[mikeyyuiok]

Me: Hey, God, what's a million years to you?
God: A minute.
Me: what's a million dollars to you?
God: A penny.
Me: Can I have a penny?
God: In a minute.


Is this an offensive joke? I just want to know...

[compiit]

No, Its kinda cute actually

[PypeMaypetasy]

Have you heard this one?

It was said of Abba John the Dwarf, that one day he said to his elder brother, 'I should like to be free of all care, like the angels, who do not work, but ceaselessly offer worship to God.' So he took off his cloak and went away into the desert. After a week he came back to his brother. When he knocked on the door, he heard his brother say, before he opened it 'Who are you?' He said, 'I am John, your brother.' But he replied, 'John has become an angel, and henceforth he is no longer among men.' Then the other begged him saying. 'It is I.' However, his brother did not let him in, but left him there in distress until morning. Then, opening the door, he said to him, 'You are a man and you must once again work in order to eat.' Then John made a prostration before him, saying, 'Forgive me.'

[Tazqoaap]

How many Orthodox does it take to change a lightbulb?

Change?!?!?!

[secondmertg]

Two angels sitting on two clouds:
Angel 1 : hey, brother, let us try to quarrel like people do!
Angel 2: ok. what we have to do?
Angel 1: I say to you 'come here' and you say 'no, because i am upset'
Angel 2: ok
Angel 1: come here!
Angel 2 flee immediately ...
Angel 1: no, you did not understand! I say 'come here' and you remain on your cloud. just say 'no, because I am upset!. OK?
Angel 2: yes
Angel 1: come here!
Angel 2 flee immediately ...
Angel 1: have you forgot? just say 'no, because I am upset!.
Angel 2: Oh, yes!
Angel 1: come here!
Angel 2, in a very embarrassed mood. ' ahhh, ohh, I would but you know, well, I do not how to come because I think that I am upset somehow, aaa
Angel 1: Then I come to you!

[ljq0AYOV]

Yes, but it really depends on the person. Most fathers in UK make jokes to help say lighten the mood when you are confessing and you are expecting a sever penance.
Some saints were really strict and did not joke like I think it was Abba Pambo who said that jokes chase away the Holy Spirit and St John Jacob and St George Karslides they went through a lot of hardship so they had a very strict outlook in life.

[Erossycuc]

'Oh God, give me patience! Quickly!'

[wmirkru]

Does humor have a place in our spiritual development? God gave (some of) us a sense of humor, some more warped than others, and it cannot always be suppressed. It can be a useful teaching tool if used properly. However it can be a very clumsy tool, a two-edged sword that cuts "both ways", even well-intentioned attempts at humor oft go awry, due to cultural and language limitations, especially in the poorly nuanced realm of simple text. Like salt I suspect it is best used somewhat sparingly as it loses its efficacy with overuse.

However, sometimes it is almost impossible not to write satire, and then there are the times when I think I am being extremely clever and I am only really exposing my own ignorance. What can you do at such times but laugh?

Here is one I enjoy: "Do you want to make God laugh? Tell Him 'I have plans!'"

Herman the jocular Pooh

[VawSwaspamups]

Yes, but it really depends on the person. Most fathers in UK make jokes to help say lighten the mood when you are confessing and you are expecting a sever penance.
Some saints were really strict and did not joke like I think it was Abba Pambo who said that jokes chase away the Holy Spirit .

Psychologically laughter will break the tension of a situation and allow it to drain away. This is detrimental when one is attempting to face one's own shortcomings or areas where personal change will be needed because it is this very psychological tension that is a key element in bringing about that change. It is a gift from God that strengthens our resolve to break our own will and our own passions in order even to admit our own fault, our own negative responsiblity and our need to change. Thus in confession, "jokes" don't really have a place since they do indeed "lighten the mood" and drain away the tensions that are created by facing ones own sins and thus sapping the ability to really address those deficits.

However, in other situations, laughter is good for the very reason that it does ease tensions and allow unintended slights, ignorant comments that touch emotionally "tender" areas, and just plan bad manners to pass without causing pain and making it possible to forgive others more easily.

Fr David (the ex-psychologist)

[sherrferris]

Does humor have a place in our spiritual development? God gave (some of) us a sense of humor, some more warped than others, and it cannot always be suppressed. However, sometimes it is almost impossible not to write satire,

what's the difference between satire and warped sence of humor and say...dark humor? I am obviously not God-gifted in this area no matter how much I fool myself.

A religious leader, a relgious leader and a religious leader (I don't want to offend any one's faith...) were all fishing in a little boat. First religious leader says "I left my hat on the shore". He gets out of the boat and walks over the shore and walks back on the water with his hat. Second religious leader says "I forgot my sack lunch on the shore and gets out of the boat and walks over the water and back again with lunch in hand. The third religious leader is beside himself and thinks if these two can walk on water, I can too. He says "I left my sunscreen on the shore", gets out of the boat and immediately sinks to the bottom of the pond. The first religious leader says to the second, "think we should tell him where the rocks are?".

Paul the warped jokester.

[plogypeskelry]

If humour and laughter "should" be frowned upon among the Orthodox, then most of us here, including clergy, are in BIG trouble!

[g4YthYXx]

Elder Paisios who, I believe, was a holy man loved to joke and laugh. One of his spiritual children told me this when I asked him about this subject due to a similar conversation we had on this forum a while ago.

[TpDoctorOneTp]

Telling a a human not to laugh is paramount to being told not to taste the food in your mouth.

[PypeMaypetasy]

I think (not to be a wet blanket, because I actually love to laugh as often as I can daily) that we just need to remember the difference between a joke and what the Holy Apostle St. Paul calls "coarse jesting". Just as in any kind of conversation, there are topics, tones and environments that are acceptable and those that are not. One instance that has stayed with me involved the nephew of a woman who had passed away. This woman's daughter and son-in-law are very dear friends of mine, as close or closer than some family. This nephew made a VERY inappropriate play on the family's last name (which was not only crude and vulgar, but decidedly unfunny). This was several years ago, and while I have forgiven both his lack of tact and his continual insistence upon same, I can still recall vividly how ready I was to throw him, bodily, out of the building we were in. Thankfully, since maybe only one other person heard what he said besides me, I was able to let it slide after a few moments.

Humor is a gift from God, but then again, so are the fruits of the Spirit, which bring about in our souls a love for our neighbor that never seeks scandal or impropriety.

On a sort-of-related note, I have worked as a clown in the past (and still do from time to time), and I have promised myself never to resort to 'humor', so-called, that belittles or embarrasses anyone. Fun and humor that can be constructive, instructive and a means of bonding with others is always to be commended. Anything that separates or calls attention to differences or deficiencies is to be avoided, IMHO.