2011-05-03
Explanation
This comic addresses the way some members of the clergy respond to criticism about abuse scandals by citing statistics showing that priests do not offend at higher rates than the general population. The title banner reads: "This is what I think when I hear priests quote statistics about molestation." Below, a priest is shown saying: "All we did was claim to speak for God and suddenly we're held to a higher standard?"
The humor -- and the pointed social commentary -- lies in the priest's own inadvertent admission. By framing the complaint as though being "held to a higher standard" is unfair, the priest accidentally highlights exactly why people do hold clergy to a higher standard: they claim moral authority as representatives of God. The comic argues that if you position yourself as a moral guide and divine spokesperson, being compared favorably to the general population's baseline rate of misconduct is not the defense you think it is. The expectation is not that priests offend at the same rate as everyone else, but that they should be significantly better than average given their self-proclaimed role.
The votey panel reads: "Headline! Religious debate solved by preachy cartoon!" This is a self-aware joke by the cartoonist Zach Weinersmith, acknowledging that the comic itself is being preachy and that a webcomic is obviously not going to resolve complex religious and ethical debates, even when it makes a valid point.