Jesus never laughed: may the fool poke fun at God/the sacred/power?

From the court jester, transvestites, to the medieval carnival, to Shakespeare's "fool" it appears that all civilization has made space for a counter-cultural critic or satirist.
And yet, comedy or humor has hardly escaped censure. Are there forms of humor that support the status quo, and forms that challenge it from outside? Can humor be used to destroy cherished traditions and beliefs? Therefore: can humor be conspiracy, or a part of it. Or, can humor be a means of introducing hidden topics like aliens into society gradually? Especialy in conspiracy text it appears that you make fun and ridicule "me", and the finger points right back!
Well, outside the Gnostic scriptures we never hear of Jesus laughing. Would a world run by fundamentalists be humorless?

Snide humor we can all do without, where things like they use mind control to monitor people to ridicule them at school.

Thats the humour most of you want in this world. Do you really think that really is a world of any sort of morals at all.

I prefer to say, let the world has all its scum, and man does it have its share of absolute trash.

If you think a world without the above scenario is humorless, than fair enough. How far would you go, chopping of peoples heads on tv, would that be fun enough for you, or watching with cameras your kids taking baths, for all the paedo police to have there erections and fantasies.

Do you get what i am getting at, once you start there is no stopping you, like drug addicted fiends, you have to need more, and the victims are not given one bit of civility at all, just scorn for being upset, for being either perved at, or violated, like any animal.

You see the ones who are always the ones on the end of the humor, are the victims, that are tarnished forever.

[edit on 10/25/2009 by andy1033]

reply to post by halfoldman



I already know I am going to regret engaging in this conversation, but... I'll bite.

Let me ask you this: do you remember very many literary (i.e. belletristic) accounts where laughter is given much attention?
Unless the character described is defined by his or her laughter, such details are very often omitted.

The Gospels were clearly intended as succinct accounts of a series of happenings the likes of which their writers - and presumably their audiences - had never seen before. Their main intention was to relay the miraculous, never-seen nature of these events - not portraying the main protagonist. Haven't you noticed that they don't describe even his physical appearance?
Why do you think that is?

There was no place for a minute portrayal of the physical person himself.
And it makes perfect sense, both from the standpoint of the narrative AND the deeper meaning of the accounts.

As for the "fools" and jesters, their role was indeed fascinating.
And I don't mean only court jesters, who were the mouthpieces for unspoken truths that rulers didn't usually get to hear; there are also the "sacred fools" of the Orthodox (i.e. Eastern Christian) tradition. They were "holy" - untouchable.



[edit on 25-10-2009 by Vanitas]

reply to post by Vanitas


Well, saw a program on the Gnostic Jesus, and in that from of early belief Jesus did laugh (he actually stood next to the cross with His disciples having a good laugh). As for His appearence, I just saw the film Malcolm X again, and apparently it describes His hair like wool and other non-white aspects. (Sorry don't have the verses with me, but a well-known debate). The fact is, modern Christians carry on with this joyful behavior (and good for them, but I think it's sometimes forced with a "Pollyanna" humor), and yet all the traditional depictions are of a very sad, milky-white, unhappy persona. Of course we also have the transfiguration, which appeals to the sun worshippers. All I can say is that children's Bibles show a much happier Jesus.

reply to post by halfoldman

Behind every joke there's a little truth. When someone seriously believes in something then all humor is lost and fear is introduced. Once you think you know what's going on, you become the butt of every jester's joke.

reply to post by andy1033


Points taken. Not sure if one should mention this, but bought a book by anti-Semite Des Griffen on a flea-market (not knowing what he was about). Here he says Zionist controlled media pokes fun at Christian traditions with the media/TV. It seems that Jewish and gay humor are often seen as both hilarious and undermining. But it's a bit strange, first one marginalizes people, and then expects them to follow the holy cows.

reply to post by halfoldman

Re: minority/majority humor, I suppose it's always out-jokes from the in-group. Perhaps black humor is more co-opted in the USA than any other.

I, for one, believe that Jesus probably did laugh - He probably had a few laughs with His disciples and other people.

Why would you say he never laughed?

Laughter is a basic human gift, and He was here in human form.

I would like to have met Jesus when He was here on earth - He was not pompous, not better-than-thou - He was probably a lot of fun.

He never said He was better than anyone else.

Everything about Him proves He was not human - humans have too many faults.

reply to post by spellbound

Well perhaps He did laugh, but is there any verse from the current New Testament which suggests that He laughed?
Ironically, the shortest verse is : "And Jesus wept".

reply to post by halfoldman

Watching TBN, I often find humor thrown in, and some pastors are popular for it. Yet, it is all gender-stereotyped humor aimed at married couples. I think in this case the humor is an expansion of loaded language, or "Bible-ese". From the "new man" perspective of gender it is actually quite dated and offensive.

reply to post by spellbound

I would like to have met Jesus when He was here on earth - He was not pompous, not better-than-thou - He was probably a lot of fun.

A man after my own heart.
Who else in history has done what Jesus has done.
I'm sure you are right Spellbound, Jesus was probably a lot of fun and
very interesting.

