“Why do Mennonites not believe in pre-marital sex?

Because it could lead to dancing.”

The informant is a student living in San Diego, California.  He attended a Mennonite Middle School and now attends a Christian university. The informant learned this joke from another friend in his social group.  He finds it so funny because the Mennonites do not believe in dancing. The informant said the joke should be shared when you are with a bunch of Mennonites or other people who understand the culture and beliefs.

The humor in this joke is based on the backwards thought process it exemplifies.  According to the joke because Mennonites dislike dancing so much they, in turn, also do not believe in pre-marital sex; whereas in most Christian denominations dancing is appropriate behavior while pre-marital sex is sinful.  The expected answer for this joke is something like “it is sinful nature”, “it could lead to pregnancy”, or “it could lead to an STD”.  I think this joke is funny because the answer is unexpected yet very stereotypical of the Mennonite community.  I also like the fact that Mennonites can be self-deprecating and are able to poke fun at themselves.