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November 1, 2017

Some Scripture and Some Laughter

A selection from what is one of the most influential books on this planet, as about one-third of the world's population is Christian:

"...Frustration is better than laughter,
because a sad face is good for the heart.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person
than to listen to the song of fools.
Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,
so is the laughter of fools.
This too is meaningless.
"
(Ecclesiastes, 7)


"Even in laughter the heart may ache, and rejoicing may end in grief."
(Proverbs, 14:13)


""But while they are aroused, I will set out a feast for them and make them drunk, so that they shout with laughter - then sleep forever and not awake," declares the Lord."
(Jeremiah, 51:39)


""Laughter," I said, "is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?"
(Ecclesiastes 2:2)


"Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep."
(Luke, 6:25)


In several passages you can find worries about becoming a "laughingstock". On numerous occasions self-control is promoted. In the New Testament there seems to be no reports of a laughing Jesus. 


What does, for comparison, the Quran - also one of the most influential books on this planet, as about a little less than one-third of the world's population is Islamic - say on the subject?

"Those in sin used to laugh at those who believed."
(83:29)


Among other, less interesting - or very similar - things. In fact, a lot of the laughing in the Quran is disbelievers laughing at believers, or (in the end) the other way around: believers laughing at disbelievers. (It seems like they're having some sort of laughing battle.) Just like the Old and New Testament, the Quran contains several passages in which you can read about worries of becoming a "laughingstock". Also, there seems to be no reports of Muhammed laughing.

So, following this logic of condemnation and/or disregard for the moment, should we then agree that in secular societies laughter probably occurs more frequently and intense than in religious societies? And if this in fact is not true and in religious societies laughter occurs just as much and intense, why aren't they being good followers of scripture?