Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for June 22, 2022

Bad religious habits

There is some hope. At least Rat realizes what he’s doing is wrong.

It’s the Christian way to be, and the reason for all of that good Christian “forgiveness.”

He’s planning to climb the corporate ladder, wrong by wrong.

as opposed to the wise ass on the hill, we see the dumb one on this hill…

Who…Goat?

Go for it, Rat!

Gotta lotta things to do in this world

Sounds like something the Catholic Mafia would do. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I’ll be back next week.

“I aim to misbehave.”

Sort of a secular version of Romans 5:20 — 6:2.

I have confessed my sins now repeat….hmmm. Remember Jesus said, “Go and sin no more”, of course unless you give $$ to the church, then go ahead.

Spoken like a true Rat.

Does Rat have a brother, so we can call them the Wrong Brothers?

So Rat is Catholic?

That something that Rat is exploiting is called a loophole, Goat.

We can purchase rat traps but nothing can be done for human rats.

Apropos of nothing, there used to be a mom and pop Chinese restaurant in our neighborhood with the slogan “Two Wongs make it right.”

Rat is such a rat.

The above strip might be an historical comic art first, sort of combining the clouds in the adjacent panels by an artisinal overlapping by stephan.

Rat has purpose!

RAT is a RAT is a RAT

Rat is RIGHT.

I will never forgive myself for all the terrible things I have done in my life, and anyone i talk to about my past wants nothing more to do with me once i tell them about it, so i think I have the right attitude to self forgiveness.

Rat is aware that he’s a horrible rodent being and is proud of all the horrible things he does.

As long as you don’t repeat a past wrong, then you’ve bettered yourself and ready to do more newer wrongs.

“You only remember the losses.” – John Madden. “You only remember the regrets.” – Breeze Labonte.

The Catholic Church summed up in three panels.

Christianity in a nutshell.

His moral compass is definitely off ….

Sounds like my mother’s philosophy

The Catholic sacrament of reconciliation…

…minus the contrition, confession, and satisfaction….

Maybe I should stop talking in this strip. Not like Rat listens to me…

Sounds like a fair number of religious people I’ve met. Do bad things, get “forgiven”, maybe do penance, act like it never happened.

It is terrible, the way Pastis stereotypes rats.

A former friend, a brainwashed xtian, told me I’m going to hell despite trying to be a good person, giving time and money to charities, etc. But he, despite being a lying, cheating, and stealing business owner was going to heaven because he’s a xtian, and asks for and receives forgiveness. My last comment to him was there is no god, I walked away as he screamed like a fire and brimstone Southern preacher. Good riddance.

live a life of sin – confess on your death bed and “accept Jesus” and you’re in like Flynn… geesh

I think Carlin would tell you that’s the same as deciding to commit a sin. Don’t bother, you already did it by thinking about doing it.

So much wrong available, so little time! Hurry, Rat! Run, Rat, run!

Yeah, that whole “you need to forgive yourself” thing is SO 20th century, to begin with.

Goat again is the voice of reason.

So, judging by all the attacks and complaints about religions, Christians, etc., I take it that means it is okay if I promote my religious views and proselytize here, too? Just wondering if it works both ways, or if trolling is okay but being positive is frowned upon.