There are many different reactions to St. Benedict’s response and advice concerning laughter, how laughter is a bad trait, and how it may also at times be a good trait. Many do not agree with what St. Benedict has to say about laughter, simply in my opinion it is because they do not understand fully what he is discussing and his stance on the matter. 1“Let us follow the Prophet's counsel: I said, I have resolved to keep watch over my ways that I may never sin with my tongue. I was silent and was humbled, and I refrained even from good words.” Although St. Benedict is not totally against laughter and humor he does not fully support it either. As long as it comes from a positive aspect, and not coming from something negative or demeaning he is more acceptable to laughter and having a good time, which we can all agree on. Some people may say that St. Benedict comes off a bit harsh in his teachings, making it seem as if his views are the only right way to live. I believe however, that St. Benedict has very valid points, and if you look at what he is saying from a Christian standpoint, and an open mind, you too will fully understand his teachings.
When reviewing the Rule of St. Benedict the word laughter comes to the reader’s attention in three different chapters and in five (plus) different versus. 2St. Benedict makes several different points about laughter and why he does not think that laughter should be a part of a person’s everyday life. 2In chapters 4, 6, and 7 that’s where St. Benedict talks about laughter, in each chapter he makes very clear distinctive points on why you should not participate in laughter, and how it can be hurtful to others. 2In Chapter 4 verse 53 St. Benedict states “Speak no foolish chatter, nothing ...
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Doyle, Francis Cuthbert. The Teaching Of St. Benedict. London : Burns & Oates ; 1887. Print.
Fry, Timothy, O.S.B. The Rule of St Benedict in English. Ed. Imogene Baker, O.S.B, Timothy Horner, O.S.B, Augusta Raabe, O.S.B, and Mark Sheridan, O.S.B. New York: Random House, 1998. Print.
Gula, Dena. The History Of Boniface Wimmer Assignment. 06 February 2014
Nichol, Mark. "20 Types and Forms of Humor." Daily Writing Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 April 2014.
The English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and
New Testaments with Apocrypha. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009. Print.
"The Magazine of Christian Literature." The Magazine Of Christian Literature 27 Nov. 1893: n. pag. Print.
The Rule of Benedict, a Spirituality for the 21st Century, by Joan Chittister. (Crossroad Press, 2010).
Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2011. Web. 24 2014
Wilson, Barbara S., Arlene Flancher, and Susan T. Erdey. The Episcopal Handbook. New York, NY: Morehouse Pub., 2008. Print.
When Jesus walked the earth his twelve disciples put aside all of their worldly possessions and worldly pursuits to fully and faithfully follow him. After the fall of Rome, Europe slipped into what has been referred to as the “dark ages.” However, even in these dark ages men and women put aside their secular desires and devoted themselves to a life of celibacy and simplicity. This similar desire between many people drew them together and this pursuit became know as monasticism. No one had a bigger influence on this way of life and on these people who chose this calling than Saint Benedict of Nursia. His teachings and life would have an impact on monasticism all throughout Europe helping to form its spirituality and culture.
this time the Friar lets out a giggle as he pretends to pray for Juliet. This
Marthaler, Berard L. “The Creed: The Apostolic Faith in Contemporary Theology”. 3rd ed. Mystic, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2010. Print.
Catherine of Siena. The Dialogue of the Divine Providence . Trans. Algar Thorold. 1907. 25 Feb. 2004 .
Laughing is resorted to in times where we need to laugh. It’s an escape from reality, its comfort, its fear. Laughing subdues any emotion that is too high strung in our system. It lets it vapor out in a melancholy form that helps us cope with problems that no one else can really understand and help us with. In One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest it allowed emotional tension escape from the patients and made nurse Ratched lose her ward.
Psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists study humor because it is a fundamental culture value, but they still can’t determine why certain things make some people laugh and others not. There are “humor quotient” tests that are designed to measure an individual’s sense of humor, but these tests are questionable. These tests aren’t accurate because almost all humor depends on cultural background knowledge and language skills. Not every person in the whole world, or even in one country share the same background knowledge and skills, therefore they cannot have the same type of humor. “The fact remains that individuals vary in their appreciation of humor” (Rappoport 9). Since humor varies from individual to individual, humor lies in the individual. How successful or funny a joke is depends on how the person receives the joke, humor cannot be measured by a statistical
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XI Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company by K. Knight Nihil Obstat, February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Humor is more than just amusing entertainment to pass the time. Though jokes and witty banter can be shallow, humor can go deeper than surface level to convey messages to audiences who would otherwise be close-minded about certain ideas. Humor is a great tool to get audiences to change the way they think, feel, and act. In “Saying Goodbye to Yang,” Alexander Weinstein uses humor to criticize some of society’s faults such as the way it has become heavily reliant on technology, racially insensitive, and judgmental.
The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 21, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org
Never forget to laugh. "If you can laugh at it, you can survive it" (Cosby). Life is difficult for everyone. It is how people deal with these strives and struggle is what matters. Sometimes, the best way to get a break from the hardships of life is to simply laugh with friends and family. It’s a Balance process. Some people can be caught up in life’s problems and forget to laugh. Laughter is the mental medicine for life. Laughter supports the health of the body. Laughter can break up the quietness in a room. Laughter can change the room from black and white to a rainbow of colors. Laughter is a result of looking at something in a positive light. Is the glass half empty or half full? Whatever the circumstance, never underestimate the power of a good giggle. Never forget to laugh.
8. Beaven, James. A Catechism on the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England with Additions and Alterations Adapting It to the Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. Montreal?: S.n., 1861. Print.
In fact, English speakers in America clearly differ from those in Britain by tone, delivery, and expression. Since the language differs in these ways based on its local use, it is understandable why the two countries’s humor differ as well. America’s obvious slap-stick and Britain’s blunt irony, differ between their own individual standards, just like their versions of the English language, and continue to change with time. In comparison to the humor used by Hollywood’s original actors in the early fifties, the comedies we are currently exposed to on television today has changed drastically.
Writers at the time such as Aristophanes and Menander wrote comedy similarly to how we do today, mocking politicians, fellow writers, and Greek philosophers (Mark Cartwright). The word ‘comedy’ is derived from Middle English, from Medieval Latin comoedia, from Latin, ‘drama with a happy ending’ (Merriam-Webster). This joyful type of performance may be why we commonly use the word ‘comedy’ to talk about jokes, humor, and hilarious performers. Comedy is meant to bring us joy and relief from reality’s negativity. Mary O’Hara wrote about comedy for a BBC article titled “How Comedy Makes us Better People”: “Comedy is more than just a pleasant way to pass an evening, humour more than something to amuse. They’re interwoven into the fabric of our everyday existence. Whether you’re sharing an amusing story down the pub, making a self-deprecating joke after someone pays you a compliment or telling a dark joke at a funeral, humour is everywhere. (O’Hara)” This is certainly an accurate statement about modern comedy. Comedy is not sadness, but rather a way to forget the woes of everyday life. What is the point in humorous incidents and ridiculous jokes if they do not make a person smile or laugh so hard their gut
Gonzalez, Justo L. The Story of Christianity. 2nd ed. New York City, NY: HarperOne, 2010.