Come on, he died in his thirties. That's a long time to go without a good laugh.
He was raised the son of a carpenter and met with thousands of people in his lifetime. How many of those people knew a good joke or two? He didn't wander around 24/7 besieged with grim thoughts and a dour disposition his entire life.
He was a person. People laugh. That's just part of life.

As far as not seeing it in the bible, think about it. These books, letters and stories that make up the bible were written and compiled by people who saw these things as serious and important. It's not as if you would expect to see a George Carlin-esque verse in the bible talking about the seven words you can't say at Mass.

Hey, if the guy was willing to turn water into wine for a wedding party, I imagine he had to have some sense of humor.

reply to post by randyvs

OK you say so, but then I ask you again, where did He laugh in the non-Gnostic scriptures?
Do you think in His time He told the odd sexist, racist, homophobic joke?
Did He have the apostles in stiches?
Strangely, the atheist book "The God Delusion" (Richard Dawkins) goes in to that problem. He says that Western society has become less prejudiced. He claims that once in the US/UK it was OK to tell jokes about "dagoes" (Italians), "hymies" (Jews) and "'n-word's" (blacks). In male-male company that was still fine in the 1950s. Dawkins said religion actually encouraged much of that. And yet, today it has changed - but what caused that change, even Dawkins doesnt know? Perhaps it is working class humor upgraded? So today only gender jokes, and "faggot" jokes are OK. Perhaps Dawkins made a mistake based on his acedemic class, and this "ethnic" humor is still prevelant in some homosocial situations?
Well, we have the fundamentalist Christian mainstream. This is spreading very fast, and they even have parental guidance on "clean" humor. What qualifies "clean" humor?
I've heard from Christians: "Smoking won't make you go to hell, you'll just smell like you came from there". (Don't smoke.)
"I still miss my ex, but my aim's getting better". (Don't get divorced.)
I don't wanna be a killjoy, but....

I was just in a discussion about this very topic last night. One thing brought up that I have not seen mentioned yet was do you not think that Jesus laughed while watching children play? He seemed to have adored all children. I know when I watch my kids play there is times I will laugh or chuckle to myself when I see some of the ideas or things they are doing.

Just thought I would add that. I have to run out for a bit will be back later to see what others think of this.

I rarely laugh and get laughed at often. Laughter is a coping mechanism meant to remove accountability from ones conscience. It's a form of denial and judgment. I'd rather comprehend, than dissociate. I'd rather perceive than judge.

--Side note. Many consider me somewhat autistic, so this view probably doesn't match most people.


[edit on 10-11-2009 by unityemissions]

If God didn't want us to have a sense of humour he wouldn't have given us one. So on that line of thinking, he must have a sense of humour too, I mean, that goes a long way in explaining lemmings and George W Bush.

reply to post by unityemissions

Yes, to previous post. Children normally enjoy laughter, I think the verses that refer to devotees becomming child-like are the best concerning joy and laughter.
To the current (second) post; yes I feel this quite often. Something is not that funny and yet people expect you to laugh, or you are painted as a miserable person. This is surely mental terrorism.
The clashes of sects and religions seem to be so great that certain people must always be smiling and laughing, and it comes across as so forced.

reply to post by halfoldman



The closest to what you are asking is in Luke 10 where Yeshua sends out the 70, and they return with joy, and Yeshua then "rejoices in the Spirit," its a bit hard to rejoice without smiling or laughing!!

Isaiahs prophecy about Yeshua, known as the "suffering Servant" says that Yeshua would be "a man of sorrows," and that "There is no beauty that we should desire Him," in others words, not a looker lol I find this passage very moving about Him, written at least 500 years before He appeared:

Isaiah 53 (New King James Version)

Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
9 And they[a] made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
11 He shall see the labor of His soul,and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.




[edit on 013030p://f48Tuesday by Selahobed]

Originally posted by halfoldman
Well, outside the Gnostic scriptures we never hear of Jesus laughing. Would a world run by fundamentalists be humorless?

Where do you get such a concept from?

Considering all the ancient equivalent of "blonde" jokes that Jeheshua-Bar-Yosef (Jesus) makes all the time about Kefa (Peter) being as dumb as a rock, I thought he showed a lot of humor. Although subsequent translations after the Greek N.T. change the tenor of these jokes to make it sound like Kefa is called a "rock" to denote the "cornerstone" or "foundation", and the running joke in the original Aramaic is subsequently lost, it doesn't mean that Jeheshua-Bar-Yosef didn't have a sense of humor to begin with.

Even while dying on the Cross, he showed a sense of humor. The Aramaic is "Eli, Eli, lemana shabakthani" or literally translated as "My God, my God, for this [purpose] I was spared!" meaning "So this is my destiny!" Rather than the loss of faith that the Greek N.T. and subsequent translations show with this passage ("God, why hast thou forsaken me?"). In the originals he pretty much laughs with G_d and says "Ah-ha! I get it now!"

Humor is a matter of perspective I suppose. If you lack a sense of humor then you aren't going to get it when people display their own sense of humor.

[edit on 10-11-2009 by fraterormus]