Posted on 03/23/2010 10:58:16 AM PDT by delacoert
An acquaintance of a noted Greek philosopher once lamented, "They deride thee, O Diogenes!" Unperturbed, the philosopher replied, "But I am not derided." Diogenes, who lived from 410-320 B.C., understood that truth, if it is truth, can never be truly harmed by mockery, ridicule or derision .... nor can those who promote it. Falsehood, on the other hand, will easily wither under intense and finely focused disparagement. Thus, ridicule and mockery have long been employed as legitimate devices for distinguishing fact from fallacy.
There is a fine line, however, between responsible ridicule and malicious mockery, and what begins as an honorable effort to separate truth from falsehood can quickly deteriorate into vicious villainy. Thus, there is indeed a fine art to practicing what might be termed godly mockery. Since so few people have mastered this art, most critics suggest this device should not be utilized at all. Some even believe it sinful to employ it. That is a case of casting out the baby with the bath water, however. There is no need to be so radical, if one is simply willing to be responsible.
A scalpel in the hands of a surgeon may result in healing for the one upon whom he uses this blade. In the hands of a sadist that same instrument will inflict harm. It is not the device itself, but the mindset of the one who would employ it, that determines the nature of the outcome. The same with mockery. It can result in suffering or salvation depending upon the heart and mind of the mocker. Some young lads, for example, mocked Elisha and were torn up by two female bears (2 Kings 2:23-24), whereas Elijah mocked the false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:27) and won a great victory over them at Mount Carmel. The latter was skilled in the fine art of godly mockery, the former were not. The difference was one of life and death!
While it is certainly true that there are perversions and abuses of mockery, ridicule, sarcasm and other legitimate biblical devices, and that these have on occasion been maliciously employed to stir up strife and generate schisms, it is equally true that these devices have been employed responsibly resulting in positive outcomes. Just because there are fake diamonds being manufactured and sold on the market as genuine jewels doesn't mean there are no real diamonds to be found. One must simply be discerning.
The Pharisees likely did not take kindly to the picture Jesus painted of them as blind men guiding blind men head over heels into a pit (Matthew 15:14), or as legalists straining out gnats while swallowing camels (Matthew 23:24), but this was subtle mockery with a spiritual message! Earlier in the latter chapter, Jesus mocked the rigid religious leaders with these words (aptly paraphrased in the Living Bible) -- "You would think these Jewish leaders and these Pharisees were Moses, the way they keep making up so many laws! And of course you should obey their every whim!" (Matthew 23:2-3). Mockery! But, godly mockery! Jesus sought to alert the people to the arrogance, as well as the dangers, of their leaders, portraying them as Moses-mimes and mandate-makers, men whose whims were expected to be obeyed as though their pronouncements had fallen from the lips of Moses himself. I believe the people got the message. So did the leaders, who wasted no time in seeking to destroy Him. The truth conveyed by the mockery was unmistakable, and it made a lasting impression upon impressionable minds.
As noted earlier, Elijah, one of only two men spared the pain of death, as he confronted the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, "mocked them" (1 Kings 18:27). Through this device the people came to perceive the ridiculous plight of these men as they called out to their lifeless idols and cut themselves in frustration over the deafening silence of their deities. The godly mockery utilized by Elijah presented a profound message to those assembled to witness this duel of deities. What was the outcome? "And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God" (1 Kings 18:39).
The prophet Ezekiel was instructed to prophesy to the people of Jerusalem that God would bring mockery against them for the purpose of shaming them. When sin has brought a people low, derision is one device which just might help facilitate their repentance. "You have brought your days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore I will make you an object of scorn to the nations, and a mocking to all the lands. Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you" (Ezekiel 22:4-5). The ultimate intent of godly mockery is to restore a people, not to ruin them! Responsible ridicule will bring reformation in its wake, although its barbs may initially be quite painful to bear.
In the first chapter of Proverbs we find Wisdom, personified, speaking rather bluntly to those who have rejected her. "Since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you" (Proverbs 1:24-26). As with Jerusalem during the time of the prophet Ezekiel, sometimes mockery becomes necessary as a means of bringing a people to an awareness of their spiritual plight. Godly mockery can indeed be used effectively to bring about godly responses from those who have succumbed to the folly of falsehood.
