--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If Jesus had been killed twenty years…" description: "\"If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.\" — L..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/lenny-bruce-4320_catholic_if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ag_867198.jpg" --- # If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school… ![“If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.” quote by Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/lenny-bruce-4320_catholic_if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ag_867198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/lenny-bruce-4320_catholic_if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ag_867198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/lenny-bruce-4320_catholic_if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ag_867198.jpg) > “If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.” [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He satirically warned that if Christianity were suppressed, its symbols would be replaced by oppressive, militaristic icons. **In simple terms:** Religion could be replaced by oppressive symbols if suppressed. Key Takeaway Beware of replacing spiritual symbols with oppressive ones. Themes religion satire politics freedom of expression Mood provocative critical humorous Type satirical political cultural When to use this quote - schools - public demonstrations - media commentary - political protest Key Concepts iconoclasm cultural critique authoritarianism Questions to Reflect On - What symbols do we accept without questioning? - How does satire affect belief systems? A Different Perspective The joke may be offensive and overlook nuanced faith experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Catholic school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic-school/) [Chairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chairs/) [Chairs Necks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chairs-necks-913648/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Electric](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/electric/) [Instead Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instead-crosses-913647/) [Jesus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus/) [Jesus Killed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jesus-killed-913645/) [Killed Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killed-years-913646/) [Necks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necks/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [I would argue that the truth of Easter does not depend on whether there was an empty tomb, or whether anything happened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-borg/i-would-argue-that-the-truth-of-easter-does-not-depend-on-whether/) [Marcus Borg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-borg/) > [Jesus was not killed by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/jesus-was-not-killed-by-atheism-and-anarchy-he-was-brought-down-by/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“I would have killed myself years ago if it weren't for the fact that I’m pretty sure death is the only thing more terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-sargeant/i-would-have-killed-myself-years-ago-if-it-weren-t-for-the-fact-that/) [Alex Sargeant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-sargeant/) > [My shoulders sagged. Really, is it too much to ask that I be able to come home from a long day of work and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/my-shoulders-sagged-really-is-it-too-much-to-ask-that-i-be-able-to/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“If that's the case, hurrah for the crazy people! Look, Lola, do you remember a single name, for instance, of any of the soldiers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/if-that-s-the-case-hurrah-for-the-crazy-people-look-lola-do-you/) [Louis-Ferdinand Céline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [“It appears that more girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they were girls, than men were killed in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof/it-appears-that-more-girls-have-been-killed-in-the-last-fifty-years/) [Nicholas D. Kristof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-d-kristof/) > [I wasn't raised very religiously because my parents went to Catholic school, but I do believe in God very much. I just never gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-wasn-t-raised-very-religiously-because-my-parents-went-to-catholic/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I'm constantly thinking about design, shapes, patterns and colors, so I just want to be more of a blank canvas. But there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabal-gurung/i-m-constantly-thinking-about-design-shapes-patterns-and-colors-so-i/) [Prabal Gurung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabal-gurung/) > [How many Catholic schools do you think teach the students to question the authority of the Pope? Do you believe Christian schools teach students…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/how-many-catholic-schools-do-you-think-teach-the-students-to-question/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [I'm a Catholic school boy from the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-lamb/i-m-a-catholic-school-boy-from-the-military/) [Conor Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-lamb/) > [Every day after school for 10 years, I was on the set of 'Married... with Children,' which is a really funny and perverse place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-markle/every-day-after-school-for-10-years-i-was-on-the-set-of-married-with/) [Meghan Markle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-markle/) > [I was raised in a Catholic household and went to a Catholic school, and my childhood brain perceived medieval Catholicism as an action movie:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grimes/i-was-raised-in-a-catholic-household-and-went-to-a-catholic-school/) [Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grimes/) > [You should have seen me in my Catholic school girl skirt with my knees knocking together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-lyn-o-keefe/you-should-have-seen-me-in-my-catholic-school-girl-skirt-with-my/) [Jodi Lyn O'Keefe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-lyn-o-keefe/) > [You know, I was the class clown in Catholic school, but I never thought I would make a living out of it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-vergara/you-know-i-was-the-class-clown-in-catholic-school-but-i-never-thought/) [Sofia Vergara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-vergara/) > [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) ## More by Lenny Bruce > [Satire is tragedy plus time. You give it enough time, the public, the reviewers will allow you to satirize it. Which is rather ridiculous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/satire-is-tragedy-plus-time-you-give-it-enough-time-the-public-the/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I am influenced by every second of my waking hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-am-influenced-by-every-second-of-my-waking-hour/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Never trust a preacher with more than two suits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/never-trust-a-preacher-with-more-than-two-suits/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I