“[I]t is difficult to imagine a set of beliefs more suggestive of mental illness than those that lie at the heart of many of our religious traditions.”

“I have learned to prize holy ignorance more highly than religious certainty and to seek companions who have arrived at the same place. We are a motley crew, distinguished not only by our inability to explain ourselves to those who are more certain of their beliefs than we are but in many cases by our distance from the centers of our faith communities as well.”

“Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.”

“The fear of displeasing God and failing our religious responsibilities is so great that it pushes most members to do anything for the priesthood. For many women, this means they must sacrifice their own desires, needs, and feelings to conform to those of their husband and their religious beliefs.”

“There are sins much more serious than socio-pathologies which really are mental illnesses, whereas self-righteousness is an illness of the soul.”

“Really, becoming a writer sounds more like a mental illness