Many people have a down on Jack Chick, but he provided a very useful impulse to Christianity.
Before WWII, black preachers became famous for their glorious depictions of Hell that awaited unbelievers and sinners. Some were so talented that in the churches in which they performed, parishioners said they could smell the brimstone and feel the flames licking the bottom of the floorboards.
Many people abandoned their sinful ways or were at least motivated to try, and many collection plates were filled by earnest hopes of forgiveness.
But after the war, clergy of many denominations downgraded Hell and sin in favor of emphasizing redemption and love. But something very important was lost. A Heaven without risk, with only pastel colors and no sharp edges is wanting.
Rewards are not rewards if everyone wins. If no struggle is involved. If an entire lifetime of righteousness, hard earned and victorious, has just the same result as that of vile sinners, evil to the bitter end.
And this is why Jack Chick was so popular. He illustrated the contrast between a righteous life and that of unrepentant sin. A contrast that Christianity truly needs.
Is Jack Chick still a persona non grata around here??