The 'Everybody Loves Raymond' actress discusses the religious value of comedy and remaining grounded as a Hollywood Christian.
Interview by Michael Kress
Patricia Heaton spent nine years as the devoted stay-at-home mom, never-can-win daughter-in-law, and voice-of-reason wife Debra Barone on the popular sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," winning two Emmys in the process. Now, Heaton, a conservative Christian, emcees the straight-to-DVD film "Thou Shalt Laugh," a stand-up comedy concert featuring seven Christian comedians. Heaton spoke to Beliefnet about the spiritual value of comedy, what she learned from "Raymond," and raising kids--and staying true to her values--in Hollywood.
What is a Christian comedian, or Christian comedy?
The material itself [in "Thou Shalt Laugh] doesn't deal directly with Christianity at all. You just know that what you're going to be listening to will be safe for the family. But these guys are all really accomplished, and I was surprised to find that there were so many of them, and they have these thriving careers.
I'm not sure that there was such a big difference between what these comedians did and what you would get from, say, Ray Romano or Ellen DeGeneres, who do really great comedy that's for the whole family. I think that this is more about countering this idea that if you're a Christian, you don't go out and have fun, and you don't go out to be entertained, and you're some kind of dour, Bible-thumping killjoy who doesn't want to have any fun.
clipped from: www.beliefnet.com 