My Study Of Religion, Which I Regard

Far From Being The Father Of Jihad, [prophet] Mohammad Was A Peacemaker, Who Risked His Life And Nearly Lost The Loyalty Of His Closest Companions Because He Was Determined To Effect A Reconciliation With Mecca

We Want To Create, Never Mind The Leaders Or The Bishops Or Chief Rabbis Or Imams, Or Popes. We Want To Create A Grassroots Movement Where People Will Become Attuned To Uncompassionate Discourse In The Same Way As We Are Now Attuned To Sort Of Gender Imbalance In Our Speech.

I Left The Convent And That Was Because I Wasn't A Very Good Nun. I Could See That I Wasn't Going To Make It. It's Very Difficult To Be A Nun, Or To Live A Religious Life. It's Very Difficult To Live A Life Of Total Celibacy Or A Life Without Any Possessions Or Material Responsibilities At All, Or In Total Obedience To Somebody Else, And Remain A Mature Whole Human Being, And I Knew That I Wasn't Going To Be One Of Those.

I Was A Lousy Nun. I Couldn't Do It. I Couldn't Find God. It Wasn't Suitable For Me. It Is Suitable For Very Few People.

Eventually, With Regret, I Left The Religious Life, And, Once Freed Of The Burden Of Failure And Inadequacy, I Felt My Belief In God Slip Quietly Away. He Had Never Really Impinged Upon My Life, Though I Had Done My Best To Enable Him To Do So. Now That I No Longer Felt So Guilty And Anxious About Him, He Became Too Remote To Be A Reality.