Is it OK to make fun of religions?

[Quintessence]

I find "humor" at someone else's expense - regardless of the topic - to be in poor taste, at best. I largely agree with Bobhikes' soap box here:

I'm gonna get up on my soap box.

I don't think its right to make fun of anything or anyone. Words have power and people who say them influence others without meaning to. We can not stop hearing something and whatever we hear can effect us.

I'd also note that the power of words is bidirectional, though this is frequently overlooked. The way we describe things has power over the person speaking it by reinforcing certain ideas or concepts in their minds. It is unfortunate that my culture often tends to underestimate the power of words. We have foolish sayings about this, in fact, that compare physical injury to emotional harm by words that claim physical injury is the more grievous of the two. Nonsense.

In a similar branch, I have to poo-poo on things like this as well:

I think that if people cannot tolerate their religion or philosophy being mocked or made fun of, then they possess a weak or inherently unstable faith.

... which sound like the rationalizing of a bully or a blaming-the-victim mentality to me. I find it perfectly reasonable for any person to say they don't want to put up with venom and negativity spewed in their direction, regardless of whether or not they supposedly have a "weak" or "unstable" personality.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

What good can come out of mocking others?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

A perspective many others would be well-served in understanding.

Agreed.

 

[Sunstone]

I find "humor" at someone else's expense - regardless of the topic - to be in poor taste, at best. I largely agree with Bobhikes' soap box here:



I'd also note that the power of words is bidirectional, though this is frequently overlooked. The way we describe things has power over the person speaking it by reinforcing certain ideas or concepts in their minds. It is unfortunate that my culture often tends to underestimate the power of words. We have foolish sayings about this, in fact, that compare physical injury to emotional harm by words that claim physical injury is the more grievous of the two. Nonsense.

In a similar branch, I have to poo-poo on things like this as well:



... which sound like the rationalizing of a bully or a blaming-the-victim mentality to me. I find it perfectly reasonable for any person to say they don't want to put up with venom and negativity spewed in their direction, regardless of whether or not they supposedly have a "weak" or "unstable" personality.

In the first place, making fun of a religion is not necessarily the same thing as making fun of someone. It's true that some people conflate themselves with their religion, but I regard that as immaturity on their part. In the second place, to state that making fun of a religion is never appropriate strikes me as weird. Lastly, to confuse any kind of making fun of a religion with abuse and bullying is even more weird. Other than that, good post.

 

[psychoslice]

Is it wrong to make fun of foot ball, soccer, cricket and all the rest of sports ?, what's the difference?.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Lastly, to confuse any kind of making fun of a religion with abuse and bullying is even more weird.

I suspect that you've never been the lone kid with a kippah or the lone girl with a hijab faced with others mocking your religion.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

What good can come out of mocking others?

I'm not sure. However, the use of humor and mocking of religion can be used to highlight aspects or components of religion which are inconsistent, hypocritical, ineffectual, and damaging, among other things. Basically, humor, as a tool, can be used on religion the same way it's used on anything else, and this tool is a singular and fundamental component of human communication, observation, and connection. I find attempts to exempt things from humor to be both unproductive and dangerous.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I suspect that you've never been the lone kid with a kippah or the lone girl with a hijab faced with others mocking your religion.

Saying that it's sometimes appropriate to make fun of religion is not an endorsement of bullying children. Ridicule of religion, just like everything else, has its time and place.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What good can come out of mocking others?

Ever read the Emperor's New Clothes?

 

[fantome profane]

I think it might be a lot simpler if someone could just give me a list of things I am allowed to tell jokes about.

For example can I still make fun of domesticated fowl and their penchant for traversing motorways?

 

[Vinayaka]

If it's not funny, it's not humour. Some things are funny to some, but not others. Quite a complicated situation.

I was selling a car at one time, and two people of a different faith than mine were potential buyers taking it for a test ride. As with many Hindus, I had a small Ganesha statue (murthy) on the dash. The two of them had a grand and jolly time belittling my faith, and laughing most of the way through the test drive.

