I read Jon Winokur's The Portable Curmudgeon Reader several years back. It is filled with short quotes on a variety of subjects, as well as a few short interviews with humorists, curmdgeons, and just plain snerky people. It is a fun read.

This is from Winokur's interview of humorist PJ O'Rourke:

Can you explain the difference between Republicans and Democrats?

It's really very simple: if you think about God, he's obviously a Republican. He's a middle-aged, even elderly, white male. He's quite stern, definitely into rules and regulations, very legalistic. He holds people responsible for their actions. He holds the mortgage on literally everything on earth. He's very well-connected socially and politically—it's very difficult to get into God's heavenly country club. It's obvious from the number and condition of the poor on the earth that God is not terribly interested in their material well being. He's a Republican.

Santa Claus is obviously a Democrat. Santa Claus is jolly, he works very hard for charity. He may know everything about everybody, but he never uses it. He's kind to animals. He gives everybody everything they want without thought of a quid pro quo. He's a great guy. But unfortunately, he doesn't exist.

I related to this on so many levels, but mostly it struck me as completely nonsensical. I was conflicted between thinking O'Rourke was being ironic (or anti-ironic) to the point of incomprehension or simply simple-minded. What he basically did was compared people who believe in one nonexistent entity with people who believe in another, then blithely ridiculed only one group for believing in a mythical being.

On a deeper level, of course, it is even more disturbing. Consider that no rational adults really "believe" in Santa Claus, even if they embrace the ideals of a giving and caring supernatural being. However, an alarming number of adults irrationally believe in God, and enthusiastically embrace his judgmental and uncaring worldview. And commit unspeakable atrocities in his name.

But let's leave aside any arguments about the existence or nonexistence of supernatural entities and level the playing field by comparing apples to apples.

What PJ O'Rourke could have done, if he hadn't had a religiously biased political axe to grind, was align Democrats with Jesus. Re-read the description of Santa Claus and substitute Jesus (with the possible exception of the adjective "jolly," although Jesus might have been) and you can see what I'm talking about. Jesus is obviously a Democrat. Why did O'Rourke choose Santa Claus instead of Jesus? Well, his punch line would have fallen flat with religious fanatics, for sure. Plus, his conservative Republican cronies would have bristled at the thought they were not good Christians (which of course they are not) compared to Democrats (whom Republicans like to think of as godless).

Yes, it is just a joke, but there is a lot of conservative-thinking "truth" behind it.Wrong-headed thinking.