Humor and God

[Cartoonist]

There has been some scholarly research as to why conservatives aren't funny. The consensus is usually along the lines of speaking truth to power vs making fun of the downtrodden.

I think a similar argument can be made for atheists and believers. I see it here on DU. There have been many funny threads recently started by the vermin in this group. I don't ever recall seeing something funny posted by the righteous. Is it a case of no holds barred freedom of atheism vs the constant looking over one's shoulder lest one offend their God?

Here's a short list

Mark Twain
George Carlin
Bill Maher
John Cleese
Sarah Silverman
Charlie Chaplin

Name some theist comedians who are actually funny.

[Binkie The Clown]

1. I can name quite a few funny conservative/pious people.

Of course they are not intentionally funny. And they don't think of themselves as comedians. But, hey, it's the final effect that matters.

[Cartoonist]

2. I know what you mean

Pat Robertson comes to mind.

Another point:
Where are the funny bits in the Bible? Did Jesus ever tell a joke?

[Binkie The Clown]

3. "Job" is slapstick, right? n/t

[bvf]

4. Woody Allen wrote a piece

for The New Yorker (I think) many many years ago that began, "And the Lord made an bet with Satan..." and went on to describe god twisting Job's nose "until it looked like a Molly screw."

Gotta dig that up again. It's around here somewhere...

That's always stuck with me for some reason.

[AlbertCat]

25. Did Jesus ever tell a joke?

Ever read "The Name of the Rose"? (it's really good)

[bvf]

5. Interesting.

As I recall, one of my first hides on DU resulted from little more than calling another poster "humorless."

Guess the group.

[LiberalAndProud]

6. What in the world are you talking about?

Christian is an entire subgenre of Comedy.
Check it out.

http://www.jesuscoffeebreak.com/10-funniest-christian-stand-up-comedians-hilarious-clean-comedy/

[beam me up scottie]

7. LOL!

I thought I would share my opinion of the 10 funniest Christian stand up comedians. What’s great about watching christian comedy is it’s clean and you can watch with your entire family.

Clean comedy is about as appealing as clean sex.

[LiberalAndProud]

9. Good night

and may God bless.

[beam me up scottie]

10. Argh, got an error trying to play it.

%*$!@ dial up...

Red Skelton?

[LiberalAndProud]

11. Oh, bmus, I'm sorry.

I forget the limitations of dialup.

Red Skelton, guest starring Harpo Marx in Camelot days.

"Somebody Up There Should Stay Up There"

[beam me up scottie]

12. S'okay, I'm trying very hard to forget it.

So many threads I can't participate in, sigh...

But I do love it out here in the boonies - right now I am listening to a young male Mockingbird give his nightly concert. He starts every night at 11pm and so far he sucks. The only call he does well is a rooster.

And loud, hoo boy, is he ever, that bird could raise the dead.

[LiberalAndProud]

13. That's far better than the video, anyway.

If he really does raise the dead ...


let me know.

[onager]

24. Oh, you'll LOVE this site, BMUS...

The words "clean" and "clean humor" are all over this place. Like some weird version of Tourette's.

Huge "clean jokes" section. But all the jokes I read are older than Barbara Bush, meaning they were written circa 700 BCE. And about as funny as a rubber crutch.

I mentioned it in another thread. Despite the "clean" obsession, the site seems to be named for a pretty raunchy novel - "God's Little Acre" by Erskine Caldwell. Whoops! Poor Xians - so many ways for the Devil to sneak up and bite you in the ass...

http://godslittleacre.net

[applegrove]

8. I grew up Presbyterian. The minister always taught

the congregation to be self effacing. UU too. Sorry, but my experience of organized religion has always involved humour as a way to be humble and enjoy being together.

[mountain grammy]

14. My very religious niece posted a video of her "favorite" comedian

some guy doing a bit stolen from Robin Williams, but when Robin did it, it was hysterical. She liked it because it was clean and appropriate for kids. Robin performed on tv thousands of times and was funny, clean or dirty, but she has that mindset that if a performer doesn't give it all up for god, they're no good.

[nil desperandum]

15. Theist Comedians...

The following people identify as theists...at least in some of their self-released biographical information.


