Atheists don't laugh AT God (since they don't believe he exists, how can they laugh AT him?), they laugh at PEOPLE who believe in God.
In Regina's own words, they laugh at people who "get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke," they laugh at people who hope God will "give you money if you just pray the right way," and they laugh at people who think God is "like a genie who does magic like Houdini."
Indeed, Rowan Atkinson's "Amazing Jesus" sketch (google it on youtube) milks the latter joke brilliantly, suggesting Jesus' miracles, such as turning water into wine, were actually just the same as modern day "magic tricks."
Regina asserts these things actually ARE funny, which suggests the perspective of an UNBELIEVER. Believers do not assert that these things ARE "hilarious!"
And yet, while Regina asserts that God jokes are funny, she suggests that death, war, starvation, loss, etc are such painful human realities, that we will forsake our dismissive rationalist jokes about believers, and briefly become wannabe believers ourselves, in desperate moments.
Such is our desire for someone, anyone, to reach out a helping hand, when times are hard, that we will play the ultimate joke on ourselves. Our rational mind falters, embracing the construct of a non-apparent, probably non-existent God, for comfort.
We laugh, in those moments, at ourselves, at our rational mind: we are "LAUGHING WITH" this God-construct at ourselves, at rationality, at the human condition, at EVERYTHING.
I think this is the best interpretation of the meaning of this song so far!
I think this is the best interpretation of the meaning of this song so far!
This and adding the thoughts I believe to be the explanation of two different meanings for the first part :
1) Someone else already said that: if God is considered to be the cause of the troubles, you have no reason to laugh at Him, cause this is not funny at all. It is pretty painful. Then He is just a sarcastic being, and we are dammed.
2) Those who will not resent at God will take Him seriously and look for "His help in time of need"
The chorus is DEFINITELY about people who believe in God but actually picture Him in a very tragicomic way - and who in a sane mind would wanna believe in such a hateful and pathetic god anyway?
And if Regina is as smart as I am thinking she is, she meant it all both ways. Dualistic, ambivalent, tricky and ironic. Don´t you think?
Too bad it is missing another point of view on God, but it comforts me that the song isn´t about God. It is about religion and how humans didn´t find yet a wise way to go about this topic, it is mostly contradictory, hateful, pathetic and shallow.
To close it, I agree with both views that say that the "we are all laughing with God" is
1) the childish excuse "we are not laughing at You God"
2) the irony of being part of the whole religion joke ourselves.
Oh, if we could all know if there is a real God indeed and who is He after all...
Atheists don't laugh AT God (since they don't believe he exists, how can they laugh AT him?), they laugh at PEOPLE who believe in God.
In Regina's own words, they laugh at people who "get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke," they laugh at people who hope God will "give you money if you just pray the right way," and they laugh at people who think God is "like a genie who does magic like Houdini."
Indeed, Rowan Atkinson's "Amazing Jesus" sketch (google it on youtube) milks the latter joke brilliantly, suggesting Jesus' miracles, such as turning water into wine, were actually just the same as modern day "magic tricks."
Regina asserts these things actually ARE funny, which suggests the perspective of an UNBELIEVER. Believers do not assert that these things ARE "hilarious!"
And yet, while Regina asserts that God jokes are funny, she suggests that death, war, starvation, loss, etc are such painful human realities, that we will forsake our dismissive rationalist jokes about believers, and briefly become wannabe believers ourselves, in desperate moments.
Such is our desire for someone, anyone, to reach out a helping hand, when times are hard, that we will play the ultimate joke on ourselves. Our rational mind falters, embracing the construct of a non-apparent, probably non-existent God, for comfort.
We laugh, in those moments, at ourselves, at our rational mind: we are "LAUGHING WITH" this God-construct at ourselves, at rationality, at the human condition, at EVERYTHING.
I think this is the best interpretation of the meaning of this song so far!
I think this is the best interpretation of the meaning of this song so far!
This and adding the thoughts I believe to be the explanation of two different meanings for the first part : 1) Someone else already said that: if God is considered to be the cause of the troubles, you have no reason to laugh at Him, cause this is not funny at all. It is pretty painful. Then He is just a sarcastic being, and we are dammed. 2) Those who will not resent at God will take Him seriously and look for "His help in time of need"
The chorus is DEFINITELY about people who believe in God but actually picture Him in a very tragicomic way - and who in a sane mind would wanna believe in such a hateful and pathetic god anyway?
And if Regina is as smart as I am thinking she is, she meant it all both ways. Dualistic, ambivalent, tricky and ironic. Don´t you think? Too bad it is missing another point of view on God, but it comforts me that the song isn´t about God. It is about religion and how humans didn´t find yet a wise way to go about this topic, it is mostly contradictory, hateful, pathetic and shallow.
To close it, I agree with both views that say that the "we are all laughing with God" is 1) the childish excuse "we are not laughing at You God" 2) the irony of being part of the whole religion joke ourselves.
Oh, if we could all know if there is a real God indeed and who is He after all...
@yhtrownu I think you nailed it... ;)
@yhtrownu I think you nailed it... ;)