Life, 1886-10-21 · page 1 of 16
Life — October 21, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Life Magazine Satire Analysis This page satirizes religious missionary work and Christian doctrine through a colonial-era scene. The main illustration depicts what appears to be a missionary (in Western dress, left) encountering indigenous peoples in a tropical setting. The dialogue below mocks the contradiction between Christian teaching and historical practice: a missionary claims ancestors are "condemned" for not embracing Christianity, while a heathen challenges this, noting ancestors "never heard" Christian doctrine. The missionary cannot answer, exposing the logical flaw. The satire targets Christian missionaries' moral certainty about condemning non-believers who had no opportunity to convert. It questions whether condemning people for ignorance aligns with Christian values of "charity and love." The cartoon critiques both missionary arrogance and theological inconsistency.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
ee 5 Entered at New York Post Office as Second-Ciass Mail Matter, Copyright, 1886, by Mrrexat: & Mize 5 F: A. B.C. F. M Missionary: HERE YOU SEE THE TORMENTS TO WHICH YOUR ANCESTORS ARE FOR ALL ETERNITY CONDEMNED. HASTEN, THEREFORE, TO EMBRACE THE RELIGION OF CHARITY AND LOVE. The Heathen: AND WERE OUR ANCESTORS: DAMNED FOR NOT BELIEVING TIIE DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIANITY? Missionary: OF COURSE. The Heathen; BUT THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE DOCTRINES OF CHRISTIANITY! Missionary: PRAY, WHAT HAS THAT TO DO WITH THE QUESTION? %