Jokes and the Presumption of Salvation

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Christbearer98

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Hey everyone! I’m preparing for reconciliation and I read in an examine of conscience that presuming forgiveness is a sin. I made a joke earlier to a Catholic friend something like “Ah just do it and go to confession after.” It got a laugh so it was clearly a joke, but do you think I sinned by insinuating presumption?

I’d also love to hear your (name removed by moderator)ut on the following things:
  1. How do you determine the line not to cross when making jokes? I try to keep my humour in good taste but I’d love to get feedback.
  2. How do you balance assurance that Christ is merciful with not assuming that he will forgive you?
Thanks everyone! God bless and please pray for me 🙂
 
Christbearer98 said:
Hey everyone! I’m preparing for reconciliation and I read in an examine of conscience that presuming forgiveness is a sin. I made a joke earlier to a Catholic friend something like “Ah just do it and go to confession after.” It got a laugh so it was clearly a joke, but do you think I sinned by insinuating presumption?

I’d also love to hear your (name removed by moderator)ut on the following things:
  1. How do you determine the line not to cross when making jokes? I try to keep my humour in good taste but I’d love to get feedback.
  2. How do you balance assurance that Christ is merciful with not assuming that he will forgive you?
Thanks everyone! God bless and please pray for me 🙂
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Well it is a mockery of something serious. Likely a venial sin since it was not reflected upon. Really, we are examples to others, and they may follow us – so how will you judge yourself on your own likeness to Christ?
 
Vico said:
  1. How do you determine the line not to cross when making jokes? I try to keep my humour in good taste but I’d love to get feedback.
  2. How do you balance assurance that Christ is merciful with not assuming that he will forgive you?
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  1. Don’t worry about your joke.
  2. God will forgive you if you are contrite.
When you go to Confession, receive God’s forgiveness, but also recognize and receive God’s grace. His mercy consists not only in forgiveness, but also in the graces and gifts you need in order to grow in faith and increase in virtue. Use those gifts, and resolve to do better. Then if or when you sin again, go back and beg the Lord’s forgiveness and seek his graces again.
 
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We do have to be careful of what we make light of, so I’d say it’s worth bringing up in confession since you’re concerned about it, but I don’t think you meant any serious harm.

I think preference of humor and what’s considered appropriate can vary from person to person, especially when it comes to religious jokes. Some people find religious jokes funny and don’t have a problem with them, others don’t like them at all and find them very offensive. I have a pretty twisted and strange sense of humor at times but I’ve never been comfortable with jokes about serious religious matters and generally avoid joking about it outside of those harmless corny church bulletin jokes.

I tend to view presumption of forgiveness as a situation where the person really isn’t sorry for whatever it is they are doing and they really aren’t serious about changing their ways about it, either. God’s forgiveness isn’t extended to someone who isn’t truly sorry and repentant.

Anyone who is truly sorry will always at least try to avoid committing the same sin again and they wouldn’t use confession to try to justify doing it. God will always be merciful with someone who is truly sorry.
 
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Good point! I agree, always be a good role model, even if you don’t think you are a role model at all!
 
Thank you! You made a lot of sense in this post. I definitely love that feeling I get from going to confession and feeling at peace with God once again 🙂
 
Haha me too! Sometimes I can make pretty weird jokes, so I’m glad to hear someone who is kind of like me in that way. Also, your explanation of presumption was really helpful, I definitely understand it better now so thank you!

Also, Arkansan,
Arkansan said:
Joking excuses from sin when the sin is reducible to a bad intention, but not if the act in question is bad regardless of the intention.
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I found that article really interesting. It appears to me that Aquinas was talking about doing something for fun (like pulling a prank). I get very confused when it comes to determining the act itself. For example, is the act telling a joke, or is the act making light of a situation which is then considered a joke? If you could explain it a bit more to me I’d be happy to hear 🙂
 
Christbearer98 said:
I made a joke earlier to a Catholic friend something like “Ah just do it and go to confession after.” It got a laugh so it was clearly a joke, but do you think I sinned by insinuating presumption?
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You weren’t insinuating presumption. You were making a joke. There is no sin, there is no presumption.
 
Presumption is committing a sin because you can be forgiven later (there are other forms of presumption but that is the one in question here). You did not actually have such a disposition and (if I understand correctly) no one would have taken you to actually condone such a disposition, so there is no sin of presumption here.
 
Joking seems difficult to do in general, because it’s difficult to joke without getting rowdy, treating something serious with levity, or saying something against someone else.

Yet I’m pretty sure God likes humor. It’s something I’ve been struggling with myself.
 
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