Life, 1889-01-31 · page 1 of 18
Life — January 31, 1889 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "A Stab at the Church" This cartoon satirizes religious instruction in Sunday schools. A minister, speaking "with severity," questions a boy named Richard about whether he believes "everything you learn at Sunday-school." Richard frankly admits "not everything," prompting the minister to assert that surely the boy must believe what his parents teach him. The satire targets the perceived gap between religious doctrine taught in institutions and actual childhood skepticism. The title "A Stab at the Church" suggests Life magazine is critiquing how churches attempt to impose unquestioning faith on children, while the boy's honest answer exposes the unrealistic nature of that expectation. The humor lies in the child's candid admission that contradicts the authority figures' assumptions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
here," coe Sa = of all ly the ecom- vilized ollient are so ry city Inited rthless LRICAN 5 gi SVM. NEW YORK, JANUARY 31, 1889. Entered at the New York Post Office as Second-Class Mail Matter. Copyright, 1889, by Mrrcwett & MILLER. A STAB AT THE CHURCH. The Minister (with severity): AND SO YOU DO NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING you are? LEARN AT SUNDAY-SCHOOL, RICHARD ? Richard: No, SiR} NOT EVERYTHING. The Minister: MY LITTLE BOY DOES. Richard: Yes, sir. 1 SUPPOSE YOUR LITTLE BOY HAS TO. comicbooks.com