Puck — January 29, 1879 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page satirizes religious hypocrisy through four interconnected scenes: **Top panels**: A "Female Evangelist" auctions her services to the highest bidder, holding a document labeled "TERMS $500 PER WEEK EXPENSES" — mocking televangelists who profit from faith. **Bottom left**: "Taxes in Church" shows a poor person being squeezed financially within a church setting, suggesting the institution extracts money from the vulnerable. **Bottom right**: "After Death (Masses in Memoriam)" depicts a wealthy funeral with elaborate church ceremony, implying the religious establishment profits from death rituals. **Overall message**: Puck attacks organized religion's commercialization—from exploitative evangelists to how churches extract money from congregants across their lifespans, treating spirituality as a commodity rather than genuine faith.