Of course, laughter may be every bit as common among her dangerous friends at church, but we want the kind of laughter that is barking and helpless and that arises from jaded bits of witty repartee. Bon mots about their acquaintances (not present, of course), about their parents, about their children, and, of course, about their spouses—all of this is the perfect, attractive package for what amounts to mean-spirited gossip, self-justification, and hatred.
