2012-10-10
Explanation
This comic shows an elderly man ("Grampa") arguing with a younger woman about the practical utility of the Bible. He declares: "Oh yeah? Well I coated my front door in lamb'''s blood, and I haven'''t had an unwanted visitor in months!" The caption below reads: "Grampa argues for the utility of the Bible."
The joke references the Passover story from the Book of Exodus, in which the Israelites were instructed by God to mark their doorposts with lamb'''s blood so that the Angel of Death would "pass over" their homes during the tenth plague of Egypt. Grampa has taken this biblical instruction literally and applied it in modern life as a home security measure. The humor is that coating your door in lamb'''s blood would indeed be extremely effective at discouraging visitors -- not because of any divine protection, but simply because anyone approaching a door smeared with animal blood would be deeply disturbed and leave immediately. So the Bible'''s advice "works," but for entirely the wrong reason.
The comic plays on the broader debate about biblical literalism and the practical applicability of ancient religious texts to modern life. Grampa'''s argument is technically sound (it does keep visitors away) while being completely insane by any normal social standard.
The votey panel has Grampa adding: "And if they do come? Toad rain." This references another plague of Egypt -- the plague of frogs (or toads). Grampa is threatening to escalate to additional biblical plagues if the lamb'''s blood deterrent proves insufficient, further committing to his strategy of treating the Book of Exodus as a home defense manual.