Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!mit-eddie!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: mib@geech.ai.mit.edu (Michael I. Bushnell) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Jesus' resurrection Message-ID: Date: 9 Nov 90 05:14:10 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: /home/fsf/mib/.organization Lines: 42 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article unisoft!lins@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Lindsay Gower) writes: I am posting this as a follow-up because I also want to say that I disagree with the response I read earlier encouraging laughing along with jokes which the hearer considers inappropriate. I cannot but suspect that this refers to me. I've received some mail, and it seems I was not making myself very clear. I'm not suggesting laughing along with jokes in bad taste, or which you find offensive. I was saying that refusing to laugh when you find it funny but "contrary to law" is a pointless position. Even worse is lambasting the joke teller as it appears the original poster in the thread had done. When I have talked to people who tell jokes some find offensive to Christianity, I've discovered some real pearls of truth that I would have never found if I'd spent my time expounding biblical quotes and pontificating on the second commandment. When people say such jokes intending to hurt me I can talk with them about it. The real problem is a desire for hurt, not the method. The more they know it hurts, the more they will persist. The only way to stop it is to talk about it frankly and honestly. When people say them to damage God, I can rest assured that they will have no such effect. When they say them (as is often the case) as a method of expressing distaste for religion in general or Christianity in particular, I'd be reinforcing their (incorrect) ideas if I started haranguing them. However, most often they say them not because they want to hurt me, or God, or Christianity, but simply because the jokes can be funny. My old pastor was one of the best joke tellers I know. He had a remarkable ability to recognize that the foibles of Christians and the church were a source of great humor. -- Michael I. Bushnell \ This above all; to thine own self be true LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE \ And it must follow, as the night the day, mike@unmvax.cs.unm.edu /\ Thou canst not be false to any man. CARPE DIEM / \ Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!