Some of God's people today are ill-informed and misguided. For a few, however, these characterizations are much too generous! A healthy dose of responsible ridicule and godly mockery might just be what the Great Physician requires for some professing His name! Some people respond well to subtleties .... others need a two-by-four between the eyes! That's where mockery, derision, sarcasm and ridicule come in. Used sparingly and responsibly by Spirit-led disciples it may well bring about spiritual healing and reformation.
Joshua Clark, from Washington state, in an article entitled "Satire and Sarcasm" (published on the Internet: July 18, 2002), made some insightful remarks that we would all do well to carefully and prayerfully consider:
"The antithesis between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman can at times be found in somewhat biting laughter and mockery. Often Christians get so caught up in restraining themselves from hating their enemies that they end up thinking it is entirely unrighteous to show disdain for them or to mock them. But we find that the Bible is not devoid of ridicule for the fools, and that Christ Himself spread it rather thick on the Pharisees.
"So we see then that sarcasm can be used righteously, but we must define the goal of sarcasm if we are to avoid the more invidious uses that hinder Christian truth. The goal of satire, as with all forms of rebuke, should be to save a person from error. Mockery should not be the form of rebuke in every situation. Yet sometimes mockery is appropriate. Once a person has spurned rebuke, and especially when other Christians are falling into this person's error, open ridicule may be an appropriate way to call them back to truth. There is no cookie-cutter approach to determining propriety in satire, but at times the shrewdest approach appears to be a public ridicule of a person's doctrine so that others are not led astray.
Are we dunn yet?
Back in the early 1990s, before Madaline Murray O’Hair took her dirt nap, I saw her o the Larry King Show, In her interview, she stated that “The best atheists were former mormons and Catholics.”
I have been accused by mormons of making this up, but I SAW THE SHOW.
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I saw it as well. I was faithful LDS at the time and couldn’t figure out why she would make that connection. It didn’t make sense then. Now it does and it breaks my heart.
I have stated this before but I think that those who are born LDS (BIC) are much more likely to become Atheists/agnostics if they leave because they grew up with the mantra “if the LDS church isn’t true, NO church is” and “If the LDS church is a fraud, then God does not exist”.
Those, like me, who converted to Mormonism are much more likely to return to the faith of their youth or move on. We are less likely, imo, to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’.
Extracting people from the LDS is only part of it, if they do not move to authentic, biblical Christianity then they are no better or worse off than if they had remained LDS.
We MUST remember that the main objective of what we do is not to get them out of Mormonism but to transition them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
While I was questioning and leaving, I had Godly Christians who were there to share their faith with me. Truth must be matched with love.
Thanks for posting that Resty, but no worries I was on rocky ground when I was LDS but now I am on firm and fertile ground of Christ Jesus.
I didn’t leave the LDS b/c of temptation or sin, I left because God opened my eyes to see the problems of Mormonism and the contradictions of their doctrines.
But you did remind me of a great sermon I heard on this topic that I think you would really enjoy. I will post the link for you if I can find it.
For that reason, I try not to mock others’ religious beliefs.
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Good to hear, Logo. And rare amongst the LDS. Every LDS person (including me when I was LDS)I knew, in 3 different states, mocked Christians. Especially Born Again Christians and called them names like ‘reborns’ or ‘gracers’ in a derisive tone.
Even the Temple ceremony (up until the 1990 changes when it was tamed) was overt in the mocking of Christian beliefs and ministers.
Mockery of traditional Christianity is part and parcel of LDS practice and doctrine.
Glad to hear you renounce that.
BTW, when did you take out your Endowments?
Mocking the messenger is one thing. Mocking the message is another.
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VERY well said and worth a repost!
Let me guess, you haven’t seen Monty Python, right?
It is a movie reference from a movie whose whole premise is mockery of the the Holy Grail legends.
“What is the weight of an unladen swallow?”
I’m guessing I’m the black duck. :)
Amen, Binger!
mormonism is false placemarker
What kind of swallow? An African swallow or a European swallow?
Aaaaaarrrgggghhhhhh....
Meanwhile, not more than two swallow’s flights away, Arthur and Bedivere had discovered something. Oh, that’s an unladen swallow’s flight away, obviously. There were more than two laden swallow’s flights away, four really, if they had the coconut on a line between them. I mean, if the birds were walking, and dragging the coconut..
Hopefully you read this article?
Hello LeGrande. South Park would work too.
Well, hello svcw. Remember its nearly 2PST.
I hope there is some serious debate and discussion on this topic. Rather than these busy bodied housewives checking their watches.
I know that the Admin Mods are housewives*, but are there others? :)
*It was all revealed on 3/8/2010.
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