I love that cartoon; it cracks me up every time I see it. In fact, I crack up at most religious jokes. “I found Jesus - he was behind the sofa the whole time.” “Did you hear, Easter was cancelled? Yeah, they found the body.”

There’s a lot of things to laugh about, when you’re talking about God & religion. There are WHOLE websites devoted to religious humor - and I think that’s a great thing! People who are so serious about religion, all the time, scare me.

There was a joke going around last year that went like this:

Did you hear? The Pope has the bird flu!
-oh NO! Say it’s not so!
Yup. He got it from a Cardinal.

Now most of the Catholics I told that joke to, got it, and weren’t offended. Most went straight to the phone to call every other Catholic they knew, to tell that joke. But a couple were highly offended, and I guess that’s their perogative. I have to admit though, I watched a whole lot of the Pope during his visit to the States, and he seemed like a pretty cool guy to me. I bet he would have laughed at that joke!

I had a comedian tell me one time, that everything was fair game for a joke. Everything. Including things like child abuse, rape, murder. It’s needed most at times like that, said he.

I can’t agree with it, though, I just can’t. Some things are sacrosanct, and should be above being made fun of.

Take last Easter, for instance.

I was driving my daughter home from mass, and she made an offhand comment, referring to the Eucharist as “Christ-chex.” Holy Mother of God, if I didn’t have a car tailgating me at that very same moment, I would have slammed on the brakes and beat that child over the head with my purse.

“Daughter! Don’t SAY such things!”

“Why not? It’s just a joke,” said she.

“That’s not a joke, that’s sacriledge!” To which, she rolled her eyes at.

“I mean it! Some things you just do NOT joke about!”

“Yes, mother,” said she.

Gah. That kid’s gonna drive me to drink one of these days.

Anyway. Back to the topic at hand.

What’s the line in the sand? What can be laughed about, made fun of, what can’t or shouldn’t be? I think the answer to that has to be - whatever the other person considers to be sacred. That’s why (some) Muslims get so bent out of shape when their prophet Muhammed is depicted as a bumbling idiot, why some Catholics got offended with my bird flu joke, and why I got offended at the Christ-chex comment.

You don’t always know what will offend someone, however, so when it happens, it’s just best to apologize and not tell them those kinda jokes anymore. I don’t think anyone intends to be offensive. Well, ok, some people do. But most just think the jokes are funny and want to make the other person laugh.

I’ve done it too; and after I’d tell a joke and after my daughter would finish laughing, she’d add “You’re going to hell,” and we’d both end up in another giggle fit.

I really, really, wish I could be offended by the Baby Jesus Buttplug, and the Virgin Mary dildo, but everytime I try - the corner of my mouth starts to twitch, and I can’t. I just can’t.

Oh yeah. I’m going to hell.