dhosek@euler.claremont.edu (Don Hosek) (05/26/91)
In article <May.23.23.41.34.1991.22327@athos.rutgers.edu>, trondst@mack.uit.no (Trond S. Trondsen) writes: > As most of us know, the Bible is an incredible book indeed. It even has > the potential of changing the life of the person willing to humble his/her > intellect and take God at his Word. This book, I think, must contain (and > has certainly inspired) all genres of literature. Poetry, tragedies, > drama, crime,.... you name it. But there is not very much humor > to be found. > Does God have a sense of humor? Or is 'humor' just a result of > our fallen nature? Or..? Personally I think God has a sense of humor and see evidence of it in every day life. In the Bible, the passage that always makes me smile (actually, I have to admit I almost burst out laughing when it was read is in John's resurrection story where Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. Perhaps its just a side-affect of the NAB translation: Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener [and here I have to restrain myself] ... (John 20,15) The bit in Genesis where Joseph is pulling the elaborate practical joke on his brothers is another that I'm fond of (actually most of the parts of the Pentateuch which are traditionally ascribed to "J", tend to have a humorous touch to them). I sure hope god doesn't mind my enjoying the Bible in this way. -dh -- Don Hosek dhosek@ymir.claremont.edu Quixote Digital Typography 714-625-0147
hall@vice.ico.tek.com (Hal Lillywhite) (05/26/91)
In article <May.23.23.41.34.1991.22327@athos.rutgers.edu> trondst@mack.uit.no (Trond S. Trondsen) writes: >Yesterday, I came across a couple of passages that certainly indicates >that God has a sense of humor. I laughed so much that tears were rolling. >... My favorite "funny Bible story" is in Acts 12. Peter had been in jail and in the middle of the night an angel arranges for him to escape (in spite of his being chained between 2 soldiers). Peter goes to the house where he knows the church is meeting and knocks on the door. What follows could be right out of a slapstick comedy: 1. A young woman answers and recognizes Peter's voice. Does she let him in? No, she gets so excited she has to tell someone and forgets to open the door. 2. She tells others who are older and should be wiser. Are they? well instead of going to the door to find out they have a discussion on if it is Peter or his spirit. Meanwhile Peter cools his heels outside, probably wondering if anybody will ever open that door. 3. Finally they do open the door and "were astonished." Can you imagine the look on their faces? 4. The next day the comedy turns black as Herod finds that Peter has escaped and gets rather upset. He leaves town after ordering the execution of the keepers.
hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr) (05/27/91)
One of my favorite outright jokes in the Bible, is when Elijah is taunting the prophets of Baal, when they are trying to make their God set fire to their sacrifice by cutting themselves. Elijah asks where Baal is. "Maybe he is sleeping. Maybe he went to the bathroom!" (my paraphrase.) the KJV uses "pursuing." Actually, it is pretty funny, and it is a rather obvious joke. (obviously a joke to someone who knows Hebrew, I suppose, or who looks up what is meant.) Along the same lines, Jesus asks if the disciples do not realize that whatever a man eats goes into the mouth, through the belly and is (KJV) "cast intothe draught." This is not really a joke, but it is similar. I think the meaning of the words in Greek and Herbew are even similar.
x7mx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (05/30/91)
<This thread has a series of biblical quotations with allegely humorous quality> This is my favorite piece of slapstick: Acts 19:13-16 Some [obviously faithless] Jews tried to drive out Demons by saying "I command you by this Jesus whom Paul preaches". With such a lame attempt they got what they deserved when a demon replied "Jesus I recognize and Paul I know; but who are you?" before beating them up.
burt@sequent.uucp (Burton Keeble) (06/04/91)
I'm 150 articles behind, so my appologies if this seems like a dead thread when it arrives.......... In article <May.26.01.45.26.1991.13440@athos.rutgers.edu> dhosek@euler.claremont.edu (Don Hosek) writes: >In article <May.23.23.41.34.1991.22327@athos.rutgers.edu>, trondst@mack.uit.no (Trond S. Trondsen) writes: >> As most of us know, the Bible is an incredible book indeed. It even has >> the potential of changing the life of the person willing to humble his/her >> intellect and take God at his Word. This book, I think, must contain (and >> has certainly inspired) all genres of literature. Poetry, tragedies, >> drama, crime,.... you name it. But there is not very much humor >> to be found. > I agree with >> except for his final sentence..... >> Does God have a sense of humor? Or is 'humor' just a result of >> our fallen nature? Or..? > Humor is one of God's greatest gifts to mankind. It allows us to persevere in the face of adversity and to better appreciate "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", even when it happens to someone else. It is only when we find mirth in cruelity that we pervert humor. >Personally I think God has a sense of humor and see evidence of >it in every day life. > >In the Bible, the passage that always makes me smile (actually, I >have to admit I almost burst out laughing when it was read is in >John's resurrection story where Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. >Perhaps its just a side-affect of the NAB translation: > Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you > looking for?" She thought it was the gardener [and here I have > to restrain myself] ... (John 20,15) > >The bit in Genesis where Joseph is pulling the elaborate >practical joke on his brothers is another that I'm fond of >(actually most of the parts of the Pentateuch which are >traditionally ascribed to "J", tend to have a humorous touch to >them). > >I sure hope god doesn't mind my enjoying the Bible in this way. > Perhaps humor is God's way of getting our attention 8-). I find Adam and Eve's trying to hide from God a bit humorous. Esther 6: 6-10 (RSV) is a scream. In her book "The Book You Always Meant To Read", Margaret Harmon Bro mentions the ribald humor of David's men when recalling the time that David cut the hem from Saul's Robe. BTW, weren't these hands by Jonggu Moon terrific? ( </ / __ \ / / )\ ) / /\__/ /_) / / (_/ |/_/ -*- "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" /)| burt@sequent.sequent.com / _ /) / \ < < (/\\ \ ) (// / /