We must respect the other fellow's religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children are smart.

More from H. L. Mencken

• A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.
• A man may be a fool and not know it – but not if he is married.
• Creator — A comedian whose audience is afraid to laugh.
• Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
• Explanations exist; they have existed for all times, for there is always an easy solution to every human problem – neat, plausible, and wrong.
• Explanations exist; they have existed for all times, for there is always an easy solution to every human problem - neat, plausible, and wrong. 'The Divine Afflatus,' in the New York Evening Mail, November 15, 1917