I’ve been mulling over this blog post for a week now, lots of thoughts but unsure of which ones to write down. It’s about humor and religion. Oftentimes it seems that a number of religions are strict and humorless. Fortunately for me, I’ve found one that embraces humor, as it includes all aspects of the human condition.
Of course, there are different kinds of humor. Insults, even witty ones, are a far cry from the unexpected and charming image of a group of nuns going bowling. As groups “reclaim” certain terms, I can refer to myself by a particular word, but you’d better not utter it. And no jokes about the Pope’s mother!
A friend once said that all humor causes pain, whether it’s a pratfall or slapstick, and even puns which inflict pain on the audience. I think humor is more about the unspoken thing that we all know. Bawdy innuendo is the most obvious of this, but to me most jokes are about making a connection in your own mind.
A recent Washington Post article quoted novelist and religion satirist James Morrow, “It’s a pitfall of all faiths: They are utterly humorless and serious,” ...the letters he appreciates most are the ones from churchgoers who tell him, “You helped me be playful with my faith.”
First of all, I am privileged and grateful to live in a place where I have religious freedom, where people may practice something different than their family or neighbors. Voodoo itself has been illegal in some times and places. Voodoo is also a religion that allows us to be playful. Papa Legba in particular is known to be a trickster who will play practical jokes on us. Knowing that, when faced with a minor irritation, I can laugh at it instead of getting angry.
I’ll wrap up with a quote of unknown author, possibly paraphrased from a Robert Heinlein novel:
“Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.”
Love, Khouzhan Lucy
www.Spellmaker.com
Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
