Religion negatively correlated with sense of humor

[EcK]

I postulate that sense of humor is negatively correlated with religiousity.

Discuss!

 

[erm]

You must be religious

 

[Starry]

What?

I think most of the famous comedians have been Jews and Catholics. How else do you learn about irony?

 

[geedoenfj]

Non religious people are more sarcastic, I can see your point

 

[Virtual ghost]

What?

I think most of the famous comedians have been Jews and Catholics. How else do you learn about irony?

In Europe if you don't practice your religion you shouldn't be defined as a member of those groups. Therefore from that perspective most of such people probably weren't Jews and Catholics.

 

[Starry]

In Europe if you don't practice your religion you shouldn't be defined as a member of those groups. Therefore from that perspective most of such people probably weren't Jews and Catholics.

Well, since you and the OP are both from Europe I'll trust your interpretation so thanks.


I thought the term religiosity accounted for various levels of devotion in the knowing that you do not need to be devoted to be greatly influenced. Likewise, people are known to go back and forth with regards to their religion...devoted and then disbelieving throughout their lifetime.

 

[Norrsken]

I doubt that a person's religious affiliations is going to make much difference as to whether they are funny or not.
It's a type of talent, I think. You either have it or you don't.

 

[Coriolis]

I postulate that sense of humor is negatively correlated with religiousity.

Discuss!

Then you haven't met many pagans.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Well, since you and the OP are both from Europe I'll trust your interpretation so thanks.


I thought the term religiosity accounted for various levels of devotion in the knowing that you do not need to be devoted to be greatly influenced. Likewise, people are known to go back and forth with regards to their religion...devoted and then disbelieving throughout their lifetime.

Yes, there are people who are lost somewere in between, but for me those are not trully religious people. On paper my country is over 90% Catholic, however about half of those people are some variation of atheists, agnostics and similar to that. Therefore we sparate people on this way because 90% Catholic is simply too vague and it doesn't match situation in the field that well.

Then you haven't met many pagans.

With all due respect: I think this position is too much out of the box and none mainstrem to be applied to this thread. Even if this was not stated I think this thread is more about "mainstream" religions.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I doubt that a person's religious affiliations is going to make much difference as to whether they are funny or not.
It's a type of talent, I think. You either have it or you don't.

In my opinion that actually depends on culture of the place where you live. If everyone is religious to some degree then you will have your secenrio. However if religion is less accepted then it is much more likely that you will have funny people or trolls outside of strict religious process.

 

[Obfuscate]

i believe that humor is leaning in a very anti-christian direction currently... i think there are a few reasons for this...

1. people are leaving the christian faith quite rapidly

Christians are leaving the faith in droves - Business Insider
Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

2. negative associations

2a. persecution by "christians" of the pagan faith
as new age and pagan faiths gain traction, i have noted that while they talk of tolerance for other faiths, the folks i meet in these circles are most often very resentful of persecution by the catholic church in the dark ages... they also tend to cite feelings of disapproval from their christian family members as part of this... i find this interesting because the catholic church persecuted all non-catholics (even christians)... the waldensians are a prime example...

Little children were torn from the arms of their mothers, clasped by their tiny feet, and their heads dashed against the rocks; or were held between two soldiers and their quivering limbs torn up by main force. Their mangled bodies were then thrown on the highways or fields, to be devoured by beasts. The sick and the aged were burned alive in their dwellings. Some had their hands and arms and legs lopped off, and fire applied to the severed parts to staunch the bleeding and prolong their suffering. Some were flayed alive, some were roasted alive, some disemboweled; or tied to trees in their own orchards, and their hearts cut out. Some were horribly mutilated, and of others the brains were boiled and eaten by these cannibals. Some were fastened down into the furrows of their own fields, and ploughed into the soil as men plough manure into it. Others were buried alive. Fathers were marched to death with the heads of their sons suspended round their necks. Parents were compelled to look on while their children were first outraged [raped], then massacred, before being themselves permitted to die.

2b. nonacceptance of gay marriage...
given the popularity of the lgbt movement, it is not surprising that their "opponents" are falling in popularity...

2c. creationism vs evolution/big bang...
the theory of evolution is taught in the public education system... this has become the world's most popular explanation for why we are all here (alongside the big bang theory)... people believe that a higher power came in and whipped this all up by "magic" are being portrayed as fools... they have debates between christians and scientists on television, but they near always pick some idiot to represent the christians that is easily exposed as such...

between the scam artists (mike murdock and his kind), the westboro baptists, and the rest of the "christian" idiots that make the news i understand the sentiment... there are more reasons i didn't bother to mention, but these can serve as my primary examples... watching adult swim is becoming less and less appealing as the jokes lean further and further this direction... i can handle poking fun, but it is getting to be rather a lot...

