Neither of my parents would ever stand in the way of any of their children speaking their minds.

When you hear somebody justifying a war by citing the Almighty, I get a little worried, frankly.

What do you say to your sister who poses in the nude? It's not like you are really itching to see photographs of your sister naked. I mean, it's just something that is not too exciting.

Religion may indeed inspire acts of great kindness and courage. But it also trains people to believe things for which there is no evidence. This makes religion's intrusion into the political sphere all the more troubling.

It's just that I have this funny objection to torturing small animals no matter how scrumptious their body parts might be. ... Our food industries are equal opportunity abusers: cows, chickens, pigs, and a special mention to those little calves who for their short, miserable lives are locked into crates too small to allow movement just so we can eat veal.

I admire the fact that the central core of Buddhist teaching involves mindfulness and loving kindness and compassion.

I've never joined any political party and have no plans to do so. I'm fully independent.