Imagine if you lived in a city where everyone still believed in Santa Claus. Not just the children, but grown, educated adults.
Imagine that they believed that Santa Claus was real, that he was watching us, making his list, checking it twice, with an army of elves to help him keep track of our actions and deeds. If Santa concluded that we were good, he would reward us. If he believed we were bad, we would be punished.
Imagine that these people believed strongly enough in Santa Claus to write to him regularly and ask him for things -- not just the children, but all the adults too. But no one had ever really seen him, or his elves, or his reindeer pulling his sleigh across the sky. They just had faith that he was there.
Imagine that whenever you asked one of them to prove Santa's existence, they responded with, "Well, you can't disprove it." And you knew they were right -- no one can ever really prove that Santa Claus DOESN'T exist.
Imagine that every time you tried to bring up how juvenile and delusional it is for grown, educated adults to believe in Santa and his elves, you were admonished and told to address their belief in Santa with "respect." You were told not to use words like "delusional" or "ridiculous" to describe this unwavering belief of grown adults -- in Santa Claus.
Imagine if a small group of these people were actually ready to kill you if you mocked or questioned the idea of Santa Claus -- or even Rudolph.
Imagine that this belief was being taught in science classes. Or was being used to justify violence, harsh corporal punishments, and war against those who dared to question it -- or worse, against those who believed in the Tooth Fairy instead.
Imagine seeing all of this happen in your city every day. Imagine your Harvard-educated mayor asking for Santa's blessing after every public speech.
Imagine wanting to honestly and openly talk about how mind-blowingly ridiculous it is for a majority of grown adults around you (including many whom you love and otherwise respect) to really, genuinely believe in Santa -- but holding your tongue for fear of being accused of "bigotry" against Santa Claus believers.
Imagine, then, being forced to treat their beliefs with "respect" -- and always having to discuss them as if you're taking them seriously -- when deep inside, you despise these beliefs for their sheer, utter wickedness and stupidity.
THAT'S what it's like.
