Let me know what you agree/disagree with, or what you would phrase differently. QUESTION: Why ridicule/mock religion? MY RESPONSE: First, I think the context in which mockery is used matters. I dont think that using ridicule or mockery in debate or random times on the street is productive unless done in a way that is primarily intended to make a logical point or analogy and it is not insulting to any unnecessary degree (for example, Sam Harris often does this effectively). I say this because in more direct debates and arguments, people view mockery as less acceptable than in other aspects of life and culture; mockery makes them more resistant to seeing your side since in a direct discussion they do not want to feel humiliated and insulted; and mockery in this setting can have the appearance of immaturity and can also potentially distract from the logical point the atheist is trying to make. However, more severe mockery has an important role within culture as a whole, such as on social media, television shows, YouTube videos, comic strips, statements mocking religious beliefs, etc. In these mediums I think that ridicule of religion can be effective by being more severe than during debates with religious people (Note that people must always retain the RIGHT to mock ideas even regardless of its effectiveness. However that is a separate issue). I think this is because when mockery of religious beliefs is expressed in these types of ways, people do not feel as directly threatened as they would in person. By comparison, they are more free to absorb the point or joke on its own merits. But here are the major reasons that I think mockery, ridicule, humor etc is useful and valid as a way of criticizing irrational beliefs: 1. Humor demystifies religion and helps remove its power over us that people sometimes inadvertently give it. It reveals its irrational nature and thus enables us to think about it and debate it on a basis of its actual merits, instead of from a perspective of unfounded reverence or even fear in some cases. People like Seth Andrews say that they ended up becoming atheists ultimately due to seeing aggressive challenges to their beliefs, including ridicule, because it demystified the beliefs and enabled them to look at it more objectively. I think this can be effective both when the humor directly points out logical problems with a belief, but also when it simply treats a subject lightly and humorously even if it does not attempt to make any logical point (for example, consider Family Guy episodes or C&H comics featuring God or Jesus). 2. Humor can be a very effective way to convey the true nature of an idea or issue that you disagree with. Sometimes an idea may so truly ridiculous that the only way to effectively get other people to really grasp the problem with their beliefs is to make the point through what could be considered mockery or ridicule. 3. Religion is inherently related to politics since it alters peoples beliefs, group affiliation, and behaviors. So there is no reason to treat religion differently from other political matters where people find it perfectly acceptable to use ridicule and mockery of views they oppose. 4. Repeated cultural exposure to ideas and humor pertaining to an issue can change peoples minds simply because the ideas remain present in the society and people become accustomed to that viewpoint, so they may be more likely to identify with it simply due to it being present in their culture. 5. The plain humor of it is valid enough reason to mock religion. This can also help support the atheistic views of people leaving religion since it may be their only outlet on the matter and can help them have fun with a community that they agree with. One of the Facebook pages I have been an admin on focused on humor regarding religion, and we received myriad messages from people who thanked us for making humorous posts about religion for this exact reason.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 19:15:34 +0000
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