To describe religions as mind viruses is sometimes interpreted as contemptuous or even hostile. It is both. I am often asked why I am so hostile to organized religion.

Creationism: God's gift to the ignorant.

Why, I can't help wondering, is God thought to need such ferocious defence? One might have supposed him amply capable of looking after himself.

A god who is capable of sending intelligible signals to millions of people simultaneously, and of receiving messages from all of them simultaneously, cannot be, whatever else he might be, simple. Such Bandwidth!

I think Douglas [Adams] is writing with an eye to irony for adults at the same time as entertaining children.

Without gradualness...we are back to a miracle.

If Bush and Blair are eventually put on trial for war crimes, I shall not be among those pressing for them to be hanged.