Notwithstanding these setbacks the dream of a beautiful American orchestra goes on and I share Dr. King's faith that each year we move inexorably closer to a magnificent opening night.

In light of these facts Republicans have put forth a variety of proposals to make Social Security remain solvent for future generations. But up to this point Democrats have chosen to oppose our good faith efforts and insist that indeed there is no problem.

I spent four months in Prague in these blue rooms reacting to nothing and you basically place your faith in the hands of the director and the special effects co-coordinator and you keep your fingers crossed and hope that the creatures look really scary.

I'm a lapsed Quaker. I don't go to meetings any more. But I'm very drawn to Catholicism - all that glitter. I'd love to be a Catholic. I think it would be fantastic - faith forgiveness absolution extreme unction - all these wonderful words. I don't think anyone who was ever born a Catholic hasn't died a Catholic no matter how lapsed they are.

The realm of immediate or personal knowledge is a narrow circle in which these bodies move the realm of knowledge derived through faith is as wide as the universe and old as eternity.

Science we are repeatedly told is the most reliable form of knowledge about the world because it is based on testable hypotheses. Religion by contrast is based on faith. The term 'doubting Thomas' well illustrates the difference.

These are strange times. Reason which once combatted faith and seemed to have conquered it now has to look to faith to save it from dissolution.

That is not to say that we can relax our readiness to defend ourselves. Our armament must be adequate to the needs but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves.

Individual responsibility hard work paying attention in school faith family all these things are important.

My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads round and green these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear.