# Christian comedy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088 "2020-04-18T22:57:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/1 "2020-04-18T22:57:13Z")
_Christian comedy is a subgenre of comedy where the material presented is aimed towards a Christian audience. The performances are typically held on church grounds or at off-site, church-sponsored venue_s. Had no idea this existed until I listened to a Marc Maron WTF podcast, he was talking to Taylor Tomlinson, who started out as one but decided she was not a believer. She was politely asked to leave the circuit after a joke deemed not appropriate. I was brought up in a Baptist church and got saved when I was 12. If I were still a believer, I would probably love this stuff. Anyway, without having seen one of these comedians, I wondered what the jokes would be. Something like, Jesus walks into a bar… So I wrote one - Jesus walks into a bar. Bartender says, “What willl you have?” Jesus says, “A glass of water.” Bartender gives it to him. Jesus turns it into wine, and drinks all night for free. OK, so I am not a joke writer. I just found it interesting that this subgenre existed. Comedy is just like porn, anything you can think of, it’s out there. > **[Christian comedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_comedy)** > > Christian comedy is a subgenre of comedy where the material presented is aimed towards a Christian audience. The performances are typically held on church grounds or at off-site, church-sponsored venues. > The material often contains Christian references, although this is not a requirement. From 2006 notable performers like Victoria Jackson, Tim Conway, Sinbad and Patricia Heaton appeared on a DVD series for the Christian market entitled, Thou Shalt Laugh. > Christian comedy is increasingly being... ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/2 "2020-04-18T23:01:37Z")
Funny you mention porn because while perusing the Kindle Unlimited selection, I was made aware of Christian Harlequin romances. I’m not sure how they pull it off. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/3 "2020-04-18T23:13:03Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > Funny you mention porn because while perusing the Kindle Unlimited selection, I was made aware of Christian Harlequin romances. I’m not sure how they pull it off. I just ordered a Kindle. I have no more room for bookshelves in my apartment. Went for the Oasis. Looking forward to getting it, I love the feel and the weight of a book, and the satisfaction of finishing it and putting it on a shelf. But reading on a Kindle is so comfortable, I read one book years ago on one. One handed reading. And since I usually read with a little desk on my lap, one thumbed reading. Set the Kindle on the stand I also ordered and just thumb away. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/4 "2020-04-18T23:27:40Z")
If you want to see what Christian comedians’ stand-up sets are like, just do a search on YouTube, where you can find some of them. I tried to find one of Taylor Tomlinson’s stand-up sets from when she was doing Christian comedy, but I can’t find any. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/5 "2020-04-18T23:35:00Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > I wondered what the jokes would be. Something like, Jesus walks into a bar… I doubt it. The target audience may not be comfortable with jokes about bars and drinking. My impression is that when popular entertainment gets labeled “Christian,” that tells you more about what it _doesn’t_ contain than about what it does. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/6 "2020-04-18T23:37:31Z")
a lot of “Christian” comedy is just normal comedy cleaned up or changed to be less offensive like I bought a book of “clean Christian jokes” that was the same old ethnic putdowns just with a made-up nationality or was profession based So your not missing much ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2020, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/7 "2020-04-18T23:51:32Z")
I was about to say that christians as a group had no sense of humor. But I have seen Christian humor on church signs. Example: “Whoever stole our AC unit you can keep one it is hot where you’re going.” You know, you’re not gonna fall out of your chair but it was mildly amusing. There are better ones. I’m a heathen and too lazy to google. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/8 "2020-04-19T00:06:42Z")
> [@michaelemouse](#): > > funny you mention porn because while perusing the kindle unlimited selection, i was made aware of christian harlequin romances. I’m not sure how they pull it off. ISWYDT 😃 lc ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/9 "2020-04-19T01:16:49Z")
If you haven’t seen it, the [Babylon Bee](https://babylonbee.com/) will remind you very much of The Onion, albeit with conservative and religious overtones. Here are a couple of the headlines from their current issue. **Church Members Worshiping At Home Could Get Used To This Mute Feature** **Streets Of Heaven Now Paved With Toilet Paper** ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/10 "2020-04-19T02:19:59Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > I was about to say that christians as a group had no sense of humor. But I have seen Christian humor on church signs. > > Example: “Whoever stole our AC unit you can keep one it is hot where you’re going.” There must be a web site, or a trade journal where pastors all over collect and contribute and pass around all those cutesy church sign slogans. ETA: [Okay, there’s this.](https://sayingsforchurchsigns.com/categories/funny-humorous/) ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/11 "2020-04-19T02:42:18Z")
