Introduction: So what distinguishes a Christian Comic from other comics? It is primarily the thinking or world view that underlies the basis of the story or series. In this six-part series we will discuss what makes up the Biblical World View. In this sixth and final installment we continue our discusion of the important features of a Biblical Worldview.

The Fall: In Genesis 3, while in a perfect environment, man is tempted by the serpent (identified as Satan in Revelation 20:2). The serpent's temptation was "You will be as gods (or as God) knowing good and evil". Man as God created him was innocent and pure. When man succumbed to Satan's temptation he experienced both spiritual and the beginnings of physical death. Spiritually, sin caused separation of fellowship between God and man. Physically, in order to cover man's nakedness, God killed animals and made coverings for man from the skins (Genesis 3:21). This foreshadowed the ancient Hebrew sacrificial system and the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Also, God placed a curse on creation (Genesis 3:17). Man would live by the sweat of his brow and physical death would come to his body (Genesis 3:19). This was not how it was meant to be. Death is an alien presence in creation. Looking again at the seminal Green Lantern #40 (October 1965) the Oan, Krona, broke the prohibition about looking into the origin of the universe. When he did that, "...evil was loosed on the universe! It swiftly spread from world to world where intelligent creatures lived who had not the gift of immorality like the Oans... Brother killed brother, Hatred and violence grew, flourished!" For a number of years this isolated statement of cosmology stood in the DC Universe. This scene was repeated in the History of the DC Universe though later revisions cast doubt on even that mild statement of theism.

Jesus Christ: How does the Bible bring resolution to the sin dilemma? I believe it comes in two stages, if you will. The first "stage" in the resolution of the problem of sin is the Incarnation, God becoming man in Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a morally and ethically perfect (or sinless) life. He fulfilled perfectly the Old Testament messianic prophecies and His death and resurrection provided the perfect substitute or sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Sin deals with the basic problem of man's alienation from God. In the fictional world of comic books, a super-hero (you insert name) can physically save the world, but he can't save his own soul much less anyone's else's soul. He is as morally flawed as any normal person. The Bible states "...there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name [Jesus Christ] under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Future Things: The final "stage" of the solution to the fallen world takes place in the future with the culmination of history. The book of Revelation tells of a time in the future where the devil, the unrighteous living and dead and death itself will be consigned to a lake of fire that burns forever. (20:10, 14) The present earth and heavens will be destroyed by fire (II Peter 3:12, 13). Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth where "righteousness" dwells (Rev. 20:14). The best the comic writers can come up with is something like Crisis on Infinite Earths where a myriad of comic book universes are destroyed or transformed into one. However, the same problems of sin and falleness are transferred to the new world (or universe).

We have tried to show briefly how to develop a Biblical world view and apply it with discernment to comics. We need to ask ourselves and God how close do the comics we read conform morally and spiritually to the Bible.

(Originally printed in New Creation #11. 1998)