2010-09-19
Explanation
This comic depicts an escalating argument between a scientist and a priest. The scientist presents evidence for how something works, and the priest flatly denies it with "No it doesn't!" This back-and-forth repeats as the scientist's claims grow stronger -- from having proof, to having overwhelming proof, to having so much overwhelming proof that it is becoming a "P.R. problem" for the priest. At the mention of a public relations problem, the priest hesitates and asks to see the evidence.
The joke satirizes the dynamic between science and religious authority. The priest is unmoved by evidence and proof on their own merits, but becomes interested the moment the issue is framed as a threat to his public image. The final panel shows the priest later cheerfully presenting the scientific finding as evidence of "God's design," having co-opted the discovery rather than acknowledged it contradicted his previous position. This lampoons the tendency to deny scientific findings until they become too popular to ignore, at which point they get rebranded as compatible with faith all along.