A puppet is free as long as he loves his strings.

Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious. Unfortunately, we live in a world in which the obvious is overlooked as a matter of principle.

The principal tenet of Jainism is non-harming. Observant Jains will literally not harm a fly. Fundamentalist Jainism and fundamentalist Islam do not have the same consequences, neither logically nor behaviorally.

Anyone familiar with my work knows that I am extremely critical of all religious faiths.

I think it [getting a gun] should be like getting a pilot's license. I think you should require training to get a license to have a gun.

Religious faith obscures uncertainty where uncertainty . . . exists, allowing the unknown, the implausible, and the . . . false to achieve primacy over the facts.

False encouragement is a kind of theft: it steals time, energy, and motivation a person could put toward some other purpose.