Laughter is necessity for healthy Christian, says Jesuit magazine

By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

ROME (CNS) -- While faith is not a laughing matter, a healthy Christian is able to laugh, according to an article in the influential Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica.

"If a Christian lacks a sense of humor, it is a sign, among other things, of a religious education too focused on conformity," said the article by Jesuit Father Luciano Larivera.

The mid-July article, "The Nature and Necessity of Humor," offered a dry survey of modern neurological, psychological and philosophical studies on humor, laughter and smiles, as well as a brief discussion of humor and spirituality.

The studies show "adults laugh on average 18 times a day, while children laugh 10 times as much," Father Larivera wrote. "Behavioral biologists maintain that hilarity contributes to the survival of our species; otherwise we would have stopped laughing millennia ago."

The priest also referred to recent laughter-is-the-best-medicine studies showing that when someone laughs "there is an increase of endorphins and a reduction of substances which weaken the immune system."

On the spiritual side, he said a healthy and mature sense of humor consists in a person's ability to see the absurdity present in his or her own life and to be somewhat detached from it.

The ability to laugh at oneself, he said, coincides with the Christian virtue of humility and with an awareness that, while the religious life involves striving to do God's will, God surpasses all human understanding.

With humility as the basis of one's sense of humor, he said, one can avoid the pitfall of being trivial, silly or ignorant of the real pain existing in the world and the real sacrifice made by Christ to bring salvation.

Father Larivera cited a study by a Belgian psychologist demonstrating that people who have a tendency toward religious fundamentalism "tend to avoid humor" because it "undermines their sense of security" and their impression that being always faithful means being always serious.

On the other hand, he said, St. Thomas Aquinas made it clear that, while it was not appropriate for Christians to act like buffoons, "virtue consists in knowing how to distance oneself, how to play and to laugh."

Very good!

I wish I laughed 18 times a day, however.

Oops!

Father Larivera cited a study by a Belgian psychologist demonstrating that people who have a tendency toward religious fundamentalism "tend to avoid humor" because it "undermines their sense of security" and their impression that being always faithful means being always serious.

Everyone comes from a different background. I think some have come to associate humor with ridicule, so they avoid it like the plague. For them, humor has lost its true purpose and meaning. (If they spend a little time in Shalom Place I bet they can get it back.) Others may think humor is not dignified or they are afraid of not being taken seriously, so once again they avoid it like the plague. Still others probably don�t like the feeling of vulnerability that comes from playing around with the nonsensical stuff. But I�ve found that almost all people are funny. Sometimes, though, you have to wait around a good long time to find that out. Humor is sort of like underwear. Everyone looks silly in them but we don�t always get to see that.

And I wouldn�t particularly care to single out religious fundamentalists when it comes to avoiding humor. I find that to be a trait of anyone who hangs a bit too much of their self-worth on the things in which they believe. I won�t mention the "L" word. I promise.

If you all could see and hear the stories told and the things that are laughed at with some of my aquaintances...blush...blush...blush...
I think it's like a carbeurator and you have to really rev it up once in a while to blow the gunk
out.

We have a rule in the twelve step groups called "rule 62" - Don't take yourself too seriously

I have noticed that Monty Python made especially good use of people taking themselves too seriously. This is us at our most comical, eh
wot ? ? ?

cosmiccomic.com <*))))><

I have noticed that Monty Python made especially good use of people taking themselves too seriously. This is us at our most comical, eh

Yes they did! Humor is an amazing thing because, as JB's link says, it can and does relieve stress and does good things for us. But there are just so many types of humor. It can function in so many ways. I think one particularly way it works (and this skirts the line of being beneficial) is that through humor we can express some quite meaningful things that might otherwise come across as too nasty or aggressive if we spoke them directly. Spoken in a humorous way, some rather urgent points can be made that might not have otherwise made it through our ego defenses which can so easily snap to attention and filter out any criticism. Of course, humor is also a way to mask ridicule (which I suppose goes hand in hand with being ridiculous), or some other hostile intent. But even then, humor can be a milder way of bleeding off those feelings. Or, on the contrary, humor can keep us from ever really facing some issues and feelings as we forever bleed them off sideways, never looking at them directly.

Anyway, Michael. Perhaps I'm taking too seriously a subject that deserves to be taken lightly. At this point it would be appropriate to throw a tomato.

If you all could see and hear the stories told and the things that are laughed at with some of my aquaintances...blush...blush...blush...

