comment. Going out to water Garden - my Own Personal Garden Eden & Good Eatin! ;-))) Ahhh!!!
I took the time to scroll from Top to Bottom (as suggested by basgar1 Re: “Besides, you can quickly scroll down and not read them if you don’t want to, like I sometimes do with yours…”
What I notice about the “Comment-ors Names” are the MISSING ONES - such as EMIT & marktrail IMPOSTER. Quick, someone let them know there’s some Bible Quoten going on!
wndrwrthg almost 15 years ago
No, the Kama Sutra is a book you don’t put down.
mrbribery almost 15 years ago
Uh oh, wait til he gets to the “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” part…
billhowardst almost 15 years ago
I wonder which translation…
DebJ4 almost 15 years ago
Actually, this reminds me of a Gregory Peck western movie in which outlaw Greg is mistaken for a preacher. In the process of pretending to be the preacher, Greg ends up experiencing a changed life.
Just wanted to note that, although some have mentioned that most new believers get a better grasp of Biblical concepts by studying the New Testament, the plain facts are that, when Jesus and the disciples were on earth, the ONLY Bible available was the Old Testament. For example, when Jesus met with the disciples following the resurrection, Jesus told the disciples: “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,” Luke 24:44-45.
Later on, in the Book of Acts, when Philip met the Treasurer from Queen Candace’s court, the Treasurer was riding along in his chariot - puzzling over something which he was reading in the prophecies of Isaiah. Philip offered to explain the passage to him and the Treasurer soon became a new convert. Acts 8:26-40.
In Paul’s famous chapter on the importance of faith (Hebrews 11), Paul mentions many examples showing the importance of faith which were first written about in the Old Testament, including Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Later, when James wrote his explanation of the importance of demonstrating faith through good works, James mentioned many of the same Old Testament examples. (James 2).
In the Gregory Peck movie, Greg ended up meeting many different people who seemed to have faith that Greg would do the right thing for them - and Greg ended up living UP to their expectations.
So, personally, as far as this story goes, I would have been more impressed if Upton had met more of the people from Gasoline Alley on his way to gaining some fresh insight into his life choices. However, in this case, I am inclined to put Upton in the same category as Queen Candace’s Treasurer. Those who are earnestly seeking to discover the truth will suddenly have a door opened for them so that their prayers will be answered. Remember, the REAL Rev. Peacegood has yet to put in an appearance.
Technically speaking, faith has always been an important element in the Gasoline Alley strip - at least it was back in the 40s and 50s when I remember reading the strip on a regular basis. In fact, even TV shows as late as the 60s had a respectful view of the expression of religious faith. I remember a TV series about some time travelers who traveled to places like ancient Israel during a time when David was fighting the Philistines. Those stories were always written with respect for people of faith. So I personally see nothing wrong about the current story. Although I believe that the story would have had more impact if Upton could have met more of the people in Gasoline Alley along the way, I am presuming that, nowadays, there is no longer the time left which it takes to develop such a story. In the meantime, as others have mentioned, the art work has been VERY impressive.
Hillbillyman almost 15 years ago
I wonder how he managed to get through all the Begotten’s without dozeing off.
oldbooger almost 15 years ago
A very intriguing storyline. I wonder what Walt and the old gang are up to?
axe-grinder almost 15 years ago
Deborah Reyes said, “…Although I believe that the story would have had more impact if Upton could have met more of the people in Gasoline Alley along the way, I am presuming that, nowadays, there is no longer the time left which it takes to develop such a story. In the meantime, as others have mentioned, the art work has been VERY impressive.”
Very thoughful and thought-provoking comments!
prasrinivara almost 15 years ago
Deborah wrote “So, personally, as far as this story goes, I would have been more impressed if Upton had met more of the people from Gasoline Alley on his way to gaining some fresh insight into his life choices. However, in this case, I am inclined to put Upton in the same category as Queen Candace’s Treasurer.”
Actually, I can name some more modern converts who fit more Upton’s image (those who actually are not seeking a changed life, but whom God encounters).
“brigand” (he actually was one, like most members of his tribe, Erukula, prior to conversion; the area where the tribe lives, Stuartpuram Taluk of Guntur District, was much feared by train-drivers–who would actually “coal-up” at Madras so as not to stop there) Yesudas (you can find his testimony at http://lefi.org/beautifulbooks/testimony.html, titled “I was a highway-robber”), 1950’s. Entire Erukula tribe later became Christian and caused shutdown of local police station–due to lack of work D. Devasahayam, a (nominal) Lutheran from Chirala converted through prayer by (unrelated) B. Devasahayam and Brigand Yesudas, 1960’s
Jogger2 almost 15 years ago
Powerboy said “I wonder how he managed to get through all the Begotten’s without dozeing off.”
Maybe he skipped over them. But, I’m told, in some parts of the world, including the middle east, a list of ancestors is interesting. For some people, even the most interesting.
TheRedHatt almost 15 years ago
Too bleeep long winded !
prasrinivara almost 15 years ago
Simple method of getting through the “begats” is to read them like an auctioneer (I’ve seen Hindu “vaadhyaars” quote such ancestry-lists at auction-speed, so…).
jeigheff almost 15 years ago
AMEN, Deborah Reyes!
alondra almost 15 years ago
I enjoyed your long post Deborah. What’s the name of the Gregory Peck movie you mentioned? It sounds interesting.
countoftowergrove almost 15 years ago
No doubt that Upton was reading the bible all night, in that the archaic language would be beyond his grasp.
sjlevine34 almost 15 years ago
Response to Joe Allen Doty:
Actually, during Jesus’ day, there was an “Old Testament”, consisting of the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) and the books in the current Old Testament that are bundled together in the Hebrew Scripture (but not the Christian Old Testament) as The Prophets (the Books of The Writings were not to to be canonized for another 100 years). The Pentateuch had already been translated into Greek as the Septuagint.
