Forgiveness is the most important thing. We all have to forgive what was done to us - the Irish people have to forgive. The African people. The Jewish people. We all have to forgive and understand the only way to stop the cycle of hate and abuse is not to allow yourself to get caught in it.

I think a lot of artists go waving their Grammies around thanking God for their Grammy, but when it comes to a pitch battle in the street for the honor of God, none of them is anywhere to be found.

It should be a crime to abandon your child, and it's not. It would be wonderful if it could be criminalized.

I am someone who really does believe very strongly in the Holy Spirit. I feel I'm someone who, since I was a very, very small child, of being engaged in a very strong relationship with the Holy Spirit.

In my belief, there's one spirit. I prefer to call it the Holy Spirit. I don't think it matters if you call it God or Allah or Jesus or Fred or David or too early in the morning or whatever.

I know that I have done many things to give you reason not to listen to me

People often talk about me as a singer, but they don't often talk about you when you're a woman as a songwriter.