St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain: Can Christians Laugh and Joke?

What can we learn when we reflect on the teachings
of St Nicodemus the Hagiorite regarding slander?
In particular, should Christians avoid telling jokes,
fables, jesting, laughing, and letting loose our
emotions?

Please, we welcome interesting questions in the
comments. Let us learn and reflect together!
At the end of our talk, we will discuss the sources
used for this video. Feel free to follow along in the
PowerPoint script we uploaded to SlideShare.

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The full title of this chapter is: Concerning the fact that Christians should NOT
engage in ribaldry, should not tell fables, and should not jest or guffaw. Perhaps this
can also be translated as heartily laughing out loud.
St Nicodemus was an eighteenth-century monk on Mount Athos in Greece, we can
also assume that if he were alive today that he would advise Christians to be
judicious in what movies and television programs they watch. We examined his view
on the commandment against false witness and slander, and jokes and pranks can
be a type of slander. Unlike the Egyptian monastic writings from many centuries
before, St Nicodemus is clearly addressing both monastics and laymen, but he is
clearly encouraging a monastic mindset, and his teachings on jokes and laughing will
seem strict, but we can learn from them even if we do not follow them in their
severe strictness. We explore the historical settings of his strict advice as well as a
short biography in our initial video on St Nicodemus on the commandment, Do Not
Slander.

The Holy
Mount
Athos, by
Alphonse
Mucha,
1926

Indeed, laymen can and should read the monastic classics,
because living the Christian life is itself a type of monastic
calling. But since laymen are NOT monks, you need to use
common sense when applying the advice to your life
situation, some minor allegorizing is needed. This is
explored by St John Climacus in the first rung when
climbing the Ladder of Divine Ascent, and this is also true
for this work by St Nicodemus.

Also, the modern and medieval Greek world differ greatly, we
have a much wider range of entertainment, and every weeknight
you have your choice of many standup late-night programs. In
Shakespeare’s time, many clerics warned against attending the
theater because of the loose morals of the actors, and some of
these complaints may have been warranted. We are not going to
propose that Christians avoid all movies and television shows,
though we will regard St Nicodemus’ teachings as valid warnings
that these programs can pose spiritual dangers that we must be
aware of and avoid.

The Plays of William
Shakespeare, by Sir
John Gilbert, 1849

St Nicodemus’ advice would also apply to the internet, if
Christians view YouTube or TickTok or Facebook, they need to be
aware that they are partially in control of what the channel feeds
them, and Christians should definitely choose to tell the channel
what content was objectionable. As Pope Francis teaches us in
his encyclical Gaudete et Exsultate, we need to remind ourselves
that we are responding to real people when we respond to posts
on the internet, and we must respond with an attitude of
Christian charity, just as we should when we talk to people in the
flesh, and particularly when we respond to a post by a fellow
Christian.

We must also be aware that contemplative monks,
ancient, medieval, and modern, train themselves to be
quiet and circumspect, and when they do speak, to speak
slowly and cautiously, measuring each word, striving to a
measure of perfection that may be impossible for laymen
who must quickly answer to bosses, coworkers, family, and
their children, who by necessity need to be quicker and
more assertive in their speech. When we take this into
account, St Nicodemus’ advice makes more sense.

St Catherine’s monastery is located in the mountains of the Sinai desert.

St Nicodemus begins: “The life of men is
divided into two realms: the present and the
future. The present life is a life of mourning
and sorrow; the future life is a life of mirth and
joy. The present life is full of afflictions and
tears, while the future life is full of gladness
and exultation. In our present life we sow, in
our future life we reap. Our present life is filled
with warfare and struggles, our future life is a
time of victory and crowns. Now we live to
follow the commandments of the Lord, in the
future we will receive the rewards.”
Teachings of St Nicodemus the Hagorite

We must ask the question, does this fellow have kids? If you have kids,
you know they thrive in a childhood of mirth and joy. But no, St
Nicodemus was a monk, he did not have kids, and rarely was around
children.
This reminds me of some of my own contrasting experiences. My ex-wife
grew up Baptist, so for a time we attended a Baptist Church, and on
Wednesday nights they had a well-attended worship service that
included AWANA, a kid's program. Once I was asked to help out, and
seeing the kids running round like crazy, I took the whistle, stopping them
and scolding them, All of you are acting like children! To which one of
them objected, But we are children! And I conceded that was true, and
told them to carry on, and the bedlam continued louder than before.

Camp meeting
of American
Methodists, by
M. Dubourg,
engraver, 1819

Religious Camp
Meeting, by J.
Maze Burbank,
1839

Decades later, in contrast, I attended a contemplative Orthodox
Wednesday night service, which is always poorly attended in
most Orthodox churches, and nobody seems to mind. In fact, I
never saw young children at this mid-week service, and when
asked about this, the priest said that if a particularly devout
parent forces their children to attend, the parents are scolded,
because they did not want the children detesting going to church,
Sunday morning was enough for kids. I am not condemning
either practice, but the Orthodox contemplative services do
require more self-discipline, the Orthodox do not wish for church
to be fun.

