# ...the baby Jesus cry?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [September 30, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569 "2001-09-30T01:43:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/1 "2001-09-30T01:43:12Z")

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I hate to ask. I tried ‘search’. I feel stoopid, but…  
What’s the ‘makes baby Jesus cry’ joke?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/2 "2001-09-30T01:45:31Z")

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It seems to be a play on the old tactic of “educating” children by fright; i.e. telling them Jesus will be upset if they do X.

Thus, “Timmy, when you lie it makes the baby Jesus cry.”

Becomes

“God dammit. Britney Spears makes the baby Jesus cry.”

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**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/3 "2001-09-30T22:20:44Z")

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Yeah, it’s the old “Lies make baby Jesus cry” line that people try to brainwash kids with.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/4 "2001-09-30T22:50:10Z")

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Calling this Godly and time-honored pedagogical technique “brainwashing” makes the Baby Jesus cry.

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**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/5 "2001-09-30T22:58:52Z")

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[How do YOU make the Baby Jesus cry?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74714)

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**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/6 "2001-09-30T23:26:26Z")

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I always assumed it was from the simpsons episode

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**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/7 "2001-10-01T19:45:22Z")

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Thanks y’all. 'Specially **Lsura** for the link. THAT was funny!  
Oh, and **MEBuckner** , though there was an _historical_ Jesus, but no God, calling anything “Godly” would have made the Baby Jesus cry had he not died _once and for all_ on that cross.  
🙂

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**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/8 "2001-10-01T20:06:17Z")

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I always assumed it originated on _The Simpsons_ also. At least that’s where I first heard it.

**Homer:** Hey! What’s up for today, Neddy?  
**Ned:** Uh, er, Homer, we’re gonna visit the boys’ grandmother. Family only, you know?  
**Homer:** Right! No reporters.  
**Ned:** No, I, I…I mean just the Flanders family.  
**Homer:** [slowly] Oh, OK. [goes back through the hedge]  
**Todd:** Oh boy! Grandma!  
**Ned:** We’re not goin’ anywhere.  
**Todd:** But you said –  
**Ned:** Er…sometimes to keep from hurting someone’s feelings, you have to say things that aren’t exactly –  
**Rod:** Lies make baby Jesus cry.

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**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-baby-jesus-cry/84569/9 "2001-10-02T00:30:02Z")

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Just curious, anyone know of it’s first Board apperance?