Me ... well not so much. And I can't even imagine myself and a Hindu friend doing anything at all like that if the tables were turned and it was a cross.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Lastly, to confuse any kind of making fun of a religion with abuse and bullying is even more weird. [emphasis added - JS]

I suspect that you've never been the lone kid with a kippah or the lone girl with a hijab faced with others mocking your religion.

Saying that it's sometimes appropriate to make fun of religion is not an endorsement of bullying children.

Where did I suggest otherwise?

The point is that making fun of religion can, in some cases, constitute abuse bullying and to recognize that fact is not, as suggested by Sunstone, a matter of confusion.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Where did I suggest otherwise?

In the post where you responded to a statement about "any kind of making fun of religion" with a post that evoked bullying of socially isolated children.

Was your post relevant to what Sunstone was talking about, or was it a non sequitur?

The point is that making fun of religion can, in some cases, constitute abuse bullying and to recognize that fact is not, as suggested by Sunstone, a matter of confusion.

Exactly who do you think is arguing that all forms of ridicule are acceptable in all cases?

 

[Quintessence]

In the first place, making fun of a religion is not necessarily the same thing as making fun of someone. It's true that some people conflate themselves with their religion, but I regard that as immaturity on their part. In the second place, to state that making fun of a religion is never appropriate strikes me as weird. Lastly, to confuse any kind of making fun of a religion with abuse and bullying is even more weird. Other than that, good post.

The problem I have with this is it is not fair to those who are actually religious about their religion. It is my opinion that religion is supposed to be an all-encompassing way of life, not something you compartmentalize from the rest of your life. It is something that is inseparable from who you are and what you do as a person, and as such, if making fun of those who are actually religious is not different from making fun of the person and their way of life. This isn't conflating things, this isn't immature, it's a deeper expression of religiosity that some people genuinely have.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

In the post where you responded to a statement about "any kind of making fun of religion" with a post that evoked bullying of socially isolated children.

Nonsense. Go pick a fight with someone else …

 

[ChristineES]

It seems that in some societies it's ok to make fun of religions while it is not ok in other societies. So, what are your feelings about making fun of religions? Would a prohibition on making fun of religions in your society amount to according religions a special status that few, if any, other institutions in your society are accorded? Would a prohibition be a good thing? Why or why not?

Should there by any limits on how much or what kind of fun can be made of religions?

Well, we're not allowed to make fun of anyone else (people are continuously being fired from TV and offices because they make fun of others).

It isn't the nicest thing in the world, but I am not going to get my unmentionables in twist if they do it. People need to make themselves feel better and they do it by making fun of others, sometimes. (I am not saying I like it, just that I tolerate it).

 

[Secret Chief]

It's basically open season in the UK. The default mode of much humour in the media is pish-taking, whether it's religion, politics or any other target considered in need of a pot shot. Nothing is off limits. Nothing is sacred.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Well, whatever you do, don't ever make fun of Glompism. That would make glompists feel really bad.

Oh, and never make fun of ballet.

Or short people.

Or menopause.

Or anything that has anything to do with me.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The problem I have with this is it is not fair to those who are actually religious about their religion. It is my opinion that religion is supposed to be an all-encompassing way of life, not something you compartmentalize from the rest of your life. It is something that is inseparable from who you are and what you do as a person, and as such, if making fun of those who are actually religious is not different from making fun of the person and their way of life. This isn't conflating things, this isn't immature, it's a deeper expression of religiosity that some people genuinely have.

Even taking all that as given, why should religion be MORE exempt from being made fun of than political affiliation (something that could be described the way you describe religion) or sports affiliation (something that often is all-encompassing, regardless of whether it should be)?

Politics is often an expression of our most deeply-held values... but it's considered fair game for jokes and mockery all the time. Even if religion is also an expression of a person's most deeply-held values, so what?

 

[Levite]

I can't help but notice that there seems to be a little conflation of "rude and malicious" with "in poor taste."

Humor about religions, like most forms of humor, has a spectrum, and it does range from "generally acceptable and comparatively harmless" through "you'd better tell this one in the right way, to the right people" to "in poor taste" and finally to "rude and malicious," with considerable gray areas and blurry overlap in between them all.