Do you think that jokes about religion make religion lose its power...?

It depends what you mean by power, and it depends what jokes.

In secular societies, such as the UK, religion doesn't have much power these days - it's just one of the components of a diverse society, and is generally respected. The humour tends to be more of the Dibley type - using a religious setting rather than satire.

However, in relatively recent times the churches had much more power and were seen to be trying to control people, including non-believers. At that time satire was more important as a way of ridiculing such attitudes. Monty Python's "Life of Brian" was a breakthrough work, as it poked fun at Christianity, as well as many other aspects of life.

This caused uproar amongst the churches, many of whom regarded it as blasphemous and tried to get it banned. For most people, however, it was just regarded as bitingly funny, as it tapped into a popular vein of dissatisfaction with the churches' interference in politics and people's lives.

More recently "Father Ted" has had a similar role in the gradual but steady secularisation of Ireland south of the border. Satire tends to be used when there is some sort of unfairness or unacceptable situation to be resisted, as it can tap into the popular psyche more than reasoned argument. Hence its continuing role ridiculing British politics, with programmes like "Have I got News for You".

In the most oppressive days of communist domination of central Europe, telling jokes about the regimes could attract significant jail sentences, as ridicule was the one thing that these dictatorships really could not stand. It was one of the major methods of psychological resistance to the system, as it often made a mockery of the official propaganda. It was like a viral symbol of disbelief.

There are still societies where religion tries to control people, and this is where satire still has a role, as well as other forms of humour. Thus humour tends to be more gentle when there isn't anything to be resisted, and more satirical and biting when there is.

Edit:

You're right about humour having a role more than just making people laugh. It can prick the bubble of pomposity and arrogance, both at a state/theocratic level, and also by letting people lighten up about their own religion. If people can laugh at their own ideas, they're likely to be more secure with them and less likely to beat up others about them.

Not at all!. Catholicism has been around for 2000 years and criticized, laughed at, spat at, accused, defamed, persecuted, martyred.; the only thing that loses power is the "entertainer" and those who use it for their own selfish purposes. They who claim a privilege which does not exist, to make fun of something sacred to others defame themselves; they certainly are not favored amongst the thousands of Catholics and possibly other Christians; so who loses?.

The Christian Faith is empowered by supernatural factors and the holiness of worthy men and women who contribute to society.If Christianity were a social institution, no doubt it would lose power, fortunately it does not have to depend entirely on the shifting currents of an era nor the self-opinionated humor opinion of comedians.

Moreover, in the case of Catholicism, It just keeps going on. Now that's 'funny', isn't it? However, not all humor is meant to be offensive, this Catholics can take and in fact use.They don't feel less empowered.

I don't think jokes themselves make religion lose it's power, but I do think people who argue against the content of a joke make religion lose some of it's power.

People who try and argue against a JOKE really make themselves seem silly, and by extension their religion. After all it is a Joke and by definition is not meant to be serious. I'll take for example the Muslim cartoon you mention. If they didn't raise such a fuss about it, no one would have thought twice about it, but because they complained so much about a cartoon, more cartoons came about parodying the whole issue. Who can really take seriously a religion that involves rioting against a cartoon?

I'll admit to not really knowing much about religion myself. I personally don't believe in religion, mostly because of things like that, where religious people can't tolerate other's views, not even mild jokes. I do believe in a higher power but disagree with the way most people go about showing their belief.

Faith in religion is only as strong/faithful as the people want it to be. Also everyone has there own opinion, there is no need to compare your religious life with someone else...

hi

not at all. whats life without poking some fun,and remember life is 2 short not 2 have fun jimbo

every since tom cruise became the posterboy/laughing stock of Scientology i think religion has lost most of it's credibility

no it can not change the truth it just means people are not so angry about a joke islam can not take a joke obviously.

Nothing can change the power and majesty of the sovereign God.

No

But it shows it' s weak sides

Which there are many

And subsequently, it shows, what religion is REALLY about