The Coexist? Comedy Tour, which began a few years ago, had a pretty novel concept. It was a collection of touring stand-up comedians, each representing a different religion (or lack thereof), their own. And their routines too were focused particularly on their religions. It was a rather great idea that promoted tolerance in the marketplace of ideas.
Well, one interestingly little nugget is that John Ross, Coexists’ former Christian representative has announced that he is not a Christian anymore:
It’s a surprising admission from a man known as the Christian in the Coexist? Comedy Tour, a troupe of stand-up comedians who tell jokes about religion. Halfway through his two-year stint with Coexist, Ross began asking tour co-founder [and atheist] Keith Lowell Jensen, “So, hypothetically speaking, say your Christian wasn’t a Christian anymore?”
Although Ross is no longer with the tour, or with Christianity, he insists Coexist is not the reason he lost faith. “I had issues with my faith way before I even did comedy,” he said. “Even in the midst of being a Christian, I still struggled.”
How did he lose his faith?
“Coexist was a safe place to poke fun at my own religion,” he said. “There’s not really a place to do that in church. It’s always like you’re trying to destroy someone’s faith by asking a rational question. They think it’s loaded with an evil spirit.”
Here, you can see John Ross performing at the Coexist? Comedy Tour (beginning at the 5:25 mark):
Skepacabra 