 

[Coriolis]

With all due respect: I think this position is too much out of the box and none mainstrem to be applied to this thread. Even if this was not stated I think this thread is more about "mainstream" religions.

I was not about to make that assumption. You can always exclude enough subsets of religious people to make almost any claim look valid.

 

[ceecee]

I know some very funny people although their level of religiousness varies. This includes a Catholic priest, Muslims, Christians and a couple Jews. I work with a man who is Wiccan, he's also British. I don't give him a funny pass because he is British (although it's an advantage) but he's above average. Other side of the coin - the most unfunny people I know are evangelical Christians. No funny allowed. Not their fault exactly, it's just the rules.

 

[Virtual ghost]

I was not about to make that assumption. You can always exclude enough subsets of religious people to make almost any claim look valid.

That is probably true. However I am simply using my local definition of "religiosity".

(and it seems that OP is doing the same)

 

[LovecraftianMonstrosity]

i believe that humor is leaning in a very anti-christian direction currently... i think there are a few reasons for this...

1. people are leaving the christian faith quite rapidly

Christians are leaving the faith in droves - Business Insider
Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

2. negative associations

2a. persecution by "christians" of the pagan faith
as new age and pagan faiths gain traction, i have noted that while they talk of tolerance for other faiths, the folks i meet in these circles are most often very resentful of persecution by the catholic church in the dark ages... they also tend to cite feelings of disapproval from their christian family members as part of this... i find this interesting because the catholic church persecuted all non-catholics (even christians)... the waldensians are a prime example...

Little children were torn from the arms of their mothers, clasped by their tiny feet, and their heads dashed against the rocks; or were held between two soldiers and their quivering limbs torn up by main force. Their mangled bodies were then thrown on the highways or fields, to be devoured by beasts. The sick and the aged were burned alive in their dwellings. Some had their hands and arms and legs lopped off, and fire applied to the severed parts to staunch the bleeding and prolong their suffering. Some were flayed alive, some were roasted alive, some disemboweled; or tied to trees in their own orchards, and their hearts cut out. Some were horribly mutilated, and of others the brains were boiled and eaten by these cannibals. Some were fastened down into the furrows of their own fields, and ploughed into the soil as men plough manure into it. Others were buried alive. Fathers were marched to death with the heads of their sons suspended round their necks. Parents were compelled to look on while their children were first outraged [raped], then massacred, before being themselves permitted to die.

2b. nonacceptance of gay marriage...
given the popularity of the lgbt movement, it is not surprising that their "opponents" are falling in popularity...

2c. creationism vs evolution/big bang...
the theory of evolution is taught in the public education system... this has become the world's most popular explanation for why we are all here (alongside the big bang theory)... people believe that a higher power came in and whipped this all up by "magic" are being portrayed as fools... they have debates between christians and scientists on television, but they near always pick some idiot to represent the christians that is easily exposed as such...

between the scam artists (mike murdock and his kind), the westboro baptists, and the rest of the "christian" idiots that make the news i understand the sentiment... there are more reasons i didn't bother to mention, but these can serve as my primary examples... watching adult swim is becoming less and less appealing as the jokes lean further and further this direction... i can handle poking fun, but it is getting to be rather a lot...

I actually really like this post, but you know [MENTION=5643]EcK[/MENTION] (I hope) and I are both trying so hard not to troll this post now right?

 

[Lark]

i believe that humor is leaning in a very anti-christian direction currently... i think there are a few reasons for this...

1. people are leaving the christian faith quite rapidly

Christians are leaving the faith in droves - Business Insider
Millennials leaving church in droves, study says - CNN.com

2. negative associations

2a. persecution by "christians" of the pagan faith
as new age and pagan faiths gain traction, i have noted that while they talk of tolerance for other faiths, the folks i meet in these circles are most often very resentful of persecution by the catholic church in the dark ages... they also tend to cite feelings of disapproval from their christian family members as part of this... i find this interesting because the catholic church persecuted all non-catholics (even christians)... the waldensians are a prime example...

Little children were torn from the arms of their mothers, clasped by their tiny feet, and their heads dashed against the rocks; or were held between two soldiers and their quivering limbs torn up by main force. Their mangled bodies were then thrown on the highways or fields, to be devoured by beasts. The sick and the aged were burned alive in their dwellings. Some had their hands and arms and legs lopped off, and fire applied to the severed parts to staunch the bleeding and prolong their suffering. Some were flayed alive, some were roasted alive, some disemboweled; or tied to trees in their own orchards, and their hearts cut out. Some were horribly mutilated, and of others the brains were boiled and eaten by these cannibals. Some were fastened down into the furrows of their own fields, and ploughed into the soil as men plough manure into it. Others were buried alive. Fathers were marched to death with the heads of their sons suspended round their necks. Parents were compelled to look on while their children were first outraged [raped], then massacred, before being themselves permitted to die.

