Dawkins considers that all faith is blind faith and that Christian and Muslim children are brought up to believe unquestioningly. Not even the dim-witted clerics who knocked me about at grammar school thought that.

Well I've never left my faith - but have I made a lot of mistakes? But was I fortunate that I was brought up in that Pentecostal church where I heard about God's love and God's forgiveness.

It's possible that the 2012 general-election race will be the least overtly religious one since 1972 the last campaign before Roe v. Wade and the rise of Jimmy Carter brought evangelicalism into the political mainstream. That's because faith remains a complicated issue for Obama who is still wrongly thought to be a Muslim in some quarters.

Those of us who were brought up as Christians and have lost our faith have retained the sense of sin without the saving belief in redemption. This poisons our thought and so paralyses us in action.

I come now to tell you for what I am brought here to die and to give you an account of my faith which I shall do as in the sight of the living God before whom I am shortly to stand.

You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces - my family my friends and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.

I was brought up to believe that there is no such thing as failure as long as I'm trying my best. So I've had a 'blood guts and glory' approach through my whole life.

I'd like to see much more understanding of emotional issues around hurt abandonment disappointment longing failure and shame where they stem from and how they drive people and policies brought into public discourse.

We judged that a sudden disorderly failure of Bear would have brought with it unpredictable but severe consequences for the functioning of the broader financial system and the broader economy with lower equity prices further downward pressure on home values and less access to credit for companies and households.

Every great work every big accomplishment has been brought into manifestation through holding to the vision and often just before the big achievement comes apparent failure and discouragement.

When he brought it to me four years ago Rodney King had just arrived I was involved in the clean-up of L.A. and I guess it was part of my experience.

My own experience is that a certain kind of genius among students is best brought out in bed.

There are many truths of which the full meaning cannot be realized until personal experience has brought it home.

The purpose that brought the fourteenth amendment into being was equality before the law and equality not separation was written into the law.

No advance in wealth no softening of manners no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimeter nearer.

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in Liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

But I like going to church. If you've been brought up in the Church of England it feels like visiting an elderly relative. And I think it's important that part of the kids' education is knowing about the Bible.