Is Humor a SIn?

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Saint Teresa of Avila, who as you know is a Doctor of the Church, once said: "From silly devotions, and from sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us! "

It depends on the ‘humour’. I can’t stand humour that is designed to embarrass someone for a laugh, or is cruel or demeaning. I know that I laugh at myself quite abit and sometimes we have a family session where we share with each other some of the really dumb things we have done. 😛
 
I think humor is a powerful tool that allows comedians to actually address and even say something useful about current issues that are difficult for people to discuss without the bridge of humor.

A skilled comedian can have a mixed audience where we laugh at issues that actually divide us, and for me this can be therapeutic. To see a side of things that requires dropping my role-induced defenses and seeing how I am doing something funny, can possibly help illustrate how I look to my enemy that when I am doing something “evil.” Therefore I consider humor as a possible strategy tool for chipping into hard feelings by relegating some of the associated images with the absurd.

Alan
 
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cynic:
Those parts of scripture do however refer to idle words (not just specifically gossip) - non essential conversation - ‘shooting the breeze’ if you like. For example, talking about hobbies, interests, enjoying conversation simply for the sake of it. It seems as if this is vanity.
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Hobbies, our interests, and socializing with others is a form of needed relaxation and recreation. If that is all that one did, to the detriment of our duties in life, then it would be wrong.

A Dad flying a kite with his son is doing much more than that; he is having fun with his son and strengthening his bond with his son.

Sharing one’s hobbies and interests can help a person out of a depression , bolster another’s self-worth, and enable others to learn how to trust.

Exchanging pleasant conversation with a neighbor, and helping another to smile is charitable.
 
There is nothing wrong with humor. At all. As long as it’s clean humor and nothing sexual is implied, it’s fine.

That being said humor at the expense of someone else isn’t all that great. Laughing at someone because of a disability or something is wrong.

However, there is nothing wrong with good natured fun being poked among good friends 😃
 
Another thought on the subject. If we were purely intellectual beings, then we might easily communicate alwyas on the deductive level. However, since we are also emotional beings, humor can break through barriers and provoke thought where more direct methods fail (e.g., The Screwtape Letters) Where humor is used to promote truth, it is good. Where it promotes dishonesty or some other sin, it is evil. Where if is used for nothing but a laugh, it is neutral.
 
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pnewton:
Another thought on the subject. If we were purely intellectual beings, then we might easily communicate alwyas on the deductive level. However, since we are also emotional beings, humor can break through barriers and provoke thought where more direct methods fail (e.g., The Screwtape Letters) Where humor is used to promote truth, it is good. Where it promotes dishonesty or some other sin, it is evil. Where if is used for nothing but a laugh, it is neutral.
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One particular comedian whose stand-up work I only recently heard, actually speaks some very plain truths about important social issues such as domestic violence. He uses humor as a method to be able to speak such truth without causing such a shock to people whose emotions are very sensitive to triggers in those areas. He uses foul language and doesn’t necessarily follow Church teachings, but he is helping real people deal with real issues.

By laughing at aspects of serious issues, I think we emotionally “defuse” them so they can be tought of more safely – without the notion that the world will collapse if they think a potentially wrong or offensive thought or utter a wrong word and set somebody off. I think some of these people can be reached in this manner, which cuts through their fear. St. Paul would have approved of the approach I believe, if not the specific language and choice of topics.

Alan
 
SpiritIsWilling said:
That being said humor at the expense of someone else isn’t all that great. Laughing at someone because of a disability or something is wrong.
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Ooops!

At my brother’s 30th birthday I, as the eldest and he the youngest, was appointed by our mother to start the ball rolling by telling funny stories and humouress incident I could remember from his childhood.

He made me sit down while he took over and ‘roasted’ everyone in order, including several people with physical disabilities.

We almost wet ourselves laughing at his wicked sense of humour and quick, impromptu wit.

My bro has Down’s syndrome.
 
I would like you to read this piece of work by G.K, Chesterton, a very Catholic writer. Now I want you to read it in all seriousness, and completely straight faced. I assure you Chesterton was quite a serious writer and never when I can think of used humor to get anything across.
dur.ac.uk/martin.ward/gkc/books/cheese.html
😉
umm, maybe not

But he does deal with serious issues just in a humorous way.

A lone Raven
 
I would like to see the expression on my Priests face if I even tried to confess the sin of humour…

He’d bust out laughing. He would.

Maybe I will do it just to get a laugh from him.
 
svoboda said:
I read St. Teresa of Avila’s autobiography, and at one point one of her “sins” was talking too much to other nuns.

So who knows.
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And St. Teresa also said “save us from sour-faced saints!” 🙂
 
God HAS to have a sense of humor…
He created the noisey digestive tract, after all! 😃

Fart jokes are always funny. 😛
 
I agree with Em, God HAS to have a sense of humor. For cryin’ out loud he made the platypus…
 
I’m thinking of the wedding feast at Cana…
I can’t imagine a feast where they all just sat and did not laugh. What fun would it be to celebrate if you can’t laugh.

Humor in and of itself is not bad. However some of the jokes that do go around are… so I think context is important.

Just a few weeks ago my niece was baptized. When the water was poured over her head she did not cry she was silent. (you almost expect an infant to cry when water is being poured on their head)

Everyone was making remarks on how she didn’t cry.

The Deacon that was baptizing her said “She just thinks God is Good, so there is no need to cry”.

Well that remark just made everyone chuckle and brought a smile to everyone face. That’s just one example of humor, and I can’t see what is wrong with it. There was nothing that was said that was wrong, and everyone had a laughed and had a smile.

This also comes to mind “God made us to be happy and serve Him forever”… part of happiness is have some laughs here and there. In a good way though!

Oh and if you ever listen to Fr. Corapi he said somethings that are just funny. He never siad things that are untrue or mean…it’s just funny.
 
We should be joyous ‘saints’ of God, but the humour that we all know is the wrong type of humour. 😦

Im struggling to think of just one joke that doesn’t involve a dig at someone. :cool:

Although I hear Padre Pio used to love telling humorous stories. (and clean ones, Im sure 🙂 )
 
We are made in God’s image…we can laugh and have a sense of humor…therefore God can laugh and have a sense of humor.
 
Magicsilence said:
Im struggling to think of just one joke that doesn’t involve a dig at someone. :cool:
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I’ve heard LAWYERS are fair game! 👍

(sorry, I had to… my brother’s a lawyer and reads the forums! That one’s for you, Andrew! 😉 )

But in all seriousness… what about mocking YOURSELF!?! Self-deprecating humor is fun for all!
 
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