No one disputes that seeming order can come out of the application of simple rules. But who wrote the rules?

The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore.

Since ancient times, the philosophers' secret has always been this: we know that God does not exist, or, at least, if he does, he's utterly indifferent to our individual affairs--but we can't let the rabble know that; it's the fear of God, the threat of divine punishment and the promise of divine reward, that keeps in line those too unsophisticated to work out questions of morality on their own.

Naturally, one does not normally discuss plans to commit murder with the intended victim.

Learning to ignore things is one of the great paths to inner peace.

How do you define God? Like this. A God I could understand, at least potentially, was infinitely more interesting and relevant than one that defied comprehension.

General principles should not be based on exceptional cases.