Is It Sinful to Joke?

Introduction

In all Christian denominations, one can find sincere believers who are convinced that joking is wrong.

Their logic is straightforward: humor, in its essence, is a lie. Lying is a sin. Therefore, humor itself must be sinful.

So how should a Christian properly view jokes and laughter?

Argument in Favor

In support of this position, St. John Chrysostom is often cited, particularly in his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew:

“It often happened that He was seen weeping, but no one ever saw Him laughing, or even smiling a little; at least none of the Evangelists have mentioned this.”

However, note the following: Chrysostom does not assert it as a fact that Christ never laughed. He is simply summarizing what the Gospels do (and do not) record on the matter.

St. John himself was most likely combating inordinate merriment among his flock, rather than seeking to prohibit all laughter outright.

Moreover, we encounter here the risk of a classical fallacy, argumentum ex silentio: the argument from silence is weak. The absence of a mention does not necessarily prove the absence of the thing itself.

For example, the Gospels never directly state that Jesus Christ had a nose. Nevertheless, we can be quite certain that He did indeed have one – and still does.

Natural Light of Reason

Common sense immediately tells us that a lie, a joke, and fantasy are three distinct things.

A lie is an intentional deception, a concealment or distortion of the truth for the sake of some gain.

Humor, however, is almost always connected with the recognition of the absurdity, the incongruous, or the unexpected. The absurdity is not concealed; on the contrary, it is deliberately brought into the spotlight.

Finally, fantasy is an invitation to use the imagination, not an attempt to present the imaginary as reality.

If this is the case, then humor is an integral part of our human nature, serving a specific purpose. Just as the lungs are needed to process air, humor helps us to process absurdity.

This means that humor per se is a good thing. It becomes morally wrong only when it is misused.

For example, laughing at something that is not truly funny is either a sign of foolishness or a deliberate attempt to undermine or belittle something important.

This is called derision, and it is a form of reviling.

Conversely, if we fail to laugh at something that is absurd, this may indicate that we are taking seriously what should not be taken gravely. This, too, can lead to error.

However, when we laugh at what is genuinely amusing, we act in accordance with our nature and with the nature of humor itself.

In Scripture

We do not see Jesus Christ telling jokes in the modern sense of the word – short, standalone funny stories.

Yet for people of His time, humor primarily consisted of witty remarks, sharp analogies, and unexpected comparisons. It is easy to notice that Christ’s speech is full of this kind of humor.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Or: “you blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!”

This is hyperbolic humor: an absurd, deliberately exaggerated image pushed to the point of impossibility.

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

This is almost visual comedy: a man with a huge log protruding from his eye. It is not even physically possible, yet this does not make Christ’s words “a lie.” They are a grotesque image used for a powerful effect.

“I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

This is very sharp irony directed at the Pharisees. The Lord does not mean literally that stones would grow mouths and shout. He is clearly indicating that the Pharisees are more insensitive than stones themselves.

Although the omnipotent God could make even that happen.

“Go and tell that fox,” referring to Herod – this is scornful irony.

Immediately after: “it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem” – a bitter irony.

“Physician, heal yourself” – a mild irony.

An Especially Interesting Example

“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest.”

Christ says: “look, the fields are white!” In a strict sense, this did not correspond to the actual situation – the harvest was still far away. Yet it was true in a spiritual sense, as a metaphor for the Samaritans who were already ripe for the faith.

Here our Lord directly invites His listeners to use their imagination. He even alludes to the characteristic gesture of lifting up one’s eyes, the motion people commonly make when they try to visualize something.

Thus, we see that the speech of Jesus Christ is vivid and highly figurative. He actively used forms that we would today call humorous: hyperbole, irony, paradox and so on.

In Tradition

Many saints throughout history have been known for their sense of humor.

The desert fathers of the 5th–6th. centuries were among the most austere of Christians. Yet, in the collection Apophthegmata Patrum we find examples of their subtle humor and irony.

St. Philip Neri intentionally behaved eccentrically and played pranks in order to shatter pride, including his own.

St. Teresa of Avila was known for her sharp tongue. She is often credited with the saying: “From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, deliver us, O Lord.” Once, after falling from a donkey into a river, she said to God: “If this is how You treat Your friends, no wonder You have so few of them.”

St. Thomas More, in a very English spirit, asked the executioner to help him up the scaffold, adding that he would manage the descent himself.

A similar spirit can be seen in the story of St. Lawrence of Rome. According to tradition, he said to his torturers while being roasted on a gridiron: “You may turn me over; I am done on this side.”

This shows that humor can accompany even martyrdom – the highest form of asceticism and sacrifice.

The Eastern Orthodox tradition also offers such examples. For instance, Ambrose of Optina, one of the most venerated Russian elders, was known for composing short, humorous verses as instruction for his spiritual children.

In Culture

Umberto Eco wrote the postmodern detective novel The Name of the Rose, which revolves around the theme of faith and laughter.

 It is well written, but if you decide to read it, keep in mind that this is not a theological treatise, but a work of secular fiction set in a medieval ecclesiastical environment.

Main Caliber

Now let us turn to St. Thomas Aquinas.

He discusses laughter in the Summa Theologiae II–II, q. 168. This question deals with play, jesting, and recreation.

Thomas’s principal points are as follows:

• Every person needs rest, including that found through jokes. Just as the body requires relaxation, the soul needs a kind of “playful conversation.”
• A complete absence of humor is called austeritas: excessive severity or sternness. Thomas explicitly states that this is a vice. A person who never jokes and does not allow others to do so becomes burdensome in conversation and can even sin against fraternal charity.
• However, crude, obscene, and improper humor is also a vice, called scurrilitas: what we would today call vulgarity or buffoonery.
• The golden mean between these two extremes is the virtue called eutrapelia, which can be translated as wit, pleasantness in conversation, or good cheer.

It is a refined, moderate sense of humor, a cheerfulness that makes a person agreeable in company and enables one to engage in conversation with ease and joy, without violating moral norms.

Eutrapelia strengthens social bonds and contributes to spiritual health.

Verdict

Laughter can indeed be sinful, when used inappropriately – for example, mindless laughter, laughter intended to mock or deride, or vulgar laughter.

Yet in its essence, humor is good. It is a kind of “faculty” that forms part of our nature. Christ Himself frequently used humor to convey truth, enhancing it with an element of surprise.

Thus, the absence of humor is not a sign of holiness, but rather a symptom of a certain inner disharmony.

Good humor, however, is not merely “permitted” for a Christian, but is rooted in two millennia of the Church’s tradition. When guided by love and truth, humor becomes a natural companion of virtue.

P.S. Read a collection of Catholic jokes here.