Merthyr Rd Explorers (Q) – The Religious Joke

In the right hands, the pencil can illuminate serious issues and bring the most unlikely people together. While editors and writers would often be threatened and intimidated into reining in their content, cartoonists were largely left alone. And with lack of oversight, they could criticize unjust policies without consequence – Patrick Chappatte

The cartoon is an art form that comes in many shapes and sizes, from comic strips to editorial cartoons and political satire. To be a successful cartoonist, one must not only be gifted artistically – i.e., able to draw – but also highly intelligent, with a keen eye for the ironic and an ability to see the humor, albeit sometimes sardonic humor, in current events. Today, for example, cartoonists are as influential as any political strategists in how people see politicians and other community leaders. Cartoonists are skilled illustrators offering at once either a humorous or mordant take – or sometimes both – on the state of current affairs.

In short, cartoons play a very important role in shaping culture and should not be underestimated or dismissed – Christy Tennant.

In this seminar the jokes will be used to amuse and raise a response about the irony displayed.

YOU are invited to join in at Merthyr Explorers on Wednesday 28th September Merthyr Road Uniting Church, 52 Merthyr Rd, New Farm.

10 am for morning tea (a few contributions to this will be welcome)
10:30 we begin our exploring of the topic.

A donation of $5 towards costs is appreciated.

oOo

3 thoughts on “Merthyr Rd Explorers (Q) – The Religious Joke

  1. Tim O’Dwyer

    Of course the humourless Gospel writers left out the best Beatitude: “Blessed are the cartoonists who shall find their reward in heaven for taking the Mickey out of most while giving many lots of laughs.”

  2. Paul

    Yes interesting
    The fact that humans can understand, express and enjoy humour/irony etc suggests to me that if we were made in God’s image then God has a sense of humour and irony and has inbibed us with this gift. Having said that what constitutes humour varies from one person to the next and from one culture to the next for that matter. My own comfort zone is breached when Jesus, God, etc are the objects of those cartoons depicting the seriousness of their communications in a manner that downplays the message such as a couple of the examples above. Cartoons that poke fun at the hypocricy, ridiculous or political position of the churches or their administrators of religion such as ministers/priest etc seem to me fair game.

  3. Lynn Aberdeen

    One aspect that is often overlooked, is that there is quite a bit of humour (and sarcasm) in the Bible. It just doesn’t translate humourously from one language to another. The OT prophets sometimes resorted to puns — which mean absolutely nothing when translated into English.
    I was told by a work colleague, who had friend who had been a missionary to bedouins in north Africa, that the bedouins would collapse in laughter every time they heard the parable of the 10 virgins.
    Those who “Take the Bible literally” need to realize that it is not a simple task — it requires a lot of “literary” understanding, and a sense of humour would be a great help.

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