It’s no laughing matter to stop believing in God

Among all the blessings that mankind has been given, comedy is right up there with the greats, because, through the medium of laughter, our faith is restored, giving us the confidence that no matter how bad things get, we still have the ability to be amused.

In fact, the Holocaust, one of the greatest tragedies of all time, was used as a backdrop to create the 1997 film, “Life is Beautiful,” (La vita è bella) the poignant story of a Jewish-Italian man named Guido Orefice who uses humor, love, and a vivid imagination to shield his young son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp.

The message in the film teaches us that humor, in many ways, is one of the greatest defense mechanisms, that protects our very fragile heart and mind, especially under the worst of circumstances. What could be more divinely-inspired than that?

Perhaps, that’s why it comes as a bit of a surprise to hear that one of the most beloved comedians of our lifetime, Billy Crystal, has come to the conclusion that he can no longer trust or believe in God.

In a revealing admission, he attributes those very personal feelings to the devastating year he says “changed his relationship with God.”

Between having lost his home to the fires of the Pacific Palisades, in January 2025, as well as the death of his close friend Rob Reiner, Crystal admits that these two tragedies, “greatly impacted his faith.”

In his recognition that “too many bad things have happened,” Crystal seems to have arrived at the decision that his vision of a fair and just God would not allow terrible things to happen – at least not to him. But that is the irony in the very flawed argument of how the comedian views the Almighty.

Because evil has never been part of God’s creation nor His plan for the world. It entered the picture only when man decided to reject God’s instructions, arrogantly believing that he knew better.

From that point, sickness, deception, corruption, destruction and death made their way into an existence that was meant to be sinless and perfect.

That fatal choice adversely affected each one of us. But knowing that we, too, had the free-will option of accepting or rejecting the right path, led many of us to believe in a God who actually only wanted to bless us and give us good things.

Of course, it’s easier to believe in a righteous deity when things are going well for us, and, apparently, that was how it was for Crystal until things started to unravel in his personal sphere.

That was when he decided that God wasn’t worth trusting anymore, if He was able to take away his beloved home and friend.

But such dramatic incidents are not without precedent. The biblical book of Job records a very similar account of a man who, refused to curse God even after losing his home and friends. Then, he also lost his family, wealth and standing in his community. At last glance, Crystal still retains those last three things.

Nonetheless, unable to acknowledge what remains, which is not insignificant, the 78-year-old comedian cannot muster the gratitude of having enough financial backing, support of family, friends and fans as well as the fame and success he has accomplished throughout his lifetime, to avoid canceling out the same God who endowed him with so much talent.

This is not to trivialize his misfortune. Losing one’s home and best friend have to be up there with the greatest hardship and pain a person can endure, but they are no justification for coming to the conclusion that belief in God is worthless, because He hasn’t earned it by being good enough.

Crystal’s visceral reaction already testifies to a man who knows very little about the God who said, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8,9

The truth is that evil is the work of God’s enemy. It is his burning reaction to the realization that he failed to topple God’s sovereignty over all things. Since that time, when he lost the heavenly battle and was banished from paradise, he has used God’s creation, of ordinary people, to carry out his destruction, wreaking calamity and devastation on all that can be shattered.

When we finally come to that awareness, it is up to us to trust God, all the more, knowing that His power and ability cannot be matched by anyone, including and especially ourselves.

That means that when all is lost, the need to turn to someone greater is pretty much all we have. Failing to do so, puts us on the throne, taking the place of the Almighty. History has shown us that doing so never works out well in the end – not for nations and not for individuals.

So, from where does the inner strength come in order to defeat depression, hopelessness and maintain the will to live? Because the moment we have outsourced our trust to someone or something else, it can only result in more loss and hardship.

We were simply never meant to replace the Creator, and the impulse to do so, when things go wrong, is the worst possible strategy in combatting the bad and ushering blessing into our lives.

As a Jew, Billy Crystal should be reminded of the many miracles recorded in the history of his people, all attesting to a God who has never abandoned the nation whom He created for Himself.

Through centuries of devastation, persecution and the threat of total annihilation, the Jews have been divinely preserved and directed back to their intended homeland. No force on earth has prevailed in thwarting those plans nor will one arise to undo what no other power could have carried out.

This is the work of One Being, who has intervened in the course of humanity, keeping His promises to the people whom He set apart, one of which is Billy Crystal.

So much more awaits the very talented comedian, but much depends upon his own personal choices and the ability to see all the blessings he still possesses – the greatest - being one of God’s chosen!