|
Did the Vatican create Islam?
Author gets to the Bottom of "Jack
Chick's 'Da Vinci Code'"
Monday, July 24, 2006
By Spero News
Over the past fifty years Jack Chick has
printed more religious tracts than
anyone alive. He has translated his
texts into a plethora of languages and
his tracts and comic books are well
known to many evangelical faiths
worldwide.
But now he finds himself challenged by
an expatriate American author looking to
set the record straight on Jack Chick's
controversial portrayals.
"These vicious lies by Jack Chick and
his cohorts have gone on far, far too
long," said Gary Dale Cearley, author of
Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness: The
Truth about the Vatican and the Birth of
Islam, "They claim to be lovers of God
but it is impossible to love God and not
respect the truth."
Gary Dale Cearley is an American born in
the Deep South but now lives the life of
an expatriate in Vietnam. Cearley knew
of Jack Chick's tracts from when he was
growing up in southwestern Arkansas.
Back in the days of his youth he thought
Chick was doing the world a favor. "Jack
Chick was a real Christian in my mind
when I was young," said Cearley, "but my
whole opinion of him changed when I
started receiving e-mails containing the
story line 'How the Vatican Created
Islam'. I saw immediately that Chick,
through the testimony of this fraud
Alberto Rivera, was intent defaming two
faiths at the expense of historical
truths. So I became impassioned. I had
to publicly refute the whole bogus
story."
Why did Chick Publications start
publishing these stories?
"I believe that in Jack Chick's own way
of thinking, he is battling Satan
directly," explained Gary Dale, "If you
look at the tracts through the history
of Chick Publications you will see that
in the early days of Jack Chick's tract
business he focused on the sins and the
sinners, but as his tract empire grew so
did the target base of his tracts. He
broadened his scope to include "enemy
religions", for lack of a better term.
More and more instead of attacking the
sin he began to directly attack these
other religious groups such as Jews,
Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses. But
some of his most powerful volleys were
aimed at Muslims and Catholics."
'How the Vatican Created Islam' was
based on the Chick Publications comic
book tract 'The Prophet' and had been
read by millions of people around the
world. It has been posted on hundreds of
well visited websites as well, including
that of David Icke. The story, narrated
by Alberto Rivera, who claimed to be a
former Jesuit, recounts a history of
Islam filled with lots of historical
events and famous people with all the
intrigue of an excellent conspiracy
theory.
Rivera's first paragraph begins: "What
I'm going to tell you is what I learned
in secret briefings in the Vatican when
I was a Jesuit priest, under oath and
induction. A Jesuit cardinal named
Augustine Bea showed us how desperately
the Roman Catholics wanted Jerusalem at
the end of the third century. Because of
its religious history and its strategic
location, the Holy City was considered a
priceless treasure. A scheme had to be
developed to make Jerusalem a Roman
Catholic city."
Rivera also reveals that the Vatican
"engineers a campaign of hatred between
the Muslim Arabs and the Jews. Before
this, they had co-existed peacefully."
"The main problem is that is was all
wrong," said Cearley, "They told a very
good story, an incredible story. But the
facts do not hold up to scrutiny. So I
set out to set the record straight. I
really set out to insure that Chick and
Rivera did not get away with slander."
Casual readers who appreciate history
would also find that Cearley's version
of the story makes for interesting
reading as well. He provides all of the
historical backdrops behind his
rebuttals and clarifications of the
Rivera testimony. "I like reading
history. It is one of my favorite things
to do. So I wanted to write this book in
a way that people who also enjoy reading
history will have a good time reading my
book," explained Cearley.
So what will Jack Chick have to say
about Gary Dale Cearley's book?
"Of course I would love Jack Chick to
read this book," said Cearley, "but from
what I have read of the guy I don't
believe he ever will. I will say,
however, that this book is really for
people who might get hold of one of
Chick's poisonous tracts that vilify
Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Mormons or
Jehovah's Witnesses. I want the whole
entire world to know the angle that
these two characters, Jack Chick and
Alberto Rivera are coming from. But if
the readers enjoy the book and get
something out of historical research
that is in it, then that's a real bonus
for both me and the reader as well." |
