1988 AD - Saddam Hussein discovers fire. 1997 AD - Citing instability in oceans, the Christian Coalition flexes its political muscles by banning continental drift. That will give you the idea. For further illustrations, consult Voltaire, Mark Twain, or any of the many other brilliant satirists who have enriched the human experience over the millenia. The point is that people are full of contradictions, contradictions are the stuff of humor, and it can be great fun, as well as devastating criticism, to highlight the motes and warts in other people's behavior, or arguments, or fond and cherished beliefs.
Satire is effective with people standing on the sidelines.
It is usually less effective with the people it is directed against. When your whole view of the world, your philosophy of life, your moral and ethical code is challenged, your normal reaction is angry denial. Getting people mad is not always the best way to persuade them. Humanist thought is gradually taking over in much of the world, but it is a slow process. There are still far too many true believers, particularly in the United States, where they have recently been demonstrating unexpected political clout.