Funny man takes jabs at a few sacred cows

A comedian goes for comedy with a higher calling.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL STAR TRIBUNE
Brad Stine takes shots at bad drivers, pokes fun at the Amish, rails on animal-rights activists and laments the loss of personal responsibility.
In fact, he isn't afraid to take a jab at sacred cows and say things that many might find politically incorrect.
Then again, comedians have a license to do that, and Stine is taking full advantage by using his edgy rapid-fire delivery of satire and social commentary to drive home a finer point.
In one riff, the highly energetic Christian comedian takes aim at those who are trying to remove religious references from public places.
"I remember when people used to say 'Merry Christmas' but now they say 'Happy Holidays,'" said the 43-year-old, who on his Web site describes himself as a cross between George Carlin and Pat Boone.
"There are lots of holidays in February, but nobody says 'Happy Holidays' then. They say 'Happy Valentine's Day' without thinking 'Oops, do you believe in love?'"
Stine's new project, "Put a Helmet On," was released last week.
Drawing on everyday life experiences and personal observations, Stine's clean routine with nary a cuss word or sexual innuendo is intended to evoke laughter and speak the truth while at the same time get his audience to open their minds and look at things from another perspective.
Where he's ahead
When it comes to addressing hard subjects and sensitive issues, "there is a different latitude given to comedians that is not given to political pundits or clergy," said Stine.
"Comedy is one of the unique art forms that you can use to really rattle the cage of the status quo or what the trend of the culture is and deal with world views," he said.
Amid barbs about Americans' obsession with self-esteem, odd road signs and laws banning guns, Stine weaves in his message of faith in sketches that are meant to provoke, not preach.
To atheists, Stine throws out this challenge: "If we all die and there is no God and it's just eternal unconscious, you'll never know. But if you're wrong, you'll know and it's not a gamble anybody should take. Am I saying believe in Jesus so I don't go to hell? Pretty much."
Though he isn't a household name on the comedy circuit, Stine has had his moments in the spotlight. During his 20-year career, he has played at some of the nation's premier comedy houses and has appeared on Showtime's "Comedy Club," MTV's "Half-Hour Comedy Show" and "Evening at the Improv."
Promise Keepers
Still, many are unfamiliar with his act. A Promise Keepers staff member caught his act in California and suggested that he be one of the presenters appearing at the 18 conferences that the Denver-based evangelistic organization is putting on this summer and fall in arenas across the country.
"We really had not heard of him, but he's been a big hit," said Steve Chavis, Promise Keepers' director of advance planning.
"He's kind of in your face and will step on toes. He calls guys to be out-of-the-closet Christians and not to play to an audience or be politically correct, but to make a stand for faith. He's been a perfect fit."
The theme of Promise Keepers' gatherings, "The Challenge: A Call to Action," is designed to challenge men to integrate their faith into their relationships, jobs, recreation and other areas of their lives where men often get stuck in a rut.
Except for an occasional funny-guy emcee, Stine is the first comedian to speak at a Promise Keepers event.
By inviting him to its conferences, Promise Keepers is trying to back up its challenge to attendees by taking a risk of its own and breaking out of a solemn worship-sermon format that over the past decade has remained fairly conservative and basically unchanged.
Along with people such as Ken Davis and Chondra Pierce, Stine is among a growing number of evangelists turning to comedy as a way to share the gospel. And he makes no apologies.
People don't have to believe the message of Jesus Christ, he says, "but I stand for it because it is the truth. I'm not shoving it down people's throats. The shoving came from those who disagreed. I'm just tweaking people's paradigms and giving them the opportunity to see a different viewpoint."