2b. nonacceptance of gay marriage...
given the popularity of the lgbt movement, it is not surprising that their "opponents" are falling in popularity...

2c. creationism vs evolution/big bang...
the theory of evolution is taught in the public education system... this has become the world's most popular explanation for why we are all here (alongside the big bang theory)... people believe that a higher power came in and whipped this all up by "magic" are being portrayed as fools... they have debates between christians and scientists on television, but they near always pick some idiot to represent the christians that is easily exposed as such...

between the scam artists (mike murdock and his kind), the westboro baptists, and the rest of the "christian" idiots that make the news i understand the sentiment... there are more reasons i didn't bother to mention, but these can serve as my primary examples... watching adult swim is becoming less and less appealing as the jokes lean further and further this direction... i can handle poking fun, but it is getting to be rather a lot...

Yeah, the media and popular opinion is only interested in Christianity at its worst, rather than Christianity at its best.

Orwell was right when he said that socialists, as with the Christian religion, were worst represented by their actual supporters.

In some ways I'm interested to see if the pendulum swings in the other direction, or if the Hegelian dialectic, ie thesis, antithesis, synthesis, produces something. It could be about generational divisions and shifts or demographics and opinions too. What is trending now I really do not expect to trending always and when any movement reached a certain point in the past they either became absurd or atrocious and I expect that of all the trends you mentioned there but I do hope that history has not to repeat itself again or that reaction against the new orthodoxies doesnt result in something worse again. I have noticed that this happens however.

So far as attacking religious people as humourless, which I feel is the implication of the entire thread, its just more trolling, its gotten incredibly tired and tedious at this point in the game, especially on an actual forum which reflects the world at large so well in its hostility towards religion (or any tradition) outside of maybe vagaries about buddhism or mindfulness or whatever.

I could post links to Erasmus and Moore writing about In Praise of Folly or Meister Eckhart or Spinoza or many other examples but it'd all be a wasted effort.

 

[Lark]

In my opinion that actually depends on culture of the place where you live. If everyone is religious to some degree then you will have your secenrio. However if religion is less accepted then it is much more likely that you will have funny people or trolls outside of strict religious process.

To be honest, the greatest interpretations of religion I've seen have considered it in an anthroplogical sense, as an orientating frame of reference, comprising ethics etc. and incorporating an object of devotion, in this sense everyone is religious and all you have to do is discover what the individual's private "religion" is to know everything about them.

Atheists are going to deny that because they're stuck in a moment fighting spectres.

 

[Lark]

I know some very funny people although their level of religiousness varies. This includes a Catholic priest, Muslims, Christians and a couple Jews. I work with a man who is Wiccan, he's also British. I don't give him a funny pass because he is British (although it's an advantage) but he's above average. Other side of the coin - the most unfunny people I know are evangelical Christians. No funny allowed. Not their fault exactly, it's just the rules.

I love Jewish aphorisms and wit, I love most of the films and other out put of Jewish writers because of the humour, given the history of Jewish communities I dont think they would have survived without it.

The reality is one, not often acknowledged and almost never acknowledged when the faith is associated with institutions rather than communities, people and individuals, but religious belief is not simply the perpetrator of persecutions but often the most persecuted of people, by by non-believers, other believers, sometimes by their own congregations or authorities.

A lot of its a consequence of human, all too human ways and worldliness. What you going to do *shrugs*

 

[LovecraftianMonstrosity]

To be honest, the greatest interpretations of religion I've seen have considered it in an anthroplogical sense, as an orientating frame of reference, comprising ethics etc. and incorporating an object of devotion, in this sense everyone is religious and all you have to do is discover what the individual's private "religion" is to know everything about them.

Atheists are going to deny that because they're stuck in a moment fighting spectres.

Funny, I look at it more like the ancient egyptians whose pharaohs would bury the living with the dead "god" to serve him in the afterlife. Such a waste of human potential. I finally understand why Tolkien wrote about the Sauron "the Deceiver" tricking Ar-Pharazôn into attacking the Valar because of his own fear of old age and death or the spectres in the Dead Marches reaching out to grab the living and pull them to an icy death as they wail is despair.

 

[Lark]

Funny, I look at it more like the ancient egyptians whose pharaohs would bury the living with the dead "god" to serve him in the afterlife. Such a waste of human potential. I finally understand why Tolkien wrote about the Sauron "the Deceiver" tricking Ar-Pharazôn into attacking the Valar because of his own fear of old age and death or the spectres in the Dead Marches reaching out to grab the living and pull them to an icy death as they wail is despair.

The struggle between life and death is part of it, I dont see religion as necrophilious but biophilious in that respect.