You all know my penchant for comics and politics so it is no surprise that when it all comes together, comics, politics, and religion, I just have to bring it to your attention. Cagle at MSNBC.com has the usual round up of political cartoons on the Nativity (and everything else). So here are a few with my commentary included. Please see the Cagle site for more on each artist and their work.

So let’s start with a fairly political statement first.

I think we cannot escape the fact that so many have referred to President Obama as “the Messiah” and that this must be behind the bailout reference here. That being said, it doesn’t take much for us to view this theologically and recognize that Jesus does indeed offer a kind of “bailout,” the sort that only he can provide.

Next, we find our annual “homeless” theme.

This always irritates me and I am not completely sure why. As scholars we all have our doubts about exactly how and where Jesus was born but the accounts do not in any way suggest that Jesus’ family lacked a home. When we head down to my folks’ place in Maryland and stay in a hotel are we “homeless”? No, I don’t think so.

Still, we certainly must remember to be charitable to those who are without and there are more then ever, even in our own hometowns.

Money is always an issue, how we spend it and on what. The nation’s current fiscal crisis gave rise to many cartoons this year (and last). I like this one for its simplicity and poignancy.

And finally, building on the theme of money (and I will grant, lacking a bit in the area of originality) but getting to the heart of the matter, I like this comics by Wells.

A final footnote: the Caption Contest will continue! Check in on Thursday for the next installment. I am quite pleased with my selection. (Now to do some work!)

Far Left

Is “the world” really getting less inclined to tolerate blasphemy? Is even the US? Or do some folks have a different view of the past, say the 1960-70s? Or maybe he is thinking of the ’80s? I don’t know. I think that most folks in the US still have a pretty generous view towards poking “sacred cows” although I remember in the ’80′s when all sorts of non-religious concepts became fairly sacred and “out of bounds” to debate. Still, I think Frazz is wrong, I don’t think anyone would have minded if kids had thrown pickle stickers at his painting of God on the roof of the cafetria.