Why shouldn't we make fun of religion?

Question

And I don't mean being a complete oik like Julia. I mean like making jokes and using our intelligence to show up the insanity and wrong-headedness of religious practices.

Murphys lawyers, I like your thinking!

Tu Nga says we can make fun of hypocracy in religion but not of religion. Rubbish! All gods of all religions are absurd and infantile creations of weak minds, and therefore perfect targets for our intelligence and wit.

Mark G - you wrote "your arrogant and incapable of believing any other view but your own"
well, I'm not arrogant, but yes I am incapable of believing anything illogical and undemonstrable, and no, that's not my "view". Instead, as a higher primate, it is one of my greatest faculties.

wolf, i'm just LONGING to be made fun of for my unbelief by a sharp-witted, intelligent believer, who doesn't resort to quoting forest-busting reams of the bible or quran at me, but alas......

Answer 1

Exactly. A bit of satire about the absurdity of some religious beliefs makes this board interesting. I bet even the Christians occasionally smile at some of the more subtle digs at their faith. (Although some are so immersed in their dogma they've probably forgotten how to smile.)

Answer 2

Use your intelligence? You statement alone shows that your arrogant and incapable of believing any other view but your own. Something an intelligent person would not do. Intelligent people can debate a subject without trying to demean, people that use crude jokes just show that they do not have the knowledge and intelligence to participate in a intelligent discussion
Cannot believe in anything illogical and indemonstrable( by the way the proper spelling of the word oh great higher primate), then I guess you do not believe in sciences theory called the big bang, since it is both. There has never been an explosion that created something, much less an explosion that came from nothing to create something. I will believe it is logical when you can demonstrate it for me once. Many things in science are believed to be true because of a preponderance of evidence without actual physical evidence. Please demonstrate evolution for me if you would. Not the theory, your logical proven facts. You believe evolution because you believe the evidence that supports your theory. I believe in God because of the evidence that supports his existence to me. I can do that without accusing every Atheist of being stupid.

Answer 3

It's fine to make fun of religion if it's done in a good-natured way (i.e. not being Julia). If a religion isn't strong enough to withstand a few jokes about it, it's not worth much.

I think that as Christianity is the dominant religion in my society it should get less touchy with jokes about it than less established religions, which have less financial and social resources to defend themselves. I'm thinking, e.g. making jokes about Islam and suicide bombers, for example - quite a few (non-muslim) people will take those jokes extremely seriously as meaning all muslims are suicide bombers, because they've not been educated sufficiently to separate joke from reality. I know a girl who was telling me about the Borat movie, then said i wouldn't like it because they agree with killing Jews in it. She still thought this was true even after i told her the comedian was Jewish himself! So when you speak of 'our intelligence', don't count on it for everyone.

Answer 4

Perhaps the problem with this is that it gets used too broadly.There are parts of religion that, though I don't believe in a God, strike me as important rituals. Rituals in and of themselves have great importance. They help us face difficult and transformative moments, life, death, marriage, coming of age. Surely it is not wrong to mark these things with ceremony.

And, really, though we might debate religion, let's be honest, it appears impossible to alter a religious person's beliefs with reason. Reason isn't in it, and ridicule may not be all that productive; it might, in fact, just foster hard feelings that only serve to increase the self righteousness of both believers and atheists alike.

Answer 5

Because most people aren't sound with they're religious conventions, insecure with them. So basically they don't want their insecurities to be pointed out. My friends and I make fun of religion all the time, we're all of different ethnicities and religious affinities, it's a running gag in our group.

Answer 6

Many people do - look at the satirical sketches in the newspapers (one of which sparked a ridiculous riot), south park etc. People take religion far too seriously. I like the Buddhist's view on things, a big fat jolly guy having a laugh on us!

Answer 7

Aside from not following their personal beliefs, why shouldn't religious people make fun of those who aren't? Answer? You wouldn't like it if it were done to you. The Golden Rule, pure and simple, and it's not the "golden suggestion", it's a RULE.

Answer 8

We can make fun of our hypocrisy in the name of religion, but not of religion. If pupils think that they can make fun of their teachers, they may not take the lessons seriously. Impoliteness to parents, teachers, administrators... will only lead to anarchy, which is the most harmful thing for all societies.

Answer 9

I think it is fine as long as you draw the line at religion and not make fun of God. Also, understand that you can't expect someone to reason with you, that you have just insulted by mocking their beliefs.

Answer 10

Making fun of a religion has a nasty habbit of backfireing and biting you on the ****. So be tolerent to others, its there culture.