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.

The problem with religion, because it's been sheltered from criticism, is that it allows people to believe en masse what only idiots or lunatics could believe in isolation.

Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes like this, or he doesn't care to, or he doesn't exist. God is either impotent, evil, or imaginary. Take your pick, and choose wisely.

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

We have a choice. We have two options as human beings. We have a choice between conversation and war. That's it. Conversation and violence. And faith is a conversation stopper.

How we pay attention to the present moment...determin es the character of our experience and...the quality of our lives.

You can do what you decide to do — but you cannot decide what you will decide to do.

How can we be “free” as conscious agents if everything that we consciously intend is caused by events in our brain that we do not intend and of which we are entirely unaware? We can’t.

You don't get anything worth getting, by pretending to know things you don't know.

Jesus Christ—who, as it turns out, was born of a virgin, cheated death, and rose bodily into the heavens—can now be eaten in the form of a cracker

The position of the Muslim community in the face of all provocations seems to be: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn't, we will kill you.

Don't grieve over the past, It's all gone!Don't worry about the future, It may never come! Live in the present, And enjoy every moment

Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first the lesson afterwards.

Necessity is the constant scourge of the lower classes ennui of the higher ones.

Far too many people—many of them academics, many politicians—continue to jabber about a supposed 'special relationship' between our two coun

Some software is actually pretty good, by any standard. Think of the Mars Rovers, Google, and the Human Genome Project. Now, that's quality software!

We determine how much influence we'll have, when we decide how available we'll be.

The measure of our intellectual capacity is the capacity to feel less and less satisfied with our answers to better and better problems.

Most artists try to avoid cliches, but it's pretty hard to avoid them if you yourself end up being one.

I like ambiguity. I think it's so much more interesting to play than an overtly good or an overtly evil person.

I am none of those nonsensical fools that can whine and make romantic love--I leave that to younger brothers. Let my estate speakfor me.