Stephen Colbert
Dane Cook
Chris Tucker
Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat)
Kevin Smith
Steve Harvey

Oddly enough I am mildly amused by a couple of them and find the rest not quite funny at all, but comedy is subjective indeed and what's funny to one is not funny to another often irrespective of religious views.

[Arugula Latte]

17. Stephen Colbert is an interesting case.

It seems to me he does recognize that his religion isn't "true" (I say this because of all the satire he has done about religion both on his own show and the Daily Show), yet he willfully chooses to believe in it because he wants to, while simultaneously recognizing that it's mythology with no more "truth" than any other religion. He's said as much. I don't know how you can just reconcile that split in your thinking enough to still go to mass and all that crap, but some smart people obviously can.

[edhopper]

16. Lots of funny comedians are believers

I think the difference is when they do comedy about faith. Then it's as funny as Dennis Miller.

Look up "Christian Comedy" on YouTube and be prepared not to laugh.

[OriginalGeek]

22. It's the same with christian metal

There are tons of great bands with religious members - or at least believers if not overly religious - but when they start marketing themselves as "christian" metal (or hard rock) the quality takes a nosedive into the depths of the lake of fire.


I suspect the key word here is "marketing".

[salimbag]

18. When I was a wee lad

My parents dragged me to church every time they opened the doors. Our preacher started every sermon with a joke. The ones I remember were openly racist, not very funny, but played well to the white audience.

[OriginalGeek]

23. same here only I didn't escape

until I graduated high school and left home. I don't recall hearing the N word from the pulpit but I heard it plenty from the pastor and the youth ministers - often only after carefully looking around like the chickenshits they were.

[salimbag]

26. Openly racist jokes

Definitely contained the n-word, from the pulpit, great audience response. The preacher was half Cherokee, and I always wondered if he felt obliged to act racist since he was not "pure white".

[Cartoonist]

19. More specific

I think it's more the case of the material rather than the individual. Stephen Colbert doesn't do bits that are pro-religion and funny. Comedy is subversive.

[Act_of_Reparation]

20. Bill Hicks was a believer

An unusual theist, certainly, but a theist all the same.

[onager]

21. Remember the Kathy Griffin blow-up?

Griffin was accused of being an atheist afterwards. But I remember her denying that and saying, "I must be the last Catholic in America with a sense of humor."

From Snopes.com:

On 16 September 2007, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded its Emmy for "Outstanding Reality Program" to My Life on the D-List, a show detailing the travails of Kathy Griffin, a stand-up comedienne and television bit player...

As Executive Producer and star of the series, Kathy Griffin accepted the Emmy won by the show. Her remarks upon receiving the award were: "Now, look, a lot of people come up here and they thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. He didn't help me a bit. If it was up to him, Cesar Millan would be up here with that damn dog. So all I can say is suck it Jesus, this award is my God now."

The E! Network airing of the awards ceremony removed Griffin's remarks from the broadcast. Griffin herself appears proud of her comments, labeling them on her web site as "what will go down as one of the best quotes in Emmy history."

Others were less taken with them. The members of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee's, Miracle Theater spent $100,000 on an ad in USA Today chastising the comic.

Griffin said she was simply parodying rappers, starlets, and athletes who thank Jesus for the recognitions they receive "as if Jesus doesn't have anything better to do than make sure that someone got their People's Choice Award or whatever."

Regarding her reaction to the criticism her remarks have fetched, Griffin told CNN's Larry King that: "I just am loving it. It's in the newspapers around the world and every article starts with, 'Emmy winner Kathy Griffin' and then the letters all just blur after that."

Barbara "graven distorted image" Mikkelson

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/griffin.asp#eH4fIUbXmjzJ7FyQ.99

[mr blur]

27. Bible jokes

Here are 23 of the best Bible jokes and riddles:

Q. Why couldn't Jonah trust the ocean?
A. Because he knew there was something fishy about it. [Tweet this]

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah; he was floating his stock whil everyone was in liquidation.

Q. Where is the first tennis match mentioned in the Bible?
A. When Joseph served in Pharaoh's court. [Tweet this]

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?
A. It's Christmas, Eve! [Tweet this]

Q. How does Moses make his coffee?
A. Hebrews it. [Tweet this]

<snip>

~Oh stop . . . stop! You're killing me!

Like the "Author, Bible Teacher, Joy Seeker" says: 23 of the best Bible jokes