RELIGION: Ruining Everything Since 4004 BC

SMBC: Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal

by Zach Weinersmith

A collection of religion-themed comics from the archives of SMBC, including 19 comics found only in this book. Makes a lovely companion book to the other SMBC theme collection, “Science: Ruining Everything Since 1543.”

Genres: Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels, Religion, Webcomic, Fiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Zachary Weinersmith (born Zachary Alexander Weiner) is an American cartoonist, who is best known for his webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (SMBC). He is the author of two other webcomics, the completed Captain Stupendous with artist Chris Jones, and Snowflakes, co-written by James Ashby and also illustrated by Chris Jones. He also founded the sketch comedy group SMBC Theater with James Ashby and Marty Weiner in 2009.

Weinersmith has been involved in writing and drawing comics since his high school years, but he first published on the internet in the late 1990s. His early comics usually had three or more panels, but after 2002, he switched to drawing predominantly one panel comics. He stated in a 2009 interview that he was glad to have decided to draw one panel comics because he felt three panel webcomics had become a webcomic cliche by that time, and that there were almost no decent one panel comics on the internet. More recently, he has drawn a mixture of single and multi panel comics for SMBC.

Weinersmith's webcomic was recognized in 2006, and 2007 with the Web Cartoonists' Choice Award for Outstanding Single Panel Comic,[3] and received nominations in 2003,[4] and 2008.[5]

SMBC is at heart a geek comic, which nevertheless addresses a broad range of topics, such as love, relationships, economics, politics, religion, science, and philosophy. As shown by the diverse range of blogs listed above, it appeals to many different groups.

SMBC has around 250,000 daily readers, served over 300,000,000 comics in 2010, and is one of the fastest growing comics online (has sextupled in readership since 2008). The comics have been featured on many important blogs, including The Economist, Glamour, BoingBoing, Bad Astronomy, Blastr, Blues News, Joystiq, Washington Post, Freakonomics, and more.

Zach has a degree in Literature and 3/8ths of a degree in physics. He enjoys reading about math, logic, science, history, fiction, and philosophy. His hobbies are space travel, dinosaur riding, and wishful thinking. He currently lives in southern California with his beautiful and brilliant wife.

Note: Zach publishes SMBC and SMBC material under both "Zach Weiner" and "Zach Weinersmith".

Reviews

[***Dave Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zach Weinersmith's SMBC webcomic scores many more hits than misses on a daily basis. This Kickstarter-funded compilation of religion-themed comics (complementing a similar "SCIENCE" book a few years back) does likewise. While the humor gets pretty acidic in places, there's little here I'd consider blasphemously disrespectful, and, as a believer, I'm not bothered by equal-opportunity fun-poking at the faithful, the illogic of theological argument (especially taken ad absurdem), or difficulties of being God (or a deity in general). Fun stuff.

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UPDATE 2/20

I'd say about half of these were humorous hits, a quarter were misses, and a quarter made me pee my pants laughing. Good stuff.

[Todd Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal or SMBC for years, so when Zach Weinersmith announced he was going to make a second book based around all his heretical religious comics, I had to purchase it.

Suffice it to say its hilarious. If you don't mind poking a little fun at religion its a great read filled with hilarity. I highly recommend this book!

[Solveig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of comics with religion as the theme. Some of them are really, really funny while others are OK.

[Benjamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much like SCIENCE: Ruining Everything, RELIGION: Ruining Everything is another collection of webcomics from "Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal" (SMBC). Basically, these two topics cover the vast majority of Zach Weinersmith's comics. This book can act as a primer for anyone who wants to start reading this webcomic but happens to not have the internet (for some reason). This printed collection of webcomics still manages to capture the humor and hidden jokes present in the online versions of these same comics, but with a few extras sprinkled in to make long-time readers pick it up as well.

While not nearly as biased as The Holy-Bible Unabridged , no religion is safe from being the butt of Weinersmith's jokes in this collection. It did help that the distribution of jokes about these different religions seemed to be fairly well balanced in this book. And even as someone who considers themself a Christian, I could laugh at how ridiculous some of our beliefs would appear to outsiders. However, not being as well-versed in other religions, I don't know if the jokes aimed at them were similarly self-aware.

When compared to SCIENCE: Ruining Everything, I feel RELIGION: Ruining Everything is more approachable for those who want to start reading SMBC comics. Perhaps this is because most people can relate to the jokes contained in this book instead of needing specific scientific knowledge to understand why the comic is funny. Of course, I'm sure some people might be offended by these comics, but then this collection probably isn't for them anyway. I feel being able to laugh at irreverence is not the same as endorsing blasphemy. If anything, understanding the jokes in this book means you're fairly well-read in your religion already.

A humorous collection of religious jokes that doesn't pull its punches, I give RELIGION: Ruining Everything 4.0 stars out of 5.
   

[Eric Mesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm generally a fan of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal (the source of these comics) and even though I would identify myself as a Christian, I'm not one of those easily-offended, book-banning types. I found lots of the jokes in here funny, even the ones a more self-serious person would find blasphemous. But all collected together, some of the jokes get a bit repetitious. There are several "why do good things happen to bad people" comics, a few "are you in heaven or in hell?" comics, and at least 2 "do animals go to heaven" comics. Weinersmith does also find some humor in Zen Buddhism, but even some of those are repetitious in theme. I think, really, it's more the case that there aren't really enough jokes to tell about religion to create a whole book without repeating yourself. (Even my review is starting to repeat itself!)

So, if you have gotten this far in my review, the takeaways are:
- Not quite as funny as the science book
- If you're ok with blasphemy there are some funny jokes in here, including some that might make you think a bit
- A bit repetitious

Same author, funnier, and also about religion: The Holy Bible: Abridged Beyond the Point of Usefulness

[Zana]

Got this for myself for Christmas. Got my spouse his book “Science: Ruining Everything Since 1543.” We will both read both, but there was absolutely no question that souse would get the science book and I would get the religion book.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another funny SMBC collection. Definitely not for anyone who takes religion too seriously.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irreverent and funny. This book pokes fun at religion and beliefs, but in a way that mostly looking at the weird edges and consequences from some philosophies. If you can't laugh...

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think religion is giving itself enough credit if it thinks it's only ruined things for just over six thousand years. Humans have been around longer than that.

[Frazer Tolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite of the SMBC compilations

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ouch... some of these comics are absolutely brutal in their treatment of religion and ethics. There are some repeating themes (god is a jerk, the application of logic to pet heaven, and people thinking they're in heaven only to find out they're not) that play out differently each time. But almost every comic here is funny, a number laugh out loud. They're also very likely to offend anyone of strong religious views - some make good points, but a number are just crass comments on the people behind religions. It's mainly Christianity under the microscope, although there are a couple of Buddhist shots (and even one or two Greek and Norse god strips). The art is nothing impressive, but is definitely serviceable. Read this if you have a sense of humor about faith, and are willing to question some tenets. And want to laugh.

[Antoine Dumas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of religion-themed comics from SMBC. It's a quick read with maybe two or three laugh-out-loud examples. As a religious (haha, get it) reader of SMBC, I think this collection is an odd choice. It's not really the best that Weiner has to offer.

[Claire Gilligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun! SMBC's brand of irreverent but well-informed loving jabs at religion and faith, in convenient comic book form! Only a few fell flat for me, although only a few were works of genius. Most were just plain fun! Worth every penny.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comics about religion that will appeal to people who like science, math, and/or (!) religion. Probably not so funny to casually religious (or otherwise uninterested in the bible) readers, but more "umm....?" than offensive.

[Andre · Rating 4 out of 5]

SMBC material relating to religion. As with the webcomic, sometimes serious, sometimes hilarious and always worth the read. Enjoyable (for me at least).

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun collection from the writer of one of my favorite web comics. Link for anyone interested who does not already read it: http://www.smbc-comics.com

[Gordon Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am crying.

[Doug Cornelius]

Funny, biting, hilarious.