Comedian Baptized In Tribute To Late Grandfather
Comedian Matt Rife shared that he was baptized in a pool after the death of his grandfather, revealing that despite his dislike for church, he felt a desire to believe in God. During an appearance on the History Hyenas podcast with hosts Yannis Papas and Chris Distefano, the 29-year-old comedian explained that he wasn’t raised in a religious household but occasionally attended church with friends. After his grandfather passed away two years ago, Rife began reflecting more on spirituality.
“I’m not a super religious person, but after my grandpa died, I realized I would never see him again. That made me think, ‘There must be something more,'” Rife explained. He went on to say that although he finds church services “excruciatingly boring,” he still wants to believe in God, calling it an important part of his journey.
Rife, who is currently on his “Stay Golden Tour” and promoting his New York Times bestseller Your Mom’s Gonna Love Me, is among several comedians who have opened up about their faith journeys in recent years. Last year, comedian Rob Schneider spoke about his conversion to Catholicism and his desire to shift away from his previous style of comedy.
“I can’t do the same things I used to do,” Schneider told The Christian Post. “Not because I have regrets, but because I feel called to do something different, coming from a place of faith and goodness.”
Similarly, comedian Russell Brand publicly embraced Christianity and was baptized in the River Thames earlier this year. Brand has since shared his spiritual journey on social media, discussing the concept of brokenness as part of the path to knowing Christ.
While not professing to be Christian, comedian Joe Rogan has frequently discussed religion on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. In a February episode with NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Rogan talked about the importance of Christianity in modern society, emphasizing the need for divine structure and moral guidelines based on faith.
“People are beginning to see that a belief in love, truth, and religion provides a moral compass that is essential in today’s world,” Rogan said. “Intelligent people often dismiss the positive aspects of religion, but ethics grounded in religion are vital.”
In a recent episode, comedian Chris Distefano recommended the book The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel to outspoken religious skeptic Bill Maher.