Do catholics have a sense of humour?

General Discussion
1

I recently placed an advert on a local website with the aim of selling a car. To make it stand out from all the other rather predictable ones I decided to inject a bit of humour into it, using a current topic to attract attention.


I must admit that my sense of humour may not be to everyone’s taste but I do not deliberately set out to upset people. I’m also aware that anything one writes & puts out for public consumption may well result in some kind of reaction. In fact that is the one of the purposes of discussion forums on sites such as SFN! I have enjoyed reading other members’ views & have occasionally joined in sometimes agreeing, sometimes expressing an opposite view. These discussions have always been polite if sometimes somewhat firm in views expressed & it is the intelligence with which these diverse opinions are written which provides such pleasure.


I was therefore somewhat surprised when the advert prompted a somewhat odd reply.


The advert read (in part) "Exclusive! Pope resigns in row over choice of Papal transport" continuing “This totally untrue statement comes from the belief that the pope insisted that any vehicle he rode in must match his outfit exactly.
This is the VERY car that the Pope might have chosen to use if he had to drive anywhere and is now available for you to own!
For a mere 1350 euros you can go anywhere in a long white gown & when you emerge from its comfortable interior & put on a 2 foot high hat you could be feted by all!
Just think of the advantages! Offers of free drinks almost anywhere! You could kiss anyone & nobody would doubt your motives, even if your hands were inappropriately placed!
Sponsorship from the people who make "Vanish"! Just to name a few.


Details of the car followed.


Before too long I received the following email


“…however, I think this ad. to sell your car has overstepped the
limits of decency "....even if your hands were inappropriately placed!"

This is a very scurrilous remark and exemplifies a rather nasty phobia.

I think you are capable of a much more sanguine comment.

I suggest you rescind this "inappropriate" statement .


I was surprised by this reaction as I felt that I had in no way accused the Pope of any wrongdoing, merely implied that if one was to dress as a Pope no-one would think that a Pope would behave inappropriately so would not question one's actions! However, there is no reason why this should be so – a Pope is only a mortal, voted into power by a bunch of other mortals, much like the head of ANY large organization. There is no guarantee that popes always behave in the best interests of their followers! History can show us a few less than angelic ones, & come to think of it this particular church has had its fair share of “inappropriate” behaviour from a few of its representatives! Now I may not be a devout Christian but I have always felt that one’s religious beliefs are one’s own – you are free to worship who you like.


I have not & will not reply to this person’s email because I feel I would be drawn into a long theological discussion on religious issues without the relative protection of a forum


It makes me wonder what sort of letters Dave Allen used to get?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hipigscYXIM


Although there is no way that I would withdraw my advert I would like the reactions from my fellow SFNers.

2

Mark, I liked it.. Good on you for standing your ground. You simply cannot go back on yourself everytime someone gets their nose out of joint.

3

I haven't sen the film but I guess life does mimic art Carol........

"A Hungarian neo-Nazi leader has had to retire from professional antisemitism because he discovered he was Jewish. Csanad Szegedi, who had decried "Jewishness" in Hungary's political class, and referred to Jews as "lice-infested, dirty murderers," was outed by a rival within the neo-Nazi movement, who revealed that Szegedi's maternal grandmother was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor, making him Jewish as well"

4

Nice one, Celeste! and a) for effort Brian!

5

It must happen when there is a galloping conversation in train, system overload?

6

Haven't seen that but being where we are you should watch Louis de Funes in 'Rabbi Jacob'.

7

just watching The Infidel on tv....brilliant film about an Arab who discovers he was adopted and was in fact Jewish....saw it a few years ago...but a good contender for the funniest religious film...on a par with The Life of Brian...

8

I hold you responsible Celeste for the mess my face has become....laughing fit to burst...with tears pouring down my face. I dont think Ive ever read anything so funny....my sides ache...have just sent it on to my OH... that was really, really brilliant...and I now remember why I removed auto correct and predictive text from my phone! thank you for that...end of the perfect day!

