2014-12-13
Explanation
The Joke
A person points out a contradiction: "If you don't believe in evolution... not enough proof... but you do believe in Noah's Ark... self-evident..." The person then argues that if you believe Noah's Ark literally happened, your vision of Noah should change every time a new disease strain is discovered, since Noah would have had to carry every pathogen on the Ark. The final panel shows Noah as a grotesque, disease-ridden figure, with the other person protesting: "There's a hepatitis G? Come on!"
The Humor
The comic highlights a logical consequence of Biblical literalism that is rarely considered. If Noah literally brought two of every living thing onto the Ark, that would include all parasites, bacteria, and viruses. The humor comes from taking this premise to its absurd but logical conclusion: Noah would have been a carrier of every disease in existence, and as new diseases are discovered (or recognized), the mental image of Noah should get progressively more horrifying. The punchline -- exasperation at "hepatitis G" -- suggests this person is exhausted by each new pathogen adding to Noah's already impossible burden.