Steve Gimbel, prophet (laughter be all around him):

How did the new religion, Comedism, come to be? It was many years ago (well, nine), when I was teaching ethics at night for a local community college. I was trying to draw the distinction between ethical precepts and social mores. A student raised his hand and asked, "What are mores?" I looked straight at him and replied, "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a more." Hearing the groans of pain from my students, I realized that set ups that perfect don't just happen. That could not have been a random humorous occurrence. Think of all the possible combinations of words. To have those exact words, phrased as a question, with a captive audience,...no, that had to be the result of humorous design. I was in the presence of the Divine Comedian.

And so I came to realize that it was my job to spread the gospel of Comedism.

See also the alternative version of the Birth of Comedism, the Comedist Manifesto (do you lose Comedist-Karma points if you get all your "thee"s, "thy"s and "verbeth"s mixed up?), Comedist Sunday School and the War on Comedy.

So anyway, Steve (lbaah) is passing the plate:

In many houses of worship, they pass a collection plate. Comedists donate jokes of value. The theme this go 'round is the old standard, "A man walks into a bar..." Dig deep, give your best.

It's a good cause, so go make a contribution. Mine are here.

Why did Proudhon drink herbal tea?

...

Because proper tea is theft!

(adapted from AskMeFi, via Eliot)