Did you hear the one about the Catholic, the Jew and the Baptist�

George Harrison, the most mystical and serious Beatle, adored Monty Python and satire.

George Harrison, the most mystical and serious Beatle, adored Monty Python and satire.

Yes, I remember his cameo in Life of Brian, although that is surely not a movie that a Christian or Catholic would want to watch without a very highly developed sense of humor.

ooohhhh, a wise guy ay! woop woop woop woop woop! Splat! (tomato) feel free to throw whipped cream pie

I know 3 12 step groups dominated by Christians and the Joy of the Lord addends them.
A couple of others with a Christian minority rely more on the humor at others' expense.
One fellow from the later showed up at one of the former and remarked, "I don't know what it is, but it sure is different here." I winked at the guy next to me and whispered, "It's MAGIC!"


There was a Rabbi, a Priest, and a New Age guru in hell. The Rabbi confessed, "It must have been the ham sandwiches!" The Priest lamented,
"Women, It must have been the women!" The New Age guru wiped the perspiration off his brow and chanted over and over, "I'm not here, and it's not warm!!!

justjoshing.com <*))))><

There was a Rabbi, a Priest, and a New Age guru in hell.

I hadn't heard that one. Very funny, Michael.

A monk was driving in India when suddenly a dog crosses the road. The car hit and killed the dog. The monk looked around and seeing a temple, went to knock on the door. A monk opened the door. The first monk said: "I'm terribly sorry, but my karma ran over your dogma."

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Two Drunk monks

I took my son, Ian to a farewell party for some friends returning to their country. Ian, age 9, wisely observed that some of the participants drank too much (I was not among those). On our 1 1/2 hour journey home, I spoke to him about the importance of moderation.

After thinking for sometime, Ian said, "Dad, I have a story that I just made up."

"There were these two Buddhist monks who had about 13 beers each. One had to walk home quite some distance.

'Will you be all right to walk home?', the one asked

'Of course, I will take the Middle Path,' he replied."

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Six wise, blind elephants were discussing what humans were like. Failing to agree, they decided to determine what humans were like by direct experience.

The first wise, blind elephant felt the human, and declared, "Humans are flat."

The other wise, blind elephants, after similarly feeling the human, agreed.

I like the new direction this thread has taken.

A short conversation between Dan Bammes and Meng:
Dan: A Buddhist teacher taught that every other living creature is our parent in one of our past lives.
Meng: Similarly, every other living creature owes me money in a past life.

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Some people think that Buddhist practice and meditation are about stopping thoughts. As the saying goes, if that were true, a coconut would be enlightened..... Let's remember that upon attaining enlightenment the Buddha smiled. This is very important. He didn't have to smile. He could have grimaced or remained neutral, but he smiled..... After reading Milarepa 25 times I had the insight that Mila was in fact a comedian. - Prof Robert Thurman, talking in Cleveland.

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A Zen master once said to me, "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you." So I didn't.

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Q: Why don't Buddhists vacuum in the corners?
A: Because they have no attachments.

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Q: How many Zen buddhists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Three -- one to change it, one to not-change it and one to both change- and not-change it.

There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"

"Bed... hard..." said the monk.

"I see," replied the head monk.

Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"

"Food... stinks..." said the monk.

"I see," replied the head monk.

Yet another ten years passed and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, "What are your two words now, after these ten years?"

"I... quit!" said the monk.

"Well, I can see why," replied the head monk. "All you ever do is complain."

Well, maybe if I keep reading this thread, I'll get my 18 laughs.

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Agreeing with the comment that because laughter is such a powerful force, using it in the service of ridicule can be most destructive.

Ask Whoopi Goldberg about that!

Rene Descartes walks into a bar and has a drink. The bartender asks him, "Would you like another?"

Descartes pauses and says, "I think not," and promptly disappears.

The bartender is enlightened.

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"I've always wanted to be somebody, but now I see I should have been more specific." - Jane Wagner

Speaking of funny, take a look at this bit of animation. It's a 3.5 MB Flash animation.

That's hilarious! I actually bought it!

I thought some of yuze guys would like that. That short bit about Kerry and the UN just about bent me in half.

The U.N. scene was funny, but Cheney dancing cracks me up most!

Did you hear about the Zen master who went up to the hotdog stand and said, "Make me one with everything."?

There was an agnostic, dyslexic insomniac who stayed up all night wondering if there really was a dog?