Sunday Divine
Liturgy, St Demetrios
Greek Orthodox
Church, Ft
Lauderdale, FL
Sunday attendance
always surpasses
the Wednesday
night services in an
Orthodox Church.

St Nicodemus teaches that “there
are three elements that
characterize the life and state of a
Christian: thought, speech, and
deed.” He quotes St Gregory of
Nyssa explaining this progression:
Our thoughts are “origin of every
word. Next is speech which
reveals through our voice the
thoughts we have imprinted on
our soul.” Our deeds are the final
reflection of our thoughts.

(REPEAT) St Nicodemus teaches us that the speech of Christians
who laugh at ribald jokes “is corrupted, since they fill their
speech with obscene, indecent, shameless, and meretricious
words.” Meretricious is a word that describes something that has
apparent merit but lacks any value or integrity. A more archaic
definition is that of an attractive prostitute, displaying enticing
beauty on the outside, hiding a diseased reality on the inside.
This archaic definition is apt because throughout this work, St
Nicodemus especially condemns lewd humor and dirty jokes.

St Nicodemus teaches us that the speech of
Christians who laugh at ribald jokes “is
corrupted, since they fill their speech with
obscene, indecent, shameless, and
meretricious words.”
Likewise, regarding Christians who laugh at
ribald jokes, “their thought is corrupted.” “Just
as their words are crude and lewd, so also the
thoughts and ideas in their souls are crude and
lewd.” “Speech is a mirror, image, and imprint
of the thoughts and inner disposition of the
heart.” “He who utters obscene words churns
up filth, mud and manure, which is spread first
to himself, and then to those who hear it.”

As St John of the Ladders teaches us, “just as he who
wears perfume is betrayed by their pleasant smell,
so he who has the Spirit of the Lord is recognized by
his works and his humility.”
St Nicodemus sees a possible progression that can
ensnare our soul. “Often from an indecent word our
mind entertains” indecent thoughts; “from
entertainment it gives assent; from assent it
succumbs to evil deeds; from evil deeds it develops
a proclivity for sin, forming a bad habit; bad habits
descend into uncaring impenitence, which leads to
despair; and from despair our soul is flung into Hell
and perdition.” “What a great fire is ignited by the
small flame from a shameful tongue.”

This same progression in seen in the Decalogue. First, our
thoughts and attitudes should be holy, we should remember that
God is ruler of our lives, we should honor our parents and those
in authority, we should not covet or envy, as envy is the sin that
leads to all other sins against our neighbor. Second, our words
should be holy, we should not curse God, or take His Name in
vain, we should not bear false witness against our neighbor or
slander his reputation. Third, our deeds should be holy, we
should love our neighbor as ourselves, we shall not murder or
mistreat or adulter or steal from our neighbor.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJVlY2bjK8li1ULMrgL23X-iA5aCENq6i

St Nicodemus teaches us, “Strive to
become worthy of the holy name
of Christians through our Christian
words and your holy deeds.” Can
you be both “Christian and
comedian, Christian and jester,
Christian and buffoon?” Can you be
a Christian if you study the faults of
your neighbor, searching for words
or deeds to ridicule for laughs?

St Basil notes in His time on
earth, the “Lord experienced
those emotions that arise from
the flesh, and those that attest
to virtue, such as weariness and
pity for the afflicted,” but in the
“Gospels, at no time did he
consent to laugh,” although the
Scriptures records that Jesus
wept four times.

https://youtu.be/576TYemgA8o
Likewise, Jesus in the Sermon on the Plain, exhorts:
“Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.”
“Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”

St Nicodemus challenges us, “Do you hear, you who jest?
Do you hear, you who laugh? Christ wept, not for His
own sins, but for the sins of mankind, and you not only
do not bewail your sins, but laugh?”
St Nicodemus expresses an extreme position: “You
should give up jesting, buffoonery, and laughter, if you
desire to be truly Christians, imitators and disciples of
Jesus Christ; for if you do not give these up, you are not
truly Christians, but falsely so, and you are not genuine
disciples of Christ, but spurious ones.” The translators in
a footnote contrast that with the discussion in Aristotle
where levity is a virtue that lies between the extremes of
boorishness and buffoonery. The translators contrast this
with the Christian teaching that we should “abhor levity
as a vice contrary to the Christian life.”

Christians should especially not laugh or
jest in Church. St Nicodemus teaches
us, “when Christians enter the Church,
the Temple of God, they should believe
that they are entering Heaven itself,”
“and should offer their prayers to God
with tears and sighs,” seeking
forgiveness of their sins. “If he who
prays carelessly angers and incenses
God, how much more does he anger
God who converses, jokes, and laughs
at the time of prayer,” and worse, in
Church.

