Rob Schneider: 'Jesus only lets you stray so much'
Comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" star Rob Schneider recently elaborated on how Christianity transformed his approach to forgiveness, saying, "Jesus will only let you stray so much."
In an interview with CBN News posted to YouTube last week, Schneider, who announced last year that he had converted to Catholicism, shared his faith journey.
"Jesus only lets you stray so much," Schneider said. "At a certain point, He grabbed me again and hugged me."
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"There are other religions out there that say, 'Well, kill your enemy; hate your enemy' and there are 'infidels.' And we have a religion that says, 'Love your enemy, love thy neighbor as thyself … love others.' What a beautiful way to go through life."
The comedian referred to his Oct. 31 post that went viral of him apologizing for displaying any bitterness towards other people. In his apology, he mentioned how he was once upset at other performers for how they dealt with different problems amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"There were people that angered me," Schneider recounted in his interview with CBN. "I had to dig underneath what's that anger."
Schneider said he has come to a newer understanding that has led him to practice more compassion, especially when dealing with those with more fears about the pandemic than he expressed.
"If I am going to lead my life and be an example, as Christ compels us to do, then I have to do it," Schneider said. "Even if it hurts, even if it stretches how I used to feel … and, once you forgive, the beautiful thing about forgiveness is it isn't the person, it's you. You end up feeling better."
Schneider shared that from his teenage years, he had faith. But, he moved away from his faith as he got older.
"I did — like many Christians do — stray," Schneider said. "But there was a continuing pull back, knowing where I needed to be and to be home."
"And then [a] very, very strange confluence of things. I married a Catholic, and she was very patient with me, and she's been the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."
Schneider said he had to endure trials and tribulations to bring him closer to God and renew his faith.
"As Jesus does, He's does a little nudge, a little nudge, a little nudge," he said. "God could put His hand down and make everybody [love Him], but God wants us to come to Him of our own volition. That is the greatest gift."
Since converting to Catholicism, Schneider said he also feels called to leave behind the type of comedy he has performed in the past — and he doesn't care what Hollywood thinks about that decision.
"I know I can't do the same stuff I used to do," Schneider told The Christian Post in an interview last year. "Not because I have anything against what I did; I did what I did, and I felt fine about it at the time."
"I'm not going to judge myself. But I won't do the same stuff I've done. I don't know what I'm going to do. … I want to come to it from a place of faith, a place of something good in my heart."
Schneider added, "I don't know if I can tell dirty jokes anymore. I don't know if I can. I don't know if I'm going to. I have an act I'm doing now; I don't know if I'll do it again next year."
"Just some of the bad words, I go, 'Maybe I don't want to say those words anymore.' I don't know. I also think it's important to not only talk to the converted but to bring people in, and the best form is to show by example," he continued.
"People talk all the time; that doesn't mean anything. So I hope that me standing up for what I believe in — God, family, country — I'm OK with whatever comes my way, positive or negative. When you have faith, nothing can really rock you."
Nicole Alcindor is a reporter for The Christian Post.
