Ship of Fools: The Trinity's holiday

Thread: The Trinity's holiday Board: The Laugh Judgment / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Simon (# 1) on :

Joke submitted by alienfromzog and Sacristy Rate:

The Trinity were planning a holiday. The Spirit, manifesting the creative part of the divine nature, was coming up with the ideas. "Let's go to New York," he suggested.

"No, no, no," said the Father, "They're all so liberated, they'll spend the whole time calling me 'Mother' and it will just do my head in."

So the Spirit sat back and thought. "I know, what about Jerusalem?" he said. "It's beautiful and then there's the history and everything."

"No way!" the Son declared. "After what happened the last time, I'm never going there again!"

At this point, the Spirit got annoyed and went off in a huff. Sometime later he returned and found that the Father and Son had had a idea they both thought was excellent:

"Why don't we go to Rome?" said the Son.

"Perfect!" cried the Holy Spirit. "I've never been there before!"

[ 16. July 2005, 18:13: Message edited by: Simon ]

Posted by Newman's Own (# 420) on :

I really like this one, though the concept is an old one. It would be funnier in Italian, I believe, because no one in Italy has any illusions about the hierarchy's being the sum of perfection. No one thinks that the voice of the superior is the voice of God - but all would know, in a sly and wry mode, that those in authority can hide behind that they are speaking on the Spirit's behalf.

At one time, not so many years ago, cars registered in Vatican City all had "SCV" as the first three letters on their vehicle identifications. The letters stand for the Italia words for 'Holy Vatican City,' but the inside joke was that it meant 'If Christ could see.'

However, this is a joke which I believe could only be effective and inoffensive if told by a Catholic. Were it told by anyone who is a latter-day version of those who drew caricatures for Edward VI, it could be highly offensive. I've heard similar jokes many times, and the joke is about the hierarchy, not the faith. Were it told to show "Rome is in error - Catholics are going to hell," the humour would be lost.

Posted by ACOL-ite (# 4991) on :

Less funny than it could have been because it's really the same joke as the one about the three Marys. Obviously, the butt of the joke is something different but it's exactly the same formula.

Posted by Superslug (# 7024) on :

It was funnier a few years back ( but after certain well reported activities) when the place in question was Toronto.

Posted by hatless (# 3365) on :

Not offensive because it's not directed against God but against a bit of the Church.

And I'm starting to wonder if it's always like this. Can a joke be directed against God? Many make fun of beliefs, priests, religious practices. Some make fun of Jesus, which is getting closer. Some mock our ideas of God, but even that is not the same as mocking God.

The question then is whether we can detach our trust in God from all the accretions of church, piety and language. If we can, then nothing is offensive.

Posted by alienfromzog (# 5327) on :

I agree that it's funnier told by a Catholic.

The good friend who told it to me was, unlike me a Catholic.

I like it because it has three punchlines.

A friend of mine who is Anglican always tells it with Canterbury instead of Rome

AFZ

Posted by aj (# 1383) on :

In Australia the punchline refers to a certain large city in New South Wales.

Posted by Uncle Coyote (# 9234) on :

Perhaps this would have been funnier if San Francisco were used; I don't know about the rest of the US, but New York isn't judged the epicenter of liberalism in my neck of the woods.

Posted by Pax Romana (# 4653) on :

I did find this joke offensive, but only because the punchline seemed to allude to the "all Catholics are bound for Hell and the Catholic Church is the Great Whore of Babylon" idea.

If another Catholic were to tell me this joke, I would probably just wince and chuckle!!

And no, New York City is not considered the "Sin City" of the United States or the capital of liberalism. We're a pretty mixed lot here.

Pax Romana

[ 05. September 2005, 16:02: Message edited by: Pax Romana ]

Posted by jakecarm (# 10372) on :

I thought that this was the funniest of all.

Posted by anglicanrascal (# 3412) on :

quote:
Originally posted by aj:
In Australia the punchline refers to a certain large city in New South Wales.

Wollongong? Newcastle?

[ 27. September 2005, 02:53: Message edited by: anglicanrascal ]

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