Should a Christian watch stand-up comedy

[SunshineGirl]

Hi all,
I have been having a bit of a spring clean at home and I came across a lot of my old stand-up comedy DVD's. I was wondering should a Christian be watching this?

Is there anywhere in the Bible that speaks about this?
Many thanks

 

[ResidentAlien]

The Bible warns about being sober minded and to avoid "course jesting." It might depend on who the comic is. As for myself, I used to love stand-up when I was younger; now I have no interest in it.

 

[Eli1]

Hi all,
I have been having a bit of a spring clean at home and I came across a lot of my old stand-up comedy DVD's. I was wondering should a Christian be watching this?

Is there anywhere in the Bible that speaks about this?
Many thanks

Don't get sucked into "But is this [action] in the Bible?".
There are a million things we do in our daily lives that are not in the Bible.
What's in the Bible is the moral guide to a million things in our fallen world.

Ethics should be understood primarily from the point of view of Christ's teachings where in some cases it's not the action that's the issue but the heart or the intent. The thief on the cross is one example of this.

Ethics should be understood in the "model community" which is modeled on the Holy Trinity and relationships within the Trinity are determined by the divine Love, the ultimate ethical norm in Christianity is love. Love as an ethical norm finds satisfactory rationale only within the framework of the Christian faith and the experience of the Holy Trinity. The love that we express in our relationships and which forms the basis of our ethical judgment is a limited expression, due to our limitations as created beings.

This means that you can be in the middle of the worst sinful people and be unaffected or be a model for them.

My personal favorite is Desmond Doss , a world war 2 veteran who was a conscientious objector and did not want to carry a weapon and kill people. He was a seven-day Adventist i believe.

During the war he was a medic and helped Americans and Japanese (who were very hated and dehumanized at that time) from the wounds and he said: While you all try to blow yourselves up, i will try to piece you all together little by little.
I find that very powerful and i see a person totally filled with the Holy Spirit.

So, yes, you can watch comedy or even work in a casino as a card dealer for the house.

 

[Tall_Timbers]

Depends on a couple of things...

1) Would you watch it if Jesus was sitting next to you? (What's the content like? God also has a sense of humor)

2) Are you convicted of sin when you watch it? (Goes to the content again or to personal feelings about the matter. If you feel like it's sin, it is for you, but maybe not for someone else)

 

[SunshineGirl]

Thanks for your help
Is there anywhere in the Bible that Jesus laughs? Many thanks

 

[Lynx]

Thanks for your help
Is there anywhere in the Bible that Jesus laughs? Many thanks

No, but He did tell jokes. Two disciples asked him to call down fire from heaven on some hecklers. Later he referred to them as the sons of thunder.

 

[Lynx]

Hi all,
I have been having a bit of a spring clean at home and I came across a lot of my old stand-up comedy DVD's. I was wondering should a Christian be watching this?

Is there anywhere in the Bible that speaks about this?
Many thanks

Depends on the content, and also depends on how much time you spend listening to it. Do you sit and listen to comedy when you should be doing something else

A lot of comedians talk about sex. Probably don't listen to them. A lot make fun of God. Probably don't listen to them. There are also some who have made a whole routine about complaining about people they don't like. Ditto.

There are some good comedians though, and downright hilarious. I'll listen to them any day of the year.

 

[Lynx]

Don't get sucked into "But is this [action] in the Bible?".
There are a million things we do in our daily lives that are not in the Bible.
What's in the Bible is the moral guide to a million things in our fallen world.

This also. There ain't a doggone thing in the Bible about cigarettes, cigars, vaping, chewing tobacco... But there are principles in the Bible that can shine light on such.

 

[Eli1]

Thanks for your help
Is there anywhere in the Bible that Jesus laughs? Many thanks

Jesus called John and James "Sons of Thunder" perhaps because of their impulsive personalities. So this is one example where He is being funny.

The Spec and the Log in the eye can also be interpreted as a funny way to grab a crowd's attention.

Turning water into wine can also be interpreted as a way of expressing his fun nature by joining a wedding and fulfilling the honor of a family back then by choosing to do this miracle.
A wedding is also very characteristic of His ministry which is a joyful event where we will be His bride (in a spriritual sense) and enjoy and dance and sing to Him.

So those are some of the cases where we see Him being funny, but His main purpose here was not to be a comedian or a carpenter but to establish a new covenant with us so His focus wasn't comedy or carpentry.

But He is not forbiding the act in a lot of cases, but the intent (from the heart)

 

[Eli1]

A lot of comedians talk about sex. Probably don't listen to them. A lot make fun of God. Probably don't listen to them. There are also some who have made a whole routine about complaining about people they don't like. Ditto.

Indeed. That British comedian Ricky Gervais is one example where i can't watch him anymore because i can tell that he is just angry with God and is not even funny with his routines. He sounds very depressed to me.
But i like dark humor in general and Jimmy Carr has a lot of foul language but he is funny because he highlights a point with his profanity sometimes.

So yeah, it's a bit of vanilla vs chocolate like Tall Timbers said.

 

[SunshineGirl]

Depends on a couple of things...

