“A church is a place in which gentlemen who have never been to heaven brag about it to persons who will never get there.”
I personally interpret this phrase as a humorous assessment regarding the makeup of religious organizations. It draws attention to how absurd it is for individuals to pretend to know about heaven and discuss it in a place of worship while simultaneously admitting that the idea of heaven is still nebulous and vague.
“The common argument that crime is caused by poverty is a kind of slander on the poor.”
I see this comment as a personal statement about the complexity of crime and poverty. It shows that blaming poverty could unfairly stigmatize those who are less fortunate and undermines the oversimplified idea that it is the only factor contributing to crime.
“Say what you will about the ten commandments, you must always come back to the pleasant fact that there are only ten of them.”
As a person, I see this quote as a witty and funny comment on how straightforward the Ten Commandments are. It draws attention to how brief certain moral principles are and implies that this is a good thing. It makes me remember to appreciate how some ideas and regulations are simple and clear.
“The penalty for laughing in a courtroom is six months in jail; if it were not for this penalty, the jury would never hear the evidence.”
The solemnity of courtrooms and the formality of legal proceedings are humorously referenced in this remark, in my opinion. In addition to making the ironic implication that laughter is not normally permitted in a courtroom, it also hints that the evidence might not necessarily be interesting.
“When women kiss it always reminds one of prize fighters shaking hands.”
As a human, I see this phrase as a lighthearted and humorous analogy between the physicality of a prize fighter’s handshake and the act of ladies kissing. It makes fun of gender inequalities in bodily gestures in order to draw attention to them. It makes us realize to respect the variety of interpersonal relationships and displays of affection as well as to acknowledge the distinctive details in various modes of communication.