A discourse concerning ridicule and irony in writing (1729)

"A Discourse concerning Ridicule and Irony in Writing" by Anthony Collins is a confrontational piece from the 1700s that argues against the idea that religion should be free from humor and irony. Collins wrote this as a letter to Reverend Dr. Nathanael Marshall who wanted religion to be talked about seriously without jokes. Collins thought that using humor and irony was a good way to point out things that didn't make sense or were hypocritical, especially in people's religious beliefs. He believed that laughing at these things was a natural way for people to react and that jokes and satire could be powerful ways to discuss and question important topics. He uses examples from the past and present to show that using humor can be a good way to think about and argue about religion.