would be with a bunch of Kennedy fans watching the debate, and their comment would be, 'He's really slaughtering Nixon.' Then we would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-would-be-with-a-bunch-of-kennedy-fans-watching-the-debate-and-their/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If you're from New York and you're Catholic, you're still Jewish. If you're from Butte Montana and you're Jewish, you're still goyisch. The Air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-re-from-new-york-and-you-re-catholic-you-re-still-jewish-if/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I think it's about time we gave up religion and got back to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-think-it-s-about-time-we-gave-up-religion-and-got-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Alright, let's admit it, we Jews killed Christ - but it was only for three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/alright-let-s-admit-it-we-jews-killed-christ-but-it-was-only-for/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“People are leaving the church and going back to God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/people-are-leaving-the-church-and-going-back-to-god/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [Dig: I'm Jewish. Count Basie's Jewish. Ray Charles is Jewish. Eddie Cantor's goyish. B'nai B'rith is goyish; Hadassah, Jewish. If you live in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/dig-i-m-jewish-count-basie-s-jewish-ray-charles-is-jewish-eddie/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: What I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/i-won-t-say-ours-was-a-tough-school-but-we-had-our-own-coroner-we/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“If you can't say "Fuck" you can't say, "Fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-you-can-t-say-fuck-you-can-t-say-fuck-the-government/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Take away the right to say ‘fuck’ and you take away the right to say ‘fuck the government.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/take-away-the-right-to-say-fuck-and-you-take-away-the-right-to-say/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [The role of a comedian is to make the audience laugh, at a minimum of once every fifteen seconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/the-role-of-a-comedian-is-to-make-the-audience-laugh-at-a-minimum-of/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [If I get busted in New York, the freest city in the world, that will be the end of my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-i-get-busted-in-new-york-the-freest-city-in-the-world-that-will-be/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) > [“Liberals can understand everything but people who don't understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/liberals-can-understand-everything-but-people-who-don-t-understand/) [Lenny Bruce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) [Explore all 112 Lenny Bruce quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/) ## More Catholic quotes > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [I'm Catholic and I can't commit suicide, but I plan to drink myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/i-m-catholic-and-i-can-t-commit-suicide-but-i-plan-to-drink-myself-to/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) > [I'm the daughter of a Kenyan Catholic father and a Mauritian Hindu mother, and I have a Jewish husband who was born in South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suella-braverman/i-m-the-daughter-of-a-kenyan-catholic-father-and-a-mauritian-hindu/) [Suella Braverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suella-braverman/) > [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [I grew up with a religious background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-caruso/i-grew-up-with-a-religious-background/) [Alex Caruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-caruso/) > [ Girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us follow in his \[Jesus\] paths by the guidance of the Gospel. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-of-nursia/girded-with-faith-and-the-performance-of-good-works-let-us-follow-in/) [Benedict of Nursia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-of-nursia/) > [“Even at the tender age of twelve, when I knelt in front of the bishop for my confirmation, I had the sneaking suspicion that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-edwards/even-at-the-tender-age-of-twelve-when-i-knelt-in-front-of-the-bishop/) [Megan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-edwards/) > [Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pio-of-pietrelcina/pray-hope-and-don-t-worry/) [Pio of Pietrelcina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pio-of-pietrelcina/) > [My grandmother was a minister as well, which was not that common in the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/my-grandmother-was-a-minister-as-well-which-was-not-that-common-in/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [My grandmother made sure that I went to church every Sunday. And she'd come over and pick us boys up, and we would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mellencamp/my-grandmother-made-sure-that-i-went-to-church-every-sunday-and-she-d/) [John Mellencamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mellencamp/) > [I think being raised within a Mexican Catholic family made magical realism a very natural part of who I am as a person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-olivas/i-think-being-raised-within-a-mexican-catholic-family-made-magical/) [Daniel Olivas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-olivas/) > [I am surprised that anyone can profess to be an atheist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-comfort/i-am-surprised-that-anyone-can-profess-to-be-an-atheist/) [Ray Comfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-comfort/) > [You can never completely get it - being a Christian - but I think I really got it when my first son was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/you-can-never-completely-get-it-being-a-christian-but-i-think-i/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) [Browse all 4,027 Catholic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lenny Bruce" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ago-catholic-school-children/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Catholic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ago-catholic-school-children/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/lenny-bruce-4320_catholic_if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ag_867198.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/lenny-bruce-4320_catholic_if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ag_867198.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12d/lenny-bruce-4320_catholic_if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ag_867198.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs…” — Lenny Bruce", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lenny Bruce", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-bruce/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If Jesus had been killed twenty...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ago-catholic-school-children/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-bruce/if-jesus-had-been-killed-twenty-years-ago-catholic-school-children/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```