Pastor AIO:

Religious people in 9ja are sooo sooo serious about their religions that it makes you wonder if their God could ever have a laugh.

Pastor AIO:

We know that in the bible God can get Angry, we know that he can have regrets and we know about all sorts of other traits that are quite human that God exhibits in the bible.

Does anyone think that God would exhibit a sense of humour too? Afterall humans have a sense of humour. Why can't God? What do ye Nairalanders think?

Pastor AIO:


We know that in the bible God can get Angry,

we know that he can have regrets and we know about all sorts of other traits that are quite human that God exhibits in the bible.

Does anyone think that God would exhibit a sense of humour too? 

Afterall humans  have a sense of humour.  Why can't God?  What do ye Nairalanders think?

Pastor AIO:


Religious people in 9ja are sooo sooo serious about their religions that it makes you wonder if their God could ever have a laugh.

@OP

- Pastor AIO, let's get this straight first . . .

There is nothing impossible for God to do

Even sinning? I sense you ask . . .

Yep, even something audacious as sinning, he can sin (e.g. lie . . . etc) if He wants to

But of course He wouldnt 

because unlike us, He is Holy ^{Wholly - He's got it all together & all that, besides it'll be tantamount to self-abuse if He does}

. . . Does anyone think that God would exhibit a sense of humour too? you asked

As a matter of fact God does have a sense of humor, He would and/or does exhibit it

The best indication that God does have a sense of humor is that He created us in His image

An image is an imitation, representation, or similitude of any person, thing, or act, sculptured, drawn, painted, or otherwise made perceptible to the sight; a visible presentation; a copy; a likeness; an effigy; a picture; a semblance.

From the above definition, we can safely deduct that if we have a sense of humour so then must God's image and by default would God too

Let me share a story (i.e. an example) of God exhibiting a sense humour with you

I know Pastor AIO is familiar with Dagon - the national fish god of the Philistines so I'll share that story

Back in the days the Israelites used the Ark of the Covenant like a good-luck charm when going to battle . . .

On this day, in one their battles, one of their arch enemies, the Philistines ended up capturing the Ark of the Covenant

Upon capturing the ark, the Philistines subsequently placed it in their temple before their idol Dagon.

Now the following day, when the Philistines came into the temple, they found Dagon flat on it's face before the ark, so they set it back up.

The next morning, bam! there it was again, face down and flat on the ground

and as if that wasnt bad enough, this time, it had it's hands and head cut off for good measure ^{1 Samuel 5:1-5}

Well, here is God’s putting Dagon down in a jokey position of submission to His ark

and finally displaying with a comical picture, a symbol of it's powerlessness before His ark

Funny as the comedy may seem now, I bet the Philistines didnt find it humorous and were head-scratching and befuddled at that time

". . . it makes you wonder if their God could ever have a laugh." you wondered as well

Oftentimes when God is serious over a matter, we think its ludicrous and he is having a laugh

A couple of examples that spring to mind are:

1) Sarah in stitches when she overheard that she'll have a child at old age

2) The Isralities told to march round the walls of Jericho seven times and that they'll conquer the city without lifting a finger

3) The servants told to draw out some water and take it as wine to the master of the wedding banquet  ^{one of my favs . . .}

Psalm 2:4 (King James Version):


He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:

the LORD shall have them in derision.

Psalm 59:8 (King James Version):


But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them;

thou shalt have all the heathen in derision,

Without a doubt God does have a sense of humour

Between you and me the greatest laugh God is having is over those that dont believe

They think its a laugh; all a joke . . .

jagunlabi:

If we are talking about the badass god of the jews whose bloodthirsty exploits were chronicled in the OT,then there is no single iota of humour in his bones.Unless we wish redefine what humour is.

Pastor AIO:


Could God say something that was a dublay on-ton-dray (double entendre)?

This could help in our bid to understand the meaning of certain passages in the bible. 

Or any other sacred text for that matter.

@OP

- Pastor AIO

If one really does know the Bible, examples and/or instances of double entendre are splattered across its pages . . .

