dear-god
Original: dear-god on Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
Transcript
Panel 1:
Woman (hands clasped in prayer, eyes closed): Dear God, according to recent research, people who believe in a higher power tend to be happier.
Panel 2:
Woman (now looking skeptical): How do you know it's not reverse causality? Maybe people who are happy tend to be more religious.
Panel 3:
Woman: Come on. Why would people who are already happy seek out reassuring institutions?
Panel 4:
Woman (smiling, arms spread): Plus, there are clear psychological benefits to what religious claims: death is not an end, bad things happen for a reason, free will is real.
Panel 5:
Woman (frowning, arms crossed): Okay, sure, but that doesn't mean it's true. If people who believe the moon landing was fake were happier, would you decide they were right?
Panel 6:
Woman (gesturing, agitated): That is OBVIOUSLY not the same thing!
Large speech bubble (the higher power / other voice she is arguing with): Look, I'm just playing devil's advocate.
Votey:
A roach speech bubble: Also, I'm not God. I'm a talking roach on the ceiling.
Woman (hands clasped in prayer, eyes closed): Dear God, according to recent research, people who believe in a higher power tend to be happier.
Panel 2:
Woman (now looking skeptical): How do you know it's not reverse causality? Maybe people who are happy tend to be more religious.
Panel 3:
Woman: Come on. Why would people who are already happy seek out reassuring institutions?
Panel 4:
Woman (smiling, arms spread): Plus, there are clear psychological benefits to what religious claims: death is not an end, bad things happen for a reason, free will is real.
Panel 5:
Woman (frowning, arms crossed): Okay, sure, but that doesn't mean it's true. If people who believe the moon landing was fake were happier, would you decide they were right?
Panel 6:
Woman (gesturing, agitated): That is OBVIOUSLY not the same thing!
Large speech bubble (the higher power / other voice she is arguing with): Look, I'm just playing devil's advocate.
Votey:
A roach speech bubble: Also, I'm not God. I'm a talking roach on the ceiling.
Alt text
A six-panel comic in which a woman carries on a one-sided theological debate, voicing both sides herself as if arguing with God. Panel 1: hands clasped in prayer, she says people who believe in a higher power tend to be happier. Panel 2: she counters herself, asking how that isn't just reverse causality (happy people becoming more religious). Panel 3: she presses, asking why already-happy people would seek out reassuring institutions. Panel 4: arms spread and smiling, she lists the psychological benefits of religious claims (death is not an end, bad things happen for a reason, free will is real). Panel 5: arms crossed and frowning, she objects that being comforting doesn't make a claim true, comparing it to moon-landing deniers being happier. Panel 6: gesturing in frustration she shouts "That is OBVIOUSLY not the same thing!" while a large bubble from her debate partner replies, "Look, I'm just playing devil's advocate." Votey: a drawing of a cockroach on a ceiling with a speech bubble admitting, "Also, I'm not God. I'm a talking roach on the ceiling" — revealing the divine voice she was arguing with was just a bug.
Transcribed by Claude Opus 4.8.