We’ve all seen it. . . We have all done it!
You make a serious argument (which you are proud of)—or at least, what you thought was a serious argument—and the reply is only a meme. Ben Affleck looking exhausted, the “clown putting on makeup,” or maybe it’s the classic eye-roll GIF. Whatever it is, it doesn’t actually argue anything. It just redi-cules. It gestures. It dismisses.
And if you call it out? If you say, “That’s not a real response”—you’ll likely be told you’re just upset because someone made a good point and made it funny. You got “ratioed,” or “clowned,” or “wrecked,” even if no actual engagement took place.
This kind of ridicule-as-response has become so common that we have to ask: is it always a cheap shot? Is it just ad hominem in visual form? Or could it—sometimes—be a legitimate rhetorical strategy?
And more to the point for Christians: is ridicule ever biblically or theologically appropriate? Is it just allowed—or is it ever necessary?
Let’s talk about that.
Augustine’s Wit and the Case of Firminius
“I wanted to be able to silence the old astrologers who still clung to these practices and whom I longed to challenge and refute with ridicule.”
—Augustine, reflecting on his friend Firminius in Confessions, Book 7
Augustine often used ridicule to knock his opponents over the head for their foolish thinking. In this case, he was responding to Firminius, a friend who had embraced astrology. Rather than argue about the honesty of Firminius or his father, Augustine chose instead to dismantle the logic of astrology itself—through mockery and pointed analogies, like the famous case of twins born under the same stars but living radically different lives.
Do We Need Ridicule to Make a Point?
Do you believe that the use of ridicule to expose and correct opponents—and as a method of persuading them—is a legitimate Christian approach? Is it a approachable offense that unbelievers can use against us?
More than that, if you do believe it is legit, do you ever believe it is a necessary Christian approach? In other words, could and should the same thing be accomplished in another way because we are followers of Christ?
Because here’s the thing: ridicule is everywhere in Scripture—and it’s not just coming from the bad guys.
Ridicule Defined
The word ridicule comes from the Latin ridiculus, which itself derives from ridere (“to laugh”) and the diminutive suffix -culus, meaning “small” or “slight.” Therefore, ridiculus literally means “laughable in a small or absurd way,” or “provoking laughter.” English picked up several cognates from this root, including ridiculous (adj.), ridicule (noun/verb), ridiculing, ridiculously, and ridiculingly. All, quite obviously, stem from the same central idea: to laugh at something because it’s absurd, silly, or worthy of mockery.
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When God and His Prophets Used Ridicule
Be careful. Ridicule is not without its heavy-hitting examples in the Bible. Let me give just a few.
Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal, taunting them by saying, “Maybe your god is sleeping—or taking a dump!” (1 Kings 18:27) “Relieving Himself” just does not do justice to the actual way that Elihah put it—in fact, I almost was even more crude to catch the true spirit, but I don’t know if mom can read this up in heaven!
Jesus didn’t hesitate to call the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs,” “fools,” and “blind guides” (Matthew 23:17–27). Paul used biting sarcasm with the Corinthians is absolute gold: “You are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong!” (2 Corinthians 11:19–21).
But my favorite is Isaiah. In chapter 44, God describes a man who cuts down a tree—and has to rest from exhaustion while doing it, mind you (Isaiah 44:12). This fool burns half of the wood to warm himself and cook his food, and then with the other half, he carves an idol and says, “You are my god, deliver me” (Isaiah 44:17). Then God adds, with devastating irony:
“No one stops to think, ‘Half of it I used for fuel… shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?’”” (Isaiah 44:19).
It’s mocking. It’s sarcastic. And it’s holy.
The Church Fathers Were in On It Too
Many will appeal to the Church Fathers—and not without reason.
Augustine could be absolutely devastating with his rhetoric. In City of God, he mocked the absurdities of pagan beliefs with sharp wit. In On the Nature of Good, he exposed the Manicheans’ views through ridicule. He was relentless in his logic but often laced it with sarcasm.
Who could leave out Tertullian? He, fiery and combative, used satire like nunchaku (the actual plural of nunchaku—I know it makes no sense in too many ways). Tertullian is known for rhetorical death by a thousand cuts and grossly exaggerated contrasts. Even Chrysostom, though more pastoral in tone, wasn’t afraid to let loose a stinging rebuke when needed.
John Chrysostom, condemning the rich who splurge on luxuries while ignoring the poor, writes:
“Do you pay such honor to your excrements as to receive them into a silver chamber-pot when another man made in the image of God is perishing in the cold?” (Homily 7 on Colossians).
So the use of ridicule is not at all foreign to Christian tradition. But that doesn’t mean we’re done with the question.
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What About Gentleness and Respect?
Here’s the tension: Scripture also calls us to gentleness, patience, tenderness, and kindness—especially when dealing with those who disagree.
Paul tells Timothy to “correct his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24–25). Peter urges believers to make their defense “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). Paul again reminds us that our speech should “always be gracious, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). I have often called on the church to have an irenic (not ironic—which is the way it usually goes!) spirit in out arguments. This means that we approach all engagements with others peacefully, accurately representing the other side with what has come to be known as “steel man” arguments. Build their case for this with as powerful an argument possible, showing you are taking the issues seriously and truly understand where they are coming from.
So which is it? Ridicule or restraint? Irenic or ironic? Sharp sarcasm or tender answers?
Ridicule Rationally for a Reason
(Try saying that five times fast).
If we’re going to use ridicule as Christians (and I think we can and should), it needs to be done with care, purpose, and integrity. Not all mockery is created equal, and not all of it is worthy of being baptized into our rhetoric.
So let’s set some boundaries:
1. Ridiculing Must Have Rational Substance
First, the ridicule must have substance when all is said and done. It has to connect to something real—an actual argument, an internal inconsistency, or an idea so self-defeating that it invites exposure. If there’s no argument beneath the sarcasm, it’s not clever—it’s hollow, weak, and evidences not winsome wisdom, but insecurity. I find that most arguments against Christianity amount to this, but, unfortunately, much the same can be said for many arguments inside our faith..
2. Ridicule Must Not Have as its Goal Ridiculing or Making the Person Feel Bad
Second, it can’t be merely ad hominem or lazy eye-rolling. If the goal is just to dismiss someone or embarrass them without engaging their ideas, that’s not prophetic—it’s just pride dressed up as piety.
3. Sparing Use in a Context Seasoned with Grace, Mercy, and Kindness
Ridicule, when used, should be the exception—not the norm. It’s a sort of sledgehammer before the scalpal. Even when exposing folly, the overall posture of the Christian should be one of compassion, humility, and the hope of restoration. If ridicule becomes our default setting (which, for some overly-clever people, is a temptation), we’ve likely lost sight of the Gospel of who we are in Christ. We are not loving our enemies, even when they’re severely wrong. In short, truth should sometimes break the mold, but most of the time, we are cutting and shaping.
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Conclusion
So maybe the real question isn’t whether Christians can use ridicule. The better question is: Are we ridiculing rationally—for a reason—or just to make ourselves look like the quick winner?
Our Gospel demands that we speak the truth. It’s not a byproduct—it’s at the core. And sometimes, that means offering a sharp, even ridiculous rebuke to help someone gain perspective on the foolishness and bankruptcy of their understanding.
So, is ridicule a legitimate—and even necessary—Christian option? Yes. Godly sarcasm has its place. But always, always with love and truth working together.
