Ostensibly rigorous and realistic contemporary conservatism is an ideology of denial. Its symbol is a smile button.

I think every religious person should have a deep sense of respect for other people's religious documents and religious symbols just as we were deeply opposed to the Taliban destroying the two historic buddhas which they blew up. So I think we ought to all oppose burning the Koran.

Personally I don't choose any particular religion or symbol or group of words or teachings to define me. That's between me and the most high. You know my higher self. The Creator.

But even in the Christian religion much of its real meaning is hidden by words that are misleading and symbols that but few understand.

This week the world gathers in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic games. This is the extraordinary moment China has been dreaming of for 100 years. People have been longing for this moment because it symbolises a turning point in China's relationship with the outside world.

I've become invested with this symbolic power. It really does transcend what I'm actually doing and what I actually deserve.

The chief function of the city is to convert power into form energy into culture dead matter into the living symbols of art biological reproduction into social creativity.

It seems to me the Washington Monument is a symbol of America's power. It has been the symbol of our great nation. We look at the symbol and we say 'this is one nation under God.'

The simplest and most basic meaning of the symbol of the Goddess is the acknowledgment of the legitimacy of female power as a beneficent and independent power.

Vote: the instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.

And inasmuch as the bridge is a symbol of all such poetry as I am interested in writing it is my present fancy that a year from now I'll be more contented working in an office than ever before.

The World Trade Center is a living symbol of man's dedication to world peace... a representation of man's belief in humanity his need for individual dignity his beliefs in the cooperation of men and through cooperation his ability to find greatness.

Imagine the peace symbol. The peace symbol has three pieces in it. One piece is emotion that's your body. Another piece has spirit in it that's your fuel. Another piece has intellect in it and that's your steering wheel. You can never overdo the fuel that goes into the body which is the emotions and the steering wheel to drive it.

My commitment to the Republican movement was pure and simply patriotism a love of Australia... a desire or passion that all of our national symbols should be unequivocally and unambiguously Australian.

Nature is a temple in which living columns sometimes emit confused words. Man approaches it through forests of symbols which observe him with familiar glances.

When we talk about Oscars it's almost as a symbol of excellence and the American public and the worldwide public accept that symbol. So a movie like 'The Artist' that costs $14 million has to go out and compete with movies that cost $140 million. How does David deal with Goliath?

I wake up every morning look in the mirror and ask 'Am I a sex symbol?' Then I go back to bed again. It's stupid to think that way.