Christians enjoy a good laugh as much as anyone. Notwithstanding what often passes for “Christian humor” or the Reader’s Digest-level japes you may see on your local church signs (“Seven days without prayer make one weak!”), Christians are fully capable of appreciating, and delivering, some pretty good jokes.

However, there are more than a few Christians who feel a little squeamish about pointed satire like you see here at the Bee. They recognize that it’s funny, but they also wonder if it has to be quite so pointed. You know—harsh. Caustic. Acrimonious. Mocking.

If we claim to be Christians and all, they say, shouldn’t we make every effort to show gentle love as opposed to making comments about how fat someone’s mama is? Should we be so intent on ridiculing the intellectual (and moral, and grammatical…) failings of our leaders? Doesn’t our Christianity preclude us from mockery?