ABSTRACT
Christians are both laughed at and laughing. Few things would be easier than to pile up, from pagan and Christian writings drawn from many cultures over many centuries, proof that, for many, the fundamental teachings of Christianity are insane and laughable. If Erasmus is right in his contention that madman laughs at madman, then those who laugh at Christians must positively be seen to be mad. Whenever laughter is permitted to Christians, laughter at anti-Christian worldly fools and heretics may find a place in it. Not only the doctrines of the Resurrection and the Kingdom of God can be condemned as mad or foolish by pagans, heretics or atheists: almost everything in the Bible, the Creeds and mature theology can be, has been, and is. Over and over again in Christian controversy the vocabulary of madness is applied to enemies and heretics.
