The importance of humour in PD

[Akashic_Librarian]

I can't help but notice some hardcore members of this forum - and I won't lie, its mostly the religious ones - seem to be losing their sense of humour and I don't mean lightly...MAJOR sense of humour loss going on. We are getting to the point where we can't poke fun a things because its offensive and well...I want to poke fun at things!

We are here together, not as two warring factions debating a treaty but as friends, and good friends can laugh at you, you at them, and everyone is fine with it.

I have noticed when I mock some peoples views, I get people telling me I shouldn't be so abrasive, and rude. However when I express my views, which aren't always very PC, I admit, I still get seven bells of hell ripped out of me and no one says a thing!

I don't think that's fair! I take most of these things in good humour, 'cause if I didn't I would be a hypocrite, but it's NOT funny any more.

I have the right to laugh at your silly beliefs, if I believe them to be silly.

Just as you can laugh at mine, but there is a serious undertone to the laughing as well, because ultimately mockery is a form of questioning the perceived authority.

If we can't make fun of beliefs we think are stupid, then how can we truly grow as a community?

[Matt Willard]

I think the main concern here is avoiding what people can percieve as douchery

Don't get me wrong. Some people need a kick in the ass to get started. But I wouldn't try that first, and it DEFINITELY doesn't work on everyone. If you personally mocked me, I'd consider you not worth my time, and really, who else wouldn't feel the same if they were wired that way?

For the most part, this is supposed to be a positive community, so people naturally prefer that here.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

If we can't make fun of beliefs we think are stupid, then how can we truly grow as a community?

As I recall, Akashic, you took it pretty seriously when you felt your beliefs about the oppression of men were being mocked. You didn't have much sense of humor at all about it when it was your beliefs someone made fun of because they thought they were stupid. Don't others have the same rights you do?

I have the right to laugh at your silly beliefs, if I believe them to be silly.

[Akashic_Librarian]

Of course Angela! But that was a while ago, I am talking about the recent evolution of the boards!

What I am saying is that, at one point we could all - within reason - be sceptical about other peoples beliefs and we could push it reasonably far! Now we can't step out of line with certain topics, and to add an interesting quote:

Tis too much proved that with devotions visage and pious action we do sugar o'er the devil himself.

and by that I mean sometimes we try and be SO nice that we can't have a proper conversation unless its something EVERYONE agrees on, or something totally harmless.

[Angela]

It seems to me that it's a timeless phenomenon, rather than a recent evolution. If you announce something along the lines of "Group X's beliefs are really Stupid, LOL, and they should just GET that and drop their STUPID beliefs ," well, chances are, Group X is not going to be able to discern any lighthearted humor in your remarks.

Anyway, I'm not even in the Group X you've been recently making fun of, and I don't see a whole lot of lighthearted humor in what you say about their beliefs -- a lot of what you say about religion strikes me as very angry and mean-spirited, and I don't think I'm alone in that. Why would people respond with good humor to what they perceive as anger and mean-spirit?

[Akashic_Librarian]

What you don't see is me being good humoured and well meaning with all the nonsense people like that spout. I am sure many other Atheist will agree with me here.

We are conditioned to believe that Faith and belief has some magical power to be above criticism! It's above ridicule, and it's above mockery.

However when someone comes along who believes something that actually has proof, and not just "faith" well they get that taken from them mercilessly, and underneath all the pleasantry and clever arguments it comes down to one thing.

Godlessness. You can call it a lack of faith. Egoism. Anger. When it gets down to it, those who believe in something outside themselves: The Universe, God, The Force etc...think they have moral superiority to someone who defines their morals on self interest and personal thought.

And well...I laugh! I laugh about myself all the time, I laugh at how silly some of my beliefs were, and I laugh at things that others just can't see the humour in! BUT, unfortunately its not much fun not being able to laugh at anyone else when they can laugh at me.

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

... I laugh at things that others just can't see the humour in! BUT, unfortunately its not much fun not being able to laugh at anyone else when they can laugh at me.

It's a problem, isn't it? It's so funny when it's someone else's belief, but it's not so funny when it's your own. D'oh!

So to answer your question:

If we can't make fun of beliefs we think are stupid, then how can we truly grow as a community?

.... one way might be to grant others the freedom to believe whatever they choose, grant yourself the freedom to believe whatever you yourself choose, and take inspired action that you feel might make a positive difference. You've already seen that ridicule doesn't make a positive difference -- in fact, it looks to me like it only gets people defensive and inspires them to hold on more tightly to their point of view -- so what else might you try?

[mlc82]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

I can't help but notice some hardcore members of this forum - and I won't lie, its mostly the religious ones - seem to be losing their sense of humour and I don't mean lightly...MAJOR sense of humour loss going on. We are getting to the point where we can't poke fun a things because its offensive and well...I want to poke fun at things!

We are here together, not as two warring factions debating a treaty but as friends, and good friends can laugh at you, you at them, and everyone is fine with it.

I have noticed when I mock some peoples views, I get people telling me I shouldn't be so abrasive, and rude. However when I express my views, which aren't always very PC, I admit, I still get seven bells of hell ripped out of me and no one says a thing!

I don't think that's fair! I take most of these things in good humour, 'cause if I didn't I would be a hypocrite, but it's NOT funny any more.

I have the right to laugh at your silly beliefs, if I believe them to be silly.

Just as you can laugh at mine, but there is a serious undertone to the laughing as well, because ultimately mockery is a form of questioning the perceived authority.

If we can't make fun of beliefs we think are stupid, then how can we truly grow as a community?

[Plato]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

I have the right to laugh at your silly beliefs, if I believe them to be silly.

Hang on a second... you expect people to enjoy you laughing AT them?

[mlc82]

I don't think anyone could offend me by criticizing any religion, atheism, ideology, belief system, etc, as there aren't any that I consider integral to my own being. I can laugh at them all for the most part. People using any of the above to actively try and hold other people back in some way or another does anger me pretty strongly though. IMO when you try to force your ideology into the lives of others, through law or however, it rightfully becomes open season on your belief system. Just as if I attempted to change the law to force everyone in the US to play computer games and lift weights for fun, any and all criticisms of such an idea should be fired off at me without mercy, since I'm overstepping my bounds and trying to have my cake and eat it, while forcing everyone else to eat the same cake as well.

My love of ancient history does cause me to hate that "300" movie with all of my heart though. I hate that movie. I hate, hate, hate it. Thermopylae for 14 yr olds with a 5 minute attention span and a gore fetish. How I hate it.

[Plato]

Originally Posted by mlc82

My love of ancient history does cause me to hate that "300" movie with all of my heart though. I hate that movie. I hate, hate, hate it. Thermopylae for 14 yr olds with a 5 minute attention span and a gore fetish. How I hate it.

Hahahaha... I can see that. I personally really enjoyed it though having the Spartans with Scottish accents was bizarre to me. I think they confused "tartan" and spartan.

[Brutha]

You have the right to laugh at believe but when it comes to trying to mock someone else, that is something different.
Part of growing up and become an adult is to learn to respect other peoples opinions even when you don't agree with them.

I am sure many other Atheist will agree with me here.

How do you know?

[Akashic_Librarian]

Just as a side note...something I didn't realise when I made this post...is that my humour is dark, sadistic / masochistic and very, very unusual. Not the usual gentle, light jokes many are used to.

[Niki]

I tried to write a funny post, but I couldn't