We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.

To terrify children with the image of hell, to consider women an inferior creation - is that good for the world?

Primate and elephant and even pig societies show considerable evidence of care for others, parent-child bonding, solidarity in the face of danger, and so on.

Knowing that we are primates, I think, is a fascinating discovery, and a very interesting and rather cheering one.

Ronald Reagan said that he sought a "Star Wars" defense only in order to share the technology with the tyrants of the U.S.S.R.

Most of the utopian community ideas actually are religious. They're based more on the idea of the monastery than the commune.

I retain what's interesting to me, but I don't have a lot of strategic depth.