Crude Joking

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” —Ephesians 5:4

*As a disclaimer, I believe humour is a gift of God and even that God has revealed He has a sense of humour in Scripture. Nevertheless, Christian humour is to be clean and godly and filled with true joy. We’re not called to be prudes.

I recently heard the following on a Christian podcast interview about education, “Who knows if there would have been a homicide if I had actually homeschooled my kids, the world will never know. [Laughter]” The individual demeaned her children and trivialized murder. She might rather have said, “I don’t think I was cut out to attempt homeschooling,” or “Because I’m naturally irritable it was by God’s grace that another option was presented to my family, etc.” Anything would have been better than this crude joke.

This is certainly an area for growth I have been seeking to address in recent years (and facetiousness or sarcasm) and it is likewise one that I’ve picked up on in Christian circles. Christians have room to grow when it comes to joking.

What is a Crude Joke?
A joke is something that is funny, that makes one laugh. Something that is crude is offensive or coarse. A crude joke essentially makes light of something God condemns. (Hence the saying a clean joke).

The Greek (eutrapelia) is a compound of good or easy and to turn, hence easily turning, witty, in the negative sense.

Examples of Crude Joking
A good clean joke that will make you laugh your pants off.
Jesting in marriage: “I might have to upgrade to a newer model.”
Jesting with children: “You must act that way because you’re adopted.”
Jesting in the worklife: “If you don’t get this right you might have to find another job.”

These of course are milder versions.

Solutions to Crude Joking
Crude jokes spring from our hearts.

When we passionately come to love what God loves we’ll hate what is evil. Loving God and yielding to the Spirit’s work produces godliness, truthfulness, discernment and self-control; all necessary to combat crude jokes.

Possible Responses to Crude Joking
You don’t need to necessarily disapprove but we shouldn’t show approval (e.g. don’t laugh even if you see the twisted logic that could be seen as humorous).

Ignore, walk away or limit time in their company.

Respectfully express your concern for what was said (and why), counter with a better turn of phrase or smoothly suggest having better taste.
 
Let our speech, including our jokes, always be seasoned with salt.