Our country's political discourse and debate are enriched by discussions of the political implications of our faith traditions whether they are taking place in our communities at our dinner tables or in our places of worship.

I am an Episcopalian who takes the faith of my fathers seriously and I would I think be disheartened if my own young children were to turn away from the church when they grow up. I am also a critic of Christianity if by critic one means an observer who brings historical and literary judgment to bear on the texts and traditions of the church.

An unexamined faith is not worth having for fundamentalism and uncritical certitude entail the rejection of one of the great human gifts: that of free will of the liberty to make up our own minds based on evidence and tradition and reason.

If children understand that beliefs should be substantiated with evidence as opposed to tradition authority revelation or faith they will automatically work out for themselves that they are atheists.

America traditionally represents the greatest possibility of someone's going from nothing to something. Why? In theory if not practice the government stays out of the way and lets individuals take risks and reap rewards or accept the consequences of failure. We call this capitalism - or at least we used to.

The traditional religious right's failure to restore public-school prayer or pass an antiabortion constitutional amendment has likely helped fuel the spread of the more extreme dominionist school.

Once you're in a particular country and you're surrounded by musicians who are so adept at traditional music you suddenly realize how much there is to explore and digest and learn and experience.

Great art - or good art - is when you look at it experience it and it stays in your mind. I don't think conceptual art and traditional art are all that different.

At times I experience hardship in trying to find the proper point of balance between traditional things and my own personality.

We must recover the element of quality in our traditional pursuit of equality. We must not in opening our schools to everyone confuse the idea that all should have equal chance with the notion that all have equal endowments.