I first discovered
Jack Chick tracts when I was in high school and was babysitting for a next-door neighbor's baby girl. For anyone who is not familiar delightful tool designed to market salvation, I should let Mr. Chick tell you in his own words:
For 39 years, soul-winners worldwide have used Chick cartoon tracts to witness because CHICK TRACTS GET READ! Each one grabs the reader's attention, then clearly presents the gospel, ending with an invitation to receive Christ.
Generally they follow a similar formula to A Christmas Carol--in which the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future scare the bejeezus out of Scrooge, but finally tell him it's not too late to change. Except the tracts are probably scarier than those ghosts.
And, as
worked up as Chick gets about Halloween, he probably isn't too happy with a Christmas story having ghosts in it...
Anyway, the neighbor, knowing I was Catholic, apparently
planned ahead to make sure she would have just the right tracts for me casually scattered about the house. At 17, I was stunned to come upon these little comic books, all designed to warn me that Catholics were going to hell unless they turned away from the church. It was a little unsettling to say the least. But at the time I had no idea that I was reading one of the world famous Jack Chick tracts--
over 500 million sold worldwide! Available in nearly 100 languages!
This one is especially egregious
Flight 144 A couple spends 50 years on the mission field, trusting in their good works. But when they die and stand before God, they learn that good works can't save... only Jesus can.
You see, this silly pair of do-gooders spent
50 years in Africa
helping people (what were they thinking?) but not
saving them. Flight 144 crashes, and a creepy faceless God sends them into the Eternal Lake of Fire. But the ex-con in the seat next to them, who did time for killing a guy in a drunken brawl, but who was saved in prison and led his cellmate to the Lord, goes to
Heaven. The irony!
I can't imagine a loving God wanting these sorts of scare tactics used in Her name. Which is probably why I got such a kick out of this
parody tract I found, in which Jack Chick dies and meets his Maker:
God:
How dare you presume to speak for Me! I have half a mind to create a Hell, just so I can toss you in it!
Jack:
"But I'm forgiven! You died on the cross for the world's sins! I believe in You! Jesus Saves!
God:
"That's absurd! Why would I need to sacrifice Myself to Myself to allow Me to change a rule...I made Myself!?!"
I love that line about having half a mind to create a Hell just to toss this guy in it. You know who I would toss in it (if I were a cranky god)?
People who hand out these dreadful things to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Halloween is supposed to be scary, but not
that kind of scary!