Professional comic book artist Mike S. Miller made a video in which he and his special-needs son burned a copy of Ethan Van Sciver’s Cyberfrog. The reason? Because Miller, a self-proclaimed follower of Jesus, hates Van Sciver.
The two men used to be e-friends. Van Sciver got Miller into Comicsgate and crowdfunding comics after opportunities with mainstream comic publishers dried up. Things began to go south with Miller and Van Sciver when Miller began spreading his anti-gay bigotry on social media and Van Sciver privately called him out on it.
If Jesus didn’t criticize gay people, why do his followers do it?
It’s important to note that in the four gospels of the Bible, not a word appears that Jesus said anything about homosexuality. Nor did he ever heal a gay person from their same-sex attraction. I take that to mean he was okay with gay people. And why wouldn’t he be? People are neither virtuous or wicked by which of the two genders they’re attracted to. It doesn’t work that way. What matters is how you conduct yourself. Do you love your enemies as you love yourself? Do you not judge others? These are the things Jesus talked about, not hating on the gays.
When it was clear Ethan Van Sciver didn’t support Mike S. Miller’s views on gay people, he left Comicsgate and ended his relationship with Van Sciver. He wasn’t alone. Doug TenNapel, another anti-gay follower of Jesus, also left the warm embrace of Comicsgate and ended his e-friendship with Van Sciver. He even said in a video that the reason he joined Comicsgate was that he was looking for some “manly men” to help fight against the rainbow flag.
Miller and TenNapel’s rejection of Comicsgate and Van Sciver came after the two were able to make a lot of money because of Comicsgate and Van Sciver. Before Comicsgate, Miller had trouble buying groceries for his family and was about to lose his house. With e-friends like Miller and TenNaple, who needs e-enemies?
What comic would Jesus burn?
I’m not a fan of book burning. As someone who makes his living creating books, one might think Miller would hold a similar opinion. Evidently not. I’m also not a fan of YouTubers who use their children in their videos. If Miller wanted to lash out at Van Sciver by burning his comic, he should have done it without any of his children being involved. Additionally, has the man never cleaned his fireplace? The amount of ash and burnt remnants in that fireplace made my skin crawl. It made me wonder how filthy the rest of his house is.
In a perfect world, anti-gay bigots like Miller and TenNaple would keep their views to themselves. They would concentrate on selling their books to all of God’s children, including the gay ones. Although I’m not gay, someone in my family is. I buy comics. I’ll never help line the pockets of religious hypocrites who judge people because they have the audacity to be proud of who they are.
That will never happen.
Kirk Leavens says
I don’t know Mr. Miller, but I’ve known people like him. I am certain he would not have hung out with Jesus because of the people Jesus associated with. We are dealing with tribalism, the oldest form of social structure other than family. It is not unique to conservative Christians but underlies most political and religious structures. Tribalism differentiates between those who share one’s tribe and those who are outside the tribe. I am sure sociologists would tell us it is a leftover survival instinct from when resources were hard and tribes fought each other. Jesus was not tribal. He healed and touched those who were taboo/unclean. He broke the Sabbath. He spoke to hated Samaritans. He forgave an adulterous woman and allowed a common prostitute to wash his feet with her tears. Not the kinda guy who stood around condemning people. You don’t break with tribal taboos without drawing criticism. Mr. Miller would do well to reflect on whether he is just trying to build fences to protect his tribe or if he needs to acknowledge the humanity in all our brothers and sisters.
Rick Rottman says
Well said Kirk.
jason says
Thank you for explaining this controversy.