I can't prove that God doesn't exist, but I'd much rather live in a universe without one.

The lack of understanding of something is not evidence for God. It's evidence of a lack of understanding.

The purpose of education is not to validate ignorance but to overcome it.

I like to say that while antimatter may seem strange, it is strange in the sense that Belgians are strange. They are not really strange; it is just that one rarely meets them.

Without science, everything is a miracle.

As a scientist, I don't believe anything. Science shouldn't use the word belief. There are things more likely and less likely. Science can say nothing with absolute certainty.

[The writers of the holy books] did not even know the earth revolves around the sun. Why are we listening?

Forget Jesus. The stars died so that you could be here today.

Keeping religion immune from criticism is both unwarranted and dangerous.

Whatever the evolutionary basis of religion, the xenophobia it now generates is clearly maladaptive.

It is a shame when nonsense can substitute for fact with impunity.

Life is a precious gift, but we realize this only when we are in the end. Change it.

A lot of cultures believe you take the placenta and you bury it and plant something.

In a district of ten families, there must be someone as honorable and sincere as I, but none as fond of learning.

I think it would be great if we got along with Russia because we could fight ISIS together, as an example.

I fell into shame like a suicide throws herself into a river. (253)

By and large, serious fiction was the work of victims who portrayed victims for an audience of victims who, it was oddly assumed, would want to see their lives realistically portrayed.

Live your life as though your every act were to become a universal law.

I think faith can be anything. It can be believing in yourself, or if you believe there's a higher being that's watching over you.

Hip-hop is a voice for voiceless poor people.

I don't go for films that exalt violence. I don't want them in my house. Sometimes my children see them. But nowadays they do it so truthfully and with so much passion that you are shocked.