Christian Philosophy of Comedy: Stand-Up Comedy

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According to the Merriam-Webster website, "stand-up" (referring to stand-up comedy) means "of, relating to, performing, or being a monologue of jokes, gags, or satirical comments delivered usually while standing alone on a stage or in front of a camera" [1].

So, with this information in mind, how can stand-up comedy glorify God? Giving an always-applicable principle as an answer, a stand-up comedian glorifies God by getting up in front of people and saying things that cause people to laugh and, through this humor, see the greatness of God (or, in other words, the truth of what and who God is, as He reveals Himself in the Bible).

Now, what is an example of how, concretely, this would look like? Well, imagine that you're at a comedy club, and a Christian gets up on stage! He says this: "Hi there! So, you guys know about these atheist evangelists? Not atheists in general, but this subset of atheists that spread atheism like it's some kind of gospel. If you've heard from them, you've likely heard them say that "religion" (including Christianity) causes harm. Yes, I wonder too why they lump contradictory beliefs together like they're one thing, but let's put that aside for now. Their galaxy-level intelligence is far beyond our idiotic comprehensions. And it's from this fountain of knowledge that we know we should never accept "God's thoughts are higher than ours" as a reason for God being and doing things that don't appear rational or moral to us. Anyway, they say that the Bible is harmful, that believing it makes someone miserable. Yes, so we know they're principled optimists, and that they oppose Christianity on that principled stance. And I know that's their true motivation for opposing Christianity because they say so, which is a standard of truth that, being not only principled optimists but also principled and consistent intellectuals, they also apply to all religious texts, including the Bible. But, returning to the subject here: what is the harmful narrative that these warriors of both reason and love fight so valiantly against with the triple swords of facts, logic, and compassion? That, if we change our hearts and trust in the God of the Bible alone, we'll have eternal life instead of eternal punishment for breaking His rules. Now, obviously, you can't fight something with nothing. They realize that you must not only refute a harmful narrative, but you must replace it with a healthy one. And that healthy one is this: good things are valuable if you can only temporarily enjoy them, so the notion that you lose it all after this life is actually the happier and healthier one. Now, I know: those Christian fundies may counter by saying some word salad like "Well, the Bible teaches that our actions now have eternal results for both ourselves and others, so an eternal outlook doesn't make our temporal works and enjoyments worthless." Now, look, that's so ridiculous it refutes itself! It's not even worth wasting valuable brain power to try to answer. And, if you don't see why, well, all I can tell you is: reason works in mysterious ways." The Christian then says "Goodnight, everybody!" and leaves the stage. This is an example of Christian stand-up comedy in action.

Christian, go to God's Word and learn about how humor works from the Holy Spirit Himself as He speaks via the text of the Bible! Then, if you desire to serve Christ by using this knowledge to get in front of people (whatever particular form that takes) and make them laugh in such a way where they see the greatness of God (especially in contrast to the deficiency of what opposes Him), go and do it! Praise Him through comedy! And, if you do so, may God indeed glorify Himself through you!

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stand-up (accessed October 11, 2025)