I take it to be an expression of deep skepticism; essentially saying that religious faith is no better than believing in fairy tales. The randomness of good fortune in the real world makes it impossible to sincerely believe in divine beings. Angels would have to be fickle and absurd for the world to operate as it really does because there is no sense to who thrives and doesn't, who suffers and who doesn't. Outcomes are a based on chance, not design. The eye wink suggests that the narrator is not fooled by what he describes but is aware it is some grand joke.
I take it to be an expression of deep skepticism; essentially saying that religious faith is no better than believing in fairy tales. The randomness of good fortune in the real world makes it impossible to sincerely believe in divine beings. Angels would have to be fickle and absurd for the world to operate as it really does because there is no sense to who thrives and doesn't, who suffers and who doesn't. Outcomes are a based on chance, not design. The eye wink suggests that the narrator is not fooled by what he describes but is aware it is some grand joke.