I don’t think Jim Gaffigan is a “Christian Comic” but he does work clean and I think has a large Catholic fan base as he is a self professed strong Catholic and brings it up in his act a lot, he is wildly successful as far as a standup is concerned. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/12 "2020-04-19T02:53:45Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I doubt it. The target audience may not be comfortable with jokes about bars and drinking. Agreed; I suspect that the market for “Christian comedy” is largely conservative/Evangelical Christians, many of whom are teetotalers. I also agree that Christian comedy is likely to be heavy on the dad-jokes, and low on insult humor, and zero humor about sex, drugs, or drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/13 "2020-04-19T03:15:22Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > If you haven’t seen it, the [Babylon Bee](https://babylonbee.com/) will remind you very much of The Onion, albeit with conservative and religious overtones. > > Here are a couple of the headlines from their current issue. > > **Church Members Worshiping At Home Could Get Used To This Mute Feature** > > **Streets Of Heaven Now Paved With Toilet Paper** Other “hilarious” articles from their current front page: [Kentucky Orders All Churchgoers To Wear Yellow Cross](https://babylonbee.com/news/kentucky-orders-all-churchgoers-to-wear-yellow-cross) [China Impressed By Michigan Governor’s Totalitarian Policies](https://babylonbee.com/news/china-impressed-by-michigan-governors-totalitarian-policies) [Iphone Update: ‘I Don’t Agree With You’ Now Autocorrects To ‘I Hate All Gay People’](https://babylonbee.com/news/iphone-autocorrect-typing-i-dont-agree-with-you--i-hate-all-gay-people) [Vicious Tyrant Trump Wants To Let People Leave Their Homes](https://babylonbee.com/news/vicious-tyrant-trump-wants-to-let-people-leave-their-homes) I especially like the hilarious Christian joke that people who are looked down on for not practicing social distancing are just like Jews in the Holocaust. [Here](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=880925) is my Pit thread for it. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/14 "2020-04-19T03:23:04Z")
> [@Mike\_Mabes](#): > > But reading on a Kindle is so comfortable, I read one book years ago on one. One handed reading. Yeah, that is really useful. Oh wait, aren’t we still talking about porn? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/15 "2020-04-19T03:42:27Z")
You might want to check out [Tim Hawkins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpFD-kgQxnI). I believe he’s a Christian Comedian and I think he’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/16 "2020-04-19T03:47:39Z")
Chondra Pierce is pretty funny, Committed Christians have doubts and hang-ups and social or family problems, too, and can laughh at irony. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/17 "2020-04-19T04:26:32Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Chondra Pierce is pretty funny, Committed Christians have doubts and hang-ups and social or family problems, too, and can laughh at irony. I came in to mention Chondra Pierce. I find her extremely unfunny but she is a prime example. From what I gather she tours churches and has a Christian singer opening for her. She of course works clean but it’s not mostly Jesus jokes. It’s family and relationship stuff mostly. Oh also came in to move this to CS. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/18 "2020-04-19T04:43:03Z")
From what I’ve heard of her, Chonda Pierce is like a modern-day Erma Bombeck, more of a humorist than a comedienne. Sinbad has long done profanity-free standup sets, ever since he did one because he knew his father, a pastor, was in the audience, and got his best audience response ever. Some people have referred to him as a “Christian” comedian, when really, his act could better be described as “appropriate for all ages.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/19 "2020-04-19T05:00:45Z")
I saw Mike Warnke in the late 1980s, before he too got defrocked. The show was very funny, but at the end, when he told stories (later proven false) about being a satanist and engaging in human sacrifices, he said that his compound was housing homeless men that his ministry was hoping to keep alive until they could accept Christ. At that moment, I knew he was a fake. > **[Mike Warnke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Warnke)** > > Michael Alfred Warnke (born November 19, 1946) is an American Christian evangelist and comedian who was exposed in 1992 for inventing stories of his past as a Satanist. Before being debunked by the Christian magazine Cornerstone, he was viewed as an "expert" on Satanism in the 1980s. > Mike Warnke was born in 1946 to parents Alfred "Al" Warnke and Louise Warnke of Evansville, Indiana. When he was five years old, the Warnke family moved to Manchester, Tennessee, where his father opened a truck s... ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088/20 "2020-04-19T05:04:48Z")
Pete Holmes did Christian comedy early in his career. It’s a plot point in his semi-autobiographical HBO series Crashing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-comedy/852088.md?page=2)