9

We love a bit of Cheech and Chong cough cough splutter cough ...

10

My OH used to get it in the neck from me regularly after dinner parties where he would start full scale wars! I enjoy debating...but am inclined to do it with people who are not close friends or family! prefer the distance and I feel more able to say what I want without being worried about offending. The workplace in the UK now is very difficult....you really do have to think before you speak...or maybe its just our generation...my kids dont seem to find it difficult at all! Brian stay as you are....at least we know what to expect!

11

Oho, we have been there recently with the questions about 'Seven Little 'word-we-dare-not-says'' recently. It was written when the world was different so why change it? If we know it is is what it is then let it go. PC gone wild. So is this whole business right now. In 50 years historians will look back and Ratzinger will get it in the neck, so what if a few people do it now? Personally, I get stuck in over dinner but then Carol knows what a stinker I can be without meaning anybody anything malign at all, ever. Speak your own truth but never bow down to imposed standards that take the sting out of what you have to say or don't bother. ;-)

12

In the early 70's there was a comedy duo called "Cheech & Chong". They took the mickey out of everyone regardless of background.

Although never a fan it was considered cool to pretend to be. I did enjoy a few of their sketches though & one of them was pope based. Please do not think that I'm deliberately out to offend - if I was I could REALLY go to town. Personally I like this sketch as in my mind's eye I see the pope as only human & as such a character I could warm to. Don't play this unless you can take a joke...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-zMZnY76Qk

13

yep....! you would get on well with my OH!

14

Norman, I think you're right and possibly not as adrfit as you may think. My reply to Celeste also appeared in the wrong place LOL

15

Buddhists don't have a God. Just thought I'd mention :-)

16

nothing wrong with controversial or provocative...indeed, if you have a faith then you need testing at some point, it helps the individual to find out how strong their beliefs are. Perhaps where we disagree Celeste, is that I think its good to test people out....I hate this OTT PC world...where so many people are terrified to make a statement or comment about anything for fear of being pounced on by the thought police. I like to see articles that provoke comment....my husband is the best at this, he writes articles and dinner parties are always lively because he will come up with a current debate in the news and will take the opposed view of everyone around the table...just to have a lively debate...its good stuff. If we all minded our Ps and Qs...wouldnt life be drab? and also...would anything ever change if we didnt challenge ideas?

17

Ha ha I used to be a Catholic but i'm alright now. Mark I wouldn't worry about it , personally I can see the humour in your add and if others don't then that is their problem and not yours . Go in peace and sell you car ominous fiscimous blah blah de blah my son :-)

18

It's just that I take offence so easily these days...:)

19

My wife's uncle Ernesto is the emeritus bishop of Locarno. In the family, this branch is my sis-in-law living together with a Moslem over 20 years and having two sons who are neither religion, my bro-in-law is gay and in a permanent relationship, my wife and I do not have a working relationship with God, whoever she may be. Next branch of family has a cousin living with a protestant, her brother has two children by two partners, now lives with neither. Etc.

We can sit with Ernesto and say what we like, I certainly did have a heck of a go about Karol Wojtyla aka John Paul II who put on the screws in South America after Brazil legalised contraception and abortion. He was despised by every free thinker there. They were all excommunicated. In response they all said 'So what'...

Personally get on with what you believe everybody, but do not impose it on the rest of us. Now just when is that vicars and tarts party?

20

He had a great agency. I bought my first house ever off him. £6k in trendy Brixton before the riots but it was flat fronted and sort of late Georgian. Got a £2k mortgage and an improvement grant from the Council and sold it four years later for a good profit after all the improvements. Lucky I did just at the peak of the then market because a few weeks later they had some local bother down there. Axe through the front door included. Brooks sold it for me as well. Lovely ads but they worked. It took Brixton 20 years to recover after the problems but my step daughter lives happily there now.