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Campolo on TV: Would you Set Yourself up to Be Mocked?

Right now I’m watching the Colbert Report, he separated from the Daily Show as a sidekick to start his own show because he was funny all by himself and didn’t need Jon Stewart anymore. I walked in on an interview half way through in which Tony Campolo is his guest. There are a few things that amazes me about this.

1. By accepting an invitation to be on this show, Camplolo automaticlly sets himself up for mockery. Stephen Colbert is actually really funny but in many ways extremly offensive. He makes his living off bashing religion, the reason I like a lot of it is because he’s right. It’s like Simpsons or Family Guy humour, dramatizing things to make a point.

2. Campolo handled himself well, he took jokes as jokes and said what was on his mind. I think for the circumstance that he was in, he did well.

3. I think its cool that guys like Campolo can go on a show like that, a show that most Christians would shun and hate upon. Campolo isn’t afraid, he walks right into it and stands up for the faith in a respectable manor.

I’m trying to decide that if I was invited into a similiar situation would I attend? If i was invited to something, pretty much another religion based on making fun of mine, would I go and join that conversation or would I ignore it? What would you do?

9 thoughts on “Campolo on TV: Would you Set Yourself up to Be Mocked?”

  1. I do.
    I think it’s important for Christians to not always separate, distance and hide from culture in a safe zone. We’re missing the point as Christ followers if we choose to isolate ourselves rather than infusing a sense of identity.
    As a Christian myself, I don’t just want to be a passionless nerd or a snooty critic. I want to be in the world and engaged with it, living like Jesus.
    I really commend Compolo for being able to go on a show like that (which I find hilarious most of the time I might add) even though the guys are making fun of everything, even stuff I believe in wholeheartedly. I don’t know if I’d have the guts because it’s easy to laugh, when it’s not you under the spotlight.

  2. NPR’s Fresh Air with terry gross
    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4464017

    Mr. COLBERT: We’re, you know, very devout and, you know, I still go to church and, you know, my children are being raised in the Catholic Church. And I was actually my daughters’ catechist last year for First Communion, which was a great opportunity to speak very simply and plainly about your faith without anybody saying, `Yeah, but do you believe that stuff?’ which happens a lot in what I do.
    —————————————
    Mr. COLBERT: This Week in God is–you know, This Week in God is, for me, a tightrope, because I–while I’m, you know, not a particularly religious person, I do go to church, which makes me kind of odd for my profession. You know, most people can’t understand why I do, other comedians. And I have to walk that thin line because I don’t want to criticize anyone’s religions for the fact that it is a religion, and what’s funny to me is what people do in the name of religion. …

  3. I found this quote from an interview from Time Out New York;

    “TONY: You created The Daily Show religious-satire segment, “This Week in God.” How do you square your Catholicism with comedy?

    SC: I love my Church, and I’m a Catholic who was raised by intellectuals, who were very devout. I was raised to believe that you could question the Church and still be a Catholic. What is worthy of satire is the misuse of religion for destructive or political gains. That’s totally different from the Word, the blood, the body and the Christ. His kingdom is not of this earth.”

    He also makes an interesting comment in New York Times Magazine: “There would be plenty of Catholics in the world who would think of me as not that observant, but for the world I move in professionally, I seem monastic.

  4. see that the problem with all of you. you have all of these ideas, opinions, good intentions, but you don’t do anything. you say you dont want to be a passionless nerd or a snooty critic, so why aren’t you? and what makes you believe so wholeheartedly in what you believe?

  5. Ken,
    one more thing I wanted to add is that it’s not really fair to clump people together. I mean, I know alot of amazing Christians really committed to serving and loving people wherever they go, and, I know alot of people who wouldn’t call themselves Christians who serve and love just as well, if not better at times. Why shouldn’t these everyone be encouraged to act on their words…do you? You seem bitter towards Christians in general. I hope you don’t mind me saying so, correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s how it came across.
    Personally, I would say that I do act on what I believe. Maybe I could do more, but I’m working on following Jesus the best way I know how, one day at a time. That’s all I can do.

  6. Ken,
    I couldnt help but notice a little frustration with your posts. It makes me smile to see that because I think youre angry about people having good intentions and ideas which says to me that you want action out of these people and not just good intentions and ideas? Maybe I am looking into this too much.

    I liked your question: and what makes you believe so wholeheartedly in what you believe? To which I would reply as curiosity. (others may say God) A lot of people ranging from age, sex, race and religion check this page out because there curious to see what others think and believe.

    Not everyone is a good intentioned person. They come to discus. I dont think there is anything wrong with people having good ideas and intensions because eventually (someday) it causes action. Which is what I think you were implying?

  7. Hey! I saw that episode…it was funny but we sat there wondering if we should be laughing or not! But I second your kudos to Campolo. I think it’s great he went on and showed that Christians can handle a joke too. Let’s be honest, in our everyday life we joke around about our own religion. Anyway, it’s a hard to know what I would do in that situation, but I know I don’t have the kind of apologetic background that Campolo does.

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