When permitted to listen to alternative opinions and engage in substantive debate, people have been known to change their minds. It can happen.

Real patriots ask questions.

I think the discomfort that some people feel in going to the monkey cages at the zoo is a warning sign.

There is a lurking fear that some things are not “meant" to be known, that some inquiries are too dangerous for human beings to make.

An atheist has to know a lot more than I know. An atheist is someone who knows there is no god. By some definitions atheism is very stupid.

You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand. It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience..... To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.