Martial artist addresses “the facts”
Whether he’s a superhero or just a regular guy, when the Boogeyman goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
But who does Chuck Norris, a martial arts champion and actor, check his closet for at night? That would be Jesus Christ.
Norris, the subject of hundreds of “Chuck Norris facts” playing off of the actor’s reputation as a martial arts warrior, responded to the jokes in a column for WorldNetDaily last week. Seeing it as an opportunity to share his religious beliefs, Norris said he was not the man he is made out to be and the only real person with such characteristics is Jesus Christ.
“Some are funny. Some are pretty far out,” Norris said in his column. “I’m so grateful for my fans. Who knows, maybe these one-liners will prompt someone to seek out the real facts about me and the beliefs that have shaped my life and career.”
Norris said one of his favorite “facts” was, “Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.” In reaction to “Chuck Norris’ tears can cure cancer. Too bad he never cries ever,” Norris saw an opportunity to discuss his beliefs with his fans.
“There was a man whose tears could cure cancer or any other disease, including the real cause of all diseases: sin,” he said in his column. “His blood did. His name was Jesus Christ, not Chuck Norris.”
Norris said without God, he wouldn’t be the man he is today and without the Bible, wouldn’t have been able to be a karate champion or a movie star.
Students on campus are familiar with the “facts.”
“I’ve heard jokes about how he kicks people,” said Katherine Sharp, a junior classics major. “I watched his show when I was little, but I don’t really have an opinion about him and his jokes.”
“Of course I’ve heard of Chuck Norris jokes,” said D.J. Benway, a freshman film major. “I’m not really into religion, but I think it’s good that he doesn’t think of himself as the iconic figure he’s made out to be.”
“I love Chuck Norris: behind his beard is another fist,” said Mike Van Buskirk, a senior communication major. “There’s nothing wrong with talking about his religion. If he leaves his jokes in a kung fu context, it will be cool.”
“I’ve heard his jokes on the radio and seen them on bathroom walls in the library,” said Justin Serr, a senior communications major. “It’s not really Chuck Norris we’ve made jokes of; it’s his character. It’s probably not a good idea to add religion to it because whenever there are jokes related to religion, someone gets offended.”
“Some of the Chuck Norris jokes are amusing; some are really strange,” said Nina Rice, junior integrative physiology major. ” I don’t think talking about his religion in response to the jokes is the best way to do it; it’s distasteful.”
