I realize that it doesn't make much sense to pay close attention to Art Buchwald these days, but his latest column does offer a very crisp summary of how believers on the Religious Left and secular side of the news divide view things. Buchwald is having one of his conversations with Milton the Muse about politics, anger and hate and, well, this is what happens:

Milton said, "But what is really tearing the country apart is God. Every group insists they know what God wants for America. People are fighting over the Pledge Allegiance in the schools, the Ten Commandments on government property, and whether Americans came from Adam and Eve or from monkeys."

"I thought we settled that years ago," I said.

"So did most Americans, but the theories kept popping up," Milton told me. "Things really got ugly when the religious right said if you don't believe in Jesus then you are going to hell.

"Evangelicals are now going all over the country asking -- no, demanding -- that everyone be born again. . . ."

There is much that can be said about this. The interesting point for journalists (again, those who still bother to read Buchwald) is the presence of the words "So did most Americans" in his wisecrack about science debates. Actually, only a tiny percentage of Americans would back Buchwald. Then again, there are lots of Darwin critics who also believe in common descent. The lively issues are elsewhere, in the fine details of arguments about math, DNA, structures inside cells, etc.

But for a wonderful look at the tired old stereotypes, give this column a glace. It's all about sex and salvation, folks. The man is what he is.