Paul's words are not the Words of God. They are the words of Paul- a vast difference.

I've probably read maybe by now fifteen, twenty books on Matthew. I'd say the authors I like best are an English fellow named Michael Goulder, who taught at the University of Birmingham in England, and he writes about the Jewish background in Matthew's gospel, which is part of what I was just talking about, which is just really thrilling to me.

All religion seems to need to prove that it's the only truth. And that's where it turns demonic. Because that's when you get religious wars and persecutions and burning heretics at the stake.

There's an awful lot of biblical ignorance, and the church perpetuates that ignorance.

You can't have a world where 50 percent of the people are dieting and 50 percent of the people are starving if you want stability.

I think one of the things we've got to look out for is human beings claiming that they know how God operates.

I cannot say my yes to legends that have been clearly and fancifully created. If I could not move my search beyond angelic messengers, empty tombs, and ghostlike apparitions, I could not say yes to Easter.