It's not as if I had too many friends and could afford to lose some,

But I discovered a few months ago that a woman--Irish Catholic--with whom I've been mostly friends since the late 60's believes in the existence of the Devil (or won't say that she disbelieves in Him).  And she bade me find out what Pope Francis says (and has been saying all his life) about Satan.  And I did, and was appalled, astonished and sickened.  So, after an increasingly acrimonious exchange between me and my former friend, today, I sent her this:

"Rose,

You're right.  Instead of arguing and cajoling--though I wasn't really sure what your beliefs might be (and I didn't know until, at your instance, I researched the matter, what Pope Francis believes, and I thought I should tell you what I'd discovered)--I should have obeyed my inner voice, which told me: Anybody who believes in the existence of the Devil (and that's 57% of Americans) is an idiot.  In fact, anybody who doubts that the Devil does not exist is an idiot.  And there's no point in trying to reason with idiots.  The analogy that occurs to me (of trying to reason with those incapable of reason) is wrestling with swine: they think you're being mean to them or trying to fuck them.  Go in peace.

Anatole"