As some of GetReligion's readers have observed in our Comments feature, gay marriage is a frequent topic in this space. It's a topic I would love to set aside, were it not such an inescapable talking point in religion circles and, by extension, on the Godbeat. In a brief essay in the July/August Atlantic on conservative talk radio (and leftist equivalents), P.J. O'Rourke proves that the gay-marriage debate need not proceed in a humor-free zone.

The author of Republican Party Reptile and many other books, one of several people appearing in the documentary Breakfast With Hunter and chatting partner with Clive James (click here for a 30-minute webcast that touches on O'Rourke's non-aggressive Methodism) delivers this zinger that should prove popular among Log Cabin Republicans:

I am a little to the right of Rush Limbaugh. I'm so conservative that I approve of San Francisco City Hall marriages, adoption by same-sex couples, and New Hampshire's recently ordained Episcopal bishop. Gays want to get married, have children, and go to church. Next they'll be advocating school vouchers, boycotting HBO, and voting Republican.