We show deference to the civil authorities when they respect the divine origin of their power and when they serve the people with objective reference to the law of God.

When I speak of 'cycles ' I am referring to lengthy intervals of relative homogeneity if not in the resolving of problems than at least with respect to the consistency of their capacity to productively irritate.

As a politician you have to deal with someone wanting you to fail every day. I think I prefer being in a situation where generally people are rooting for me and if they aren't rooting for me they aren't out there to see my downfall. I respect the people who have the stomach for it.

What I respect as far as in myself and in others is the spirit of just doing it. For better or worse it may work and it may not but I'm going to go for it. Ultimately I probably prefer to be respected for that than whether it works out or not either winning or losing.

How do you live with evil? Art is traditionally - certainly with my secular background - the answer but art is very self-referential whereas religion claims to go beyond the bounds of human existence.

It is very reasonable to worry about the harm done by organized religion and to prefer looser and more private arrangements.

There are a lot of Grinches out there that would like nothing better than to take any references to religion out of the holiday season.

Religious people often prefer to be right rather than compassionate. Often they don't want to give up their egotism. They want their religion to endorse their ego their identity.

War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity it destroys religion it destroys states it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.

I especially object to having my character assassinated by reference to events from my past which bear absolutely no relationship to the question of who the anthrax killer is.