But St Nicodemus then relents,
teaching us that “man cannot be
always downcast and dejected, but
needs at times to transform his
dejection into a gladsome attitude
with cheerful words.” “Content
yourself with smiling and grinning,
as prudent and judicious people do,
just as the wise Sirach says, ‘A fool
lifts up his voice with laughter; but
a wise man scarcely smiles a little.”

Can Modern Christians Tell Jokes?

Can modern Christians tell jokes? Should we listen to the jokes of standup comics
and late-night talk show hosts?
I remember years ago I paid to be entertained by a nightclub standup comic that
was billed as not being offensive, but to me his lewd and cruel jokes were just too
much, but I must admit I was the most sensitive person there, I was the only one
who walked out and stood in the lobby, I just could not bear to listen to toxic humor.
Among the comics, Jerry Seinfeld is the most benign, as his comedy invites the
audience to laugh at themselves personally, and at our modern cultural norms.
Can Christians tell jokes? Perhaps the best way to answer is with another key
question: What are your motives? Do you seek to harm the reputation of your
neighbor, something priceless and often permanent? Or do you seek to mock the
Church? For just fleeting laughs and chuckles? Sometimes humor and jokes can
teach moral lessons, and as an example we will retell several Catholic jokes we
found on the Breaking the Habit channel.

Seinfeld tapping on the Oval Office windows with President Barack Obama in 2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAbsdqgCks&t=338s

The first joke is about a nun who is a teacher in a Catholic
school asks her young students what they want to be
when they grew up. One girl says she wants to be a
prostitute. The nun hesitates, and asks her again, and once
again, the girl says she wants to be a prostitute when she
grows up.
The nun says, what a relief, I thought you said you want to
be a Protestant.

Luther Posting his 95 Theses in 1517, by Ferdinand Pauwels, painted 1872

The moral lesson is Christians should first seek how
to become better Christians and not to be overly
concerned about whether your neighbors are true
Christians, and whether your church is the true
church, and whether the Christians in our church are
really the true Christians, which is a key objective of
our channel.

In the next joke, a Catholic goes into a bar and orders three beers, which he quietly
drinks by himself. After a few months, the bartender is curious, and asks why he
does this. The Catholic explains that he had a group of friends in college, and they
drank a beer in a pub each Friday night. When they graduated, they each went their
separate ways, they each were offered jobs in different cities, but they promised
each other that each week they would each drink three beers in a pub to
commemorate their friendship.
Some months later he only orders two beers, and after a month of only two beers,
the bartender says he is sorry for his loss. The man is puzzled and asks what he
means. The bartender, sadly say, Why, one of your friends must have passed away.
The man says, “Oh no, I am Catholic, and my friends are not, and this is Lent, and I
don’t drink beer during Lent.” The moral lesson is that Lent should merely intensify
our year-long strivings to live a virtuous life, we will not benefit from the added
discipline of Lent if it is merely a ceremonial exercise, perhaps only for show.

Wasserburg Inn,
by Franz Seraph
Haindl, 1865

'Dolly's Tavern, St James
Street, Montreal, by
Cornelius Krieghoff, 1845

In the next joke, two promiscuous boys go to confession, the first boy goes in and
does not want to fully confess, so he confesses to having impure thoughts, but the
second boy is more truthful, he confesses that he has been dallying with some of
the girls in his class. The priest asks, Is it Tiffany? You need to watch out for Tiffany.
How about Stephanie? She is kind of wild. How about Melanie? You need to avoid
these girls.
The two boys compared how tough the priest was, and the first boy said he was
very tough, he was instructed to pray twelve Hail Maries. The second boy said that
he was also sentenced to praying twelve Hail Maries, but that he was also given
three good leads.
The moral lessons are that if you complain about the repetitiveness and
meaningless of Catholic or Orthodox Confession, that is not the Church’s fault, nor is
it the priest’s, the fault lies with you. And, most importantly, you can slander
someone’s reputation even when you are telling the truth about them.

Confession,
by Giuseppe
Molteni, 1838
Sacrament of
penance, by
Pietro Longhi,
1757

DISCUSSING THE SOURCES
We discussed our sources in our first video on St Nicodemus and
his work, On Christian Morality, on the topic, Do Not Slander. We
are also planning a reflection on St Nicodemus’ teachings on
whether Christians should ascent to being entertained and be
involved with some of the frivolities of the world, which is really
a continuation of the ancient debate of Stoicism vs
Epicureanism.

https://youtu.be/49Qv3Be86Jw https://youtu.be/m4mcP2F9c4w
https://youtu.be/Dhd543kov-E https://youtu.be/0qHpReZYhv4

To find the source of any direct
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St Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain: Can Christians Laugh and Joke?