For further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanakh
sjl
stuart almost 15 years ago
@joe allen doty, In new testament times, good Jewish kids, including poor fishermen like Peter, memorized their Scripture at temple. There were no chapter and verse, so favorite passages were referenced by first line. So, for example, when Jesus said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, He was referencing what we call Psalm 22.
jumbobrain almost 15 years ago
wow, this storyline is inspiring the most longwinded posts EVER. For me, frankly, there are too many hateful self-righteous hypocrites counting themselves as the purest of Christian for me to buy into any organized faith. But having said that, I think the core messages of Christianity (and most faiths) are true and good and I don’t think it’s inappropriate to put them in a comic strip.
OldManMountain almost 15 years ago
Well, as has been noted before, no matter what passage Upton claims to be reading, page-wise he always seems to be in the middle of the Book.
sydney almost 15 years ago
Here it is I came back today, like a dirty old man to take a peep at the seductive looking blonde in her underware (the females over at Dick Tracy are all bland) but only to find that she seems to be an atheist.
And then, I thought my posts were the longest on these boards until I saw Deborah kicking in TWO full length sermons today, At first I had some difficuly figuring out what Gregory Peck and “Gunsmoke” had to do with Upton reading the bible. And I’m NOT being rude here, believe me, but when she started writing in Greek she completely lost me !
Rough day for the Censors, hope they can undersaand Greek (?)
countoftowergrove almost 15 years ago
It seems that this story line is bringing out the Cotton Mather in the readers. What ever happened to brevity being the soul of wit?
Durak Premium Member almost 15 years ago
Upton’s right, it can be a real page turner, when you’re in the right mood. Or need. — Deborah - I agree, I’ve always wondered why so many other comics, but not Pogo? Something wrong with the Walt Kelly estate? RE: Long posts Hey, if you’ve got something to say, let it out! I thought your posts were fine. And the scroll button works for anyone not interested.
Max Starman Jones almost 15 years ago
Thanks for all the info, Deborah. I was the one mistaken when I said “Glenn Ford” the other day. I knew it was a western, with one of the classical western actors. You have set it straight. I will probably look it up on IMDB now that you have given me the right actor.
Great comments in addition to that as well. I know people whose whole life changed because they just picked up a Bible and started reading.
axe-grinder almost 15 years ago
I nominate Deborah for the good-samaritan award for going above and beyond in providing information. It’s also fun to see someone whose knowledge runs across so many fields, from comics, to TV westerns, to religion, to classical languages. I had two years of Latin in high school, and loved it.
436rge almost 15 years ago
My gosh GA is just a comic strip for goodness sake. The lengthy treasties written by some of you could fill a book for cry not loud! Geez Louise! Gocomics must limit the wordage.
GJ_Jehosaphat almost 15 years ago
435rge Re; “…The lengthy treasties written by some of you could fill a book for cry not loud!” AMEN to that one!
Now I know why I used to fall asleep in Church - long ramblings about the same old passages…year after year. I figured Some Folks weren’t all that bright if they couldn’t get the concept of “Love One Another” message after the first go-around.
Sorta figure most “Organized Religions” are more for fund-raising….Except those whose focus was on Charitable Acts like Salvation Army & Mother Theresa.
BTW - I have a statue of Madonna (not the singer, but Mary - Mother of). She keeps watch on my bedroom & the gateway entry to my garden!
vasgar1 almost 15 years ago
Hey, GJ, you’ve written some long post on State of the Union! Besides, you can quickly scroll down and not read them if you don’t want to, like I sometimes do with yours…
Max Starman Jones almost 15 years ago
Wow. I can’t figure out why some people even read comics. No sense of humor and unable to say anything friendly. For those type of people, I recommend “Jane’s World,” which is full of grouchy people.
GJ_Jehosaphat almost 15 years ago
vasgar1 - Cool - Glad U Can Read - Go thank a Teacher who now a’days have a pretty thank-Less job trying to teach in crowded school systems!
Figured some folks who are S.O.T. U. fans are like that old saying ” lights on, but nobody home” OR their elevator hasn’t made it to the “Top Floor”.
For those who find some of my “longer postings” sorta funny (The Ha, Ha kind of funny (NOT “Funny – Strange” like the comment posted above)) Re:
“Luke 4:17 in the Greek looks like this: ΚΑΤΑ ΛΟΥΚΑΝ 4:17 17και επεδοθη αυτω βιβλιον ησαιου του προφητου και αναπτυξας το βιβλιον ευρεν τον τοπον ου ην γεγραμμενον”
Check out S.O.T.U. - just finished with my personal “editing” of a rough draft comment. Going out to water Garden - my Own Personal Garden Eden & Good Eatin! ;-))) Ahhh!!!
GJ_Jehosaphat almost 15 years ago
I took the time to scroll from Top to Bottom (as suggested by basgar1 Re: “Besides, you can quickly scroll down and not read them if you don’t want to, like I sometimes do with yours…”
What I notice about the “Comment-ors Names” are the MISSING ONES - such as EMIT & marktrail IMPOSTER. Quick, someone let them know there’s some Bible Quoten going on!