Why don't you come clean with the exact "certain passages in the bible grappling to understand" 

Pastor AIO:


I didn't think I was coming dirty in the first place.  I showered and washed my mouth before I came. 

That should be clean enough for you, shouldn't it. 

I said certain passages, but really it could be applied to any passages. 

For example the "Don't muzzle an Ox when it is threshing" passage.  More than one meaning has been extracted out of that by exegesis. 

The issue really is : how much room for interpretation do we have when reading scripture and perhaps it is intended that more than one meaning be extracted from a text depending on it's context. 

For example, I write poetry.  Not very good poetry, but I try to the best of my ability. 

I know that I can write a line intentionally leaving it open to interpretation.  What did I mean by the line, The reader might wonder. 

Well my intention might not be specific but rather general and open to interpretation. 

So different people will get different things out of it and know one will be right or wrong.

In other words if I am capable of intentionally making creative use of vaguity then couldn't God also do the same. 

@OP

- Pastor AIO

You're a slippery sly so-and-so . . . 

I recognised the way you slightly ammended the rules and moved the goal post 

Yup! am with ya totally . . .

I mean both the enigma and the "It for me to know and for you to find out" angle

Its what creative people do (i.e. artists etc) . . .

Leonardo Da Vinci did and/or does the same with his paintings

Bet you can recall, one of the classics "I'll tear the temple down and build it in three days . . ." 

This got some furious, befuddled, and huffing & puffing

Proverbs 25:2 (King James Version):


It is the glory of God to conceal a thing:

but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Recognise:


Without a doubt God does have a sense of humour

Between you and me the greatest laugh God is having is over those that dont believe

They think its a laugh; all a joke . . .

Pastor AIO:


In many ways, a work of art is not complete until it being looked at by an audience. 

The Artist knows that the audience will each of them interpret (complete) the work in their own head. 

It is impossible for an artist to determine exactly how the audience will see the work.

@OP

- Pastor AIO

Yeah, that's true for a mortal artist but not this particular Artist

This Artist unequivocally & exactly knows how the audience will see the work . . . 

Recognise:

@OP

- Pastor AIO

Yeah, that's true for a mortal artist but not this particular Artist

This Artist unequivocally & exactly knows how the audience will see the work . . . 

Pastor AIO:


Apparently not, judging from the myriad number of religions and denominations of religions in the world. 

Apparently not!

Mantraa:


I think that the whole talking snake episode in Genisis is hilariously funny. Snakes cant talk. 

http://www.thebricktestament.com/genesis/garden_of_eden/gn03_01.html

Genesis 3:1

Now the snake was the shrewdest of any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made.

He said to the woman, 'Has God really said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?"'

The incredible talking snake. 

@ Mantraa

- Mantraa

The joke is on you mate . . . 

Sorry no one is laughing with you but rather others are laughing at you

You must be green or naive to think the Bible is entirely literal

For the record, among other things, ^{Pastor AIO can attest to this} 

the Bible is the ultimate book work of art

Do not mistake, it's part literal, part figurative

The talking snake is a picture representation of an event that occurred in the garden ^{If you didnt know, why didnt you ask somebody huh?}

Recognise:

@OP

- Pastor AIO

Yeah, that's true for a mortal artist but not this particular Artist

This Artist unequivocally & exactly [size=15pt]knows how the audience will see the work . . .  [/size]

Mantraa:


@recognise

Good for you for having the common sense to not take it literally.

@Mantraa

- Mantraa

- Yeah like "Born with a silver spoon in the mouth" means that literally

Trust you to sneakingly touch-up and doctor your snake posting with the Balaam addition

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@Pastor AIO

- Pastor AIO

I recognised you've been busy on the milk rounds

Of course not, the Artist wouldnt determine . . .

not unless the Artist wanted androids for an audience

modupe01:

Who said that God doesn't have a sense of humour?  He recorded an event that happened that shows the beginning of man's blame game when "Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the snake and the snake didn't have a leg to stand on". Read Genesis 3:14-19. 

You will find here that God was talking to real humans and to a real serpent whom the fallen arch angel Satan had possessed, when He said "Because you have done this you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life" Gen.3:14.  I believe this was a literal except you believe the lies of the Vatican.