Christians Hate Satire Because it is the Truth

If an article confuses you, it is likely because you are the satire.

Consistently, comments appear in my articles or emails written by befuddled Christians wondering,

I don’t get it.
Satire is a big, fat nothing burger!
I don’t know what I just read.
Ha Ha! Very funny. Now, if you had a point??
What’s your point?
Are you trying to be funny?

At the core of these deeply considered, well-framed questions is a lack of understanding of satire, warranting an explanation of the genre to help the feebleminded Christian.

Satire is a form of humor that uses exaggeration, irony, or ridicule to expose and criticize the flaws or vices of individuals, groups, institutions, or society. Often used to comment on politics, religion, morality, or culture, satire can be very effective in making people laugh and think but also misunderstood and misinterpreted by those who are the targets or the subjects of the satire, such as Christians.

One of the reasons why Christians don’t understand satire is because they are too close to the issue or the person satirized. Christians may feel offended, attacked, or threatened by the satire and react defensively or angrily. They may also lack the self-awareness or the humility to recognize their faults or mistakes, and they may deny or rationalize their behavior. Christians often see satire as a personal insult or an unfair criticism rather than a humorous, serious means of pointing out a problem or a truth.

Another reason why Christians don’t understand satire stems from their ignorance concerning the topic or the context of the satire, especially when it is about Christianity. Though ridiculous to say, these God-fearing folk simply lack the knowledge or background information to appreciate the satire despite their ardent claims of being believers in the religion they fail to learn anything about.

Christians also suffer false or biased beliefs, which is not difficult to see since they all believe in one form or another an outdated book’s claim that a God sent his only son to earth to either die for our sins or to show us that we need to be willing to sacrifice ourselves in the same way.

This was the only way for an infinitely wise being to accomplish his goal.

Believing such nonsense prevents Christians from seeing the satire’s point and dulls the critical thinking skills necessary to distinguish between fact and fiction, between reality and exaggeration, between literal and figurative meaning. The Christian takes the satire at face value and misses the irony or sarcasm behind it.

Christianity renders believers mentally impotent.

Satire can be a powerful tool for humor and social commentary, but it can also be a source of confusion and controversy for Christians who don’t understand it. If you are a Christian confused by satire, it’s because it is about you. If you don’t understand satire, Christian, it’s because it is about you.