FOS Rabbi Bob Alper spotted this column in USAToday by former Orlando Sentinel religion correspondent Mark I. Pinsky entitled “Putting the ‘fun’ in fundamentalism,” in which the author advances the idea that the uptick in the amount and variety of believers joking about their religion is “a sign of growth and theological maturity.”

The popular image of fundamentalist faith– whether Jewish, Muslim or evangelical Christian– is humorless, intolerant and angry, unhesitant to cast the first stone, sometimes literally. The words “whimsy” and “orthodoxy” do not often appear in the same sentence.

Yet humor is a way of explaining religion– to its adherents and to others. Increasingly, believing members of orthodox faith traditions are able to joke about their foibles and shortcomings before an audience of their community– if only in the safe, sheltered environs of a mosque social hall, an Israeli comedy club or a sold-out Apostles of Comedy concert at a central Florida megachurch.

It is fascinating to note that, immediately following the piece, are two comments that demonstrate which direction the sense of humor is headed.

The first, from “Ronald David,” is:

It will take a great deal of humor to explain religion– the opiate of millions of lemmings.

But, if it makes you feel good, gets a lot of laughs, helps employ even a dozen ‘comics’, and most of all, places tolerance in the lexicon of religious zealots, then a public ‘roasting’ has to be a good thing. Right?

(Note the condescending use of quotes around the word “comics.”)

The second, from some identifying himself as “Chagasman,” wrote:

Nothing at all funny about fundamentalists, not when they are working on their agendas. Could this “humor” be nothing more than a cover, under which they continue to push their facist (sic) ideologies at the expense of American democracy?

Either comment would be a fine demonstration of sockpuppetry on Pinsky’s part… if he ever needed to do so. But there will no doubt be a dozen comments under the article, just like this one, by noon, each one of them authentic.

We’re reminded of the Seinfeld episode (#153 “The Yada Yada”) in which Jerry accuses his dentist of becoming a Jew “for the jokes.”

(Jerry at confession)
Jerry: … I wanted to talk to you about Dr. Whatley. I have a suspicion that he’s converted to Judaism purely for the jokes.

Father: And this offends you as a Jewish person.

Jerry: No, it offends me as a comedian.

We’re not religious, but we are comedians. And when an article about how supposedly rigid, intolerant people are laughing at their shortcomings (in a comedy club or theater setting) is viewed as an opportunity to natter on about “fascist ideologies” and paraphrase Karl Marx, we’re witnessing a rigidity and an intolerance that would put the vast majority of fundamentalists to shame. Such a failure to miss the point should send shivers down the spine of any comedian. (And the fact that the first two comments on a major national publication’s website are virtually identical in their paranoia and their lack of cheer would seem to indicate that the sentiment isn’t merely the province of a small cadre but of a large and growing group.)

We’re also offended as comedians because such comments are a condemnation of the audience that carries with it an implied condemnation of the comedian.