Why Isn't God Funny?

A funny thing happened to the church on its way to the 21st century. Some say it lost its sense of humour, while others argue it never had one. In this episode, Canadian comedy legend, Don Ferguson, on mixing religion and comedy. Meet the Jesuit Priest who became the chaplain of the Colbert Report. And we'll tell the one about the Christian who delivers standup comedy. No kidding. This is Context with Lorna Dueck, the show that looks at life beyond the headlines.

Lorna's Wrap

So why did we need to ask "is God funny?" Here's two reasons.
First, understanding God is good news. God has engaged the human race with a divine repair job. And laughter, God says, is a good medicine. But perhaps it is as Voltaire said "God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
2. Secondly -a follower of God can find, as Jesus did, an irony in the hope God has for us, and the way things we've made things. We're a mess, and yet we have our eye on God's better ideals, a mess and a fool for God all in the same breath. It's a conclusion that should help us lighten up.

Fr. James Martin has written Between Heaven and Mirth to help us navigate this puzzle -- you can order the book with us (1-800-315-2080). You can also send us your best joke, or feedback on today's show, Call the Viewer Feedback Line (1-800-215-4913), send us a message via email, Facebook or Twitter.

I'm Lorna Dueck. From all of us at CONTEXT, thanks for watching; we'll be back next week exploring more of life beyond the headlines.

Resources

Guests

Don Ferguson
Canadian comedy legend; Royal Canadian Air Farce

Fr. James Martin
Jesuit priest, culture editor & author, Between Heaven and Mirth

Jay Martin
Stand-up Comedian  

Context