Life — September 26, 1912 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Ninety and Nine" - Life Magazine Cartoon This page contains two cartoons satirizing religious hypocrisy. The top panel's title references the biblical parable of the "ninety and nine" sheep (Matthew 18:12), where a shepherd leaves the flock to find one lost lamb. The bottom cartoon depicts a clergyman telling a woman (likely his wife) that he intends to preach about "healthy sport, especially...baseball, among our young parishioners." The satire targets clergy who selectively focus on moral instruction while ignoring weightier spiritual or social concerns—prioritizing minor recreational guidance over substantive pastoral duties. Both cartoons mock religious establishments for losing sight of their fundamental purpose, using the "lost sheep" metaphor to highlight misplaced pastoral priorities.