1) Would you watch it if Jesus was sitting next to you? (What's the content like? God also has a sense of humor)

2) Are you convicted of sin when you watch it? (Goes to the content again or to personal feelings about the matter. If you feel like it's sin, it is for you, but maybe not for someone else)

Thanks for your help. The contents was pretty bad

Depends on a couple of things...

1) Would you watch it if Jesus was sitting next to you? (What's the content like? God also has a sense of humor)

2) Are you convicted of sin when you watch it? (Goes to the content again or to personal feelings about the matter. If you feel like it's sin, it is for you, but maybe not for someone else)

In some of them the contents is very bad. I put Rhod Gilbert on and after about 10 minutes I did turn it off and thought maybe not.
I wouldn't watch any of them if Jesus was sitting beside me.

 

[SunshineGirl]

Indeed. That British comedian Ricky Gervais is one example where i can't watch him anymore because i can tell that he is just angry with God and is not even funny with his routines. He sounds very depressed to me.
But i like dark humor in general and Jimmy Carr has a lot of foul language but he is funny because he highlights a point with his profanity sometimes.

So yeah, it's a bit of vanilla vs chocolate like Tall Timbers said.

Yes, you are right Ricky Gervais has some really big issues with God. I don't like him he is always so angry and sooooo bitter. Really not funny

 

[SunshineGirl]

Jesus called John and James "Sons of Thunder" perhaps because of their impulsive personalities. So this is one example where He is being funny.

The Spec and the Log in the eye can also be interpreted as a funny way to grab a crowd's attention.

Turning water into wine can also be interpreted as a way of expressing his fun nature by joining a wedding and fulfilling the honor of a family back then by choosing to do this miracle.
A wedding is also very characteristic of His ministry which is a joyful event where we will be His bride (in a spriritual sense) and enjoy and dance and sing to Him.

So those are some of the cases where we see Him being funny, but His main purpose here was not to be a comedian or a carpenter but to establish a new covenant with us so His focus wasn't comedy or carpentry.

But He is not forbiding the act in a lot of cases, but the intent (from the heart)

Thanks for sharing this with me. So he does laugh Yes, I know he didn't come to make people laugh.

 

[Cameron143]

Hi all,
I have been having a bit of a spring clean at home and I came across a lot of my old stand-up comedy DVD's. I was wondering should a Christian be watching this?

Is there anywhere in the Bible that speaks about this?
Many thanks

There are plenty of Christian comedians. Tim Hawkins is my favorite. But YouTube is full of Christian comedy, so there is no need to compromise to get your laugh on.

 

[Lynx]

Indeed. That British comedian Ricky Gervais is one example where i can't watch him anymore because i can tell that he is just angry with God and is not even funny with his routines. He sounds very depressed to me.
But i like dark humor in general and Jimmy Carr has a lot of foul language but he is funny because he highlights a point with his profanity sometimes.

So yeah, it's a bit of vanilla vs chocolate like Tall Timbers said.

Yeah that guy is one of the career complainers.

You gotta watch what you put into your mind. Once I found a nice cartoon comedian called Foamy. (Don't ask.) But his comedy was very sarcastic and insulting to, well, just about everyone.

After a few days watching that, I found myself always with a cutting, sarcastic comment. I mean... I can be sarcastic, but I try to avoid DAMAGING sarcasm, unless it's for a good cause. I stopped watching that and recovered my normal equanimity.

 

[Obedience]

The Bible says you should joy.

 

[GaryA]

I wouldn't watch any of them if Jesus was sitting beside me.

There is your answer...

Think of it this way - if you want the "best comedy experience" that you can "feel [totally] good about", then looking for "good clean comedy" is probably the best avenue to take...

Philippians 4:

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

[MsMediator]

Yes, you are right Ricky Gervais has some really big issues with God. I don't like him he is always so angry and sooooo bitter. Really not funny

I liked The Office, both US and UK versions, and he was heavily involved with those. I also liked the show After Life where he is dealing with depression after his wife's death. In that show you can kind of see the compassionate side of him. He is just like any other atheist though...from my perspective it can be quite frustrating as a Christian not being able to convince atheists. I think part of the displeasure is our own frustrations not entirely their atheism. Paul and Martin Luther dealt with this frustration with the Jews too. One reason why Matin Luther was antisemitic.

 

[Magenta]

I liked The Office, both US and UK versions, and he was heavily involved with those. I also liked the show After Life where he is dealing with depression after his wife's death. In that show you can kind of see the compassionate side of him. He is just like any other atheist though...from my perspective it can be quite frustrating as a Christian not being able to convince atheists. I think part of the displeasure is our own frustrations not entirely their atheism. Paul and Martin Luther dealt with this frustration with the Jews too. One reason why Matin Luther was antisemitic.

He was also in The Invention of Lying (<= link) which was pretty funny.

Had a hand in writing and directing that movie, also...

 

[vassal]

Hi all,
I have been having a bit of a spring clean at home and I came across a lot of my old stand-up comedy DVD's. I was wondering should a Christian be watching this?

Is there anywhere in the Bible that speaks about this?
Many thanks

no, most are vulgar and inappropriate it is rare to find true stand up comedians that are proper and do not offend.