Some may call it "comic book religion" or "cartoon religion," but it's serious business to the creator of these little tracts.
Religion can't save, only Jesus can. That's the main premise for the controversial Chick Cartoon Tracts, published for the past 36 years in the United States and more recently worldwide with more than 500 million sold.
Their creator, Jack Chick of Ontario, Calif., has drawn hundreds of tracts to show what he believes is the only way to salvation — to turn from sin and ask Jesus to come into your heart as a personal savior.
"The Bible says there's only one way to heaven!" all the tracts state. "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.' "(John 14:9).
Perhaps you've seen the tracts in various medical waiting rooms, phone booths, on buses or laying around in other public places. Because all the tracts are black and white, they can also be accessed on the Web and are available in nearly 100 languages.
Kristiina Chapman, spokesperson for Chick Publications, said Jack Chick doesn't give interviews these days, preferring to spend all his time creating new tracts.
More than a half billion tracts have been sold over the years.
"They have definitely penetrated most areas of the world in one way or another," Chapman said. "We prefer to keep the focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, and his ability and willingness to change people's lives, and his promise of eternal life to those who believe on him."
Presented in a mini-comic book form, each pamphlet tells a story and contains several Biblical references.
T.E. VanBuskirk, pastor of the Ogden Bible Baptist Church, said his church uses the tracts frequently because he believes they are the single most effective type of tract made.
"They are non-threatening, to the point, and each tract is passed around and generally read seven times each," he said. "That is much higher than most standard tracts. They are appealing because of the comic-book format that is familiar to both young and old. Most important, they are scriptural in content and present the Bible message in easy to understand terms.
"When I was in college, an old preacher that had been preaching the gospel of Christ for more than a half a century, told us that when you preach you should always 'put the candy on the lowest shelf so that even the children can get to it.' That is exactly what Bro. Chick does in his tracts, and that is why they are so effective with both adults and children," VanBuskirk said.
West Valley City's Bible Baptist Church also uses the tracts.
Chick Publications are available at some of the smaller Christian bookstores in Utah and some tracts are also in Spanish.
Each tract by Chick ends with these four suggestions:
1. Read your Bible every day to get to know Christ better.
2. Talk to God in prayer every day (in your own words).
3. Be baptized, worship, fellowship and serve with Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority.
4. Tell others about Christ.
While the third admonition seems to apply to most Christian churches, various tracts focus on many organized churches, trying to show there isn't salvation in them.
"The Visitors, Two Mormon Missionaries, Learn the Truth about Their Church" is Chick's tract challenging beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"Last Rites" is one of several pamphlets that takes on the Catholic Church.
Other tracts also confront the Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Masons, Jews, Buddhists and many others.
Pamphlets also criticize such traditions as the celebration of Halloween, which is called unacceptable to Jesus.
Some other pamphlets stress sexual purity, observe that sports is overemphasized and that money has no eternal importance, and warn of the dangers of using illegal drugs.
Among the most controversial of Chick's tracts is "Gun Slinger." Here, a hired killer gains salvation for accepting Christ before he dies, while the law-abiding marshal doesn't and thus goes to hell.
"Going to heaven is not a matter of good or bad. It's a matter of saved or lost. No matter how bad you've been, Jesus still loves you and wants to save you right now! Will you let him?" is how the "Gun Slinger" pamphlet ends.
More information on Chick Publications is available online at www.chick.com, or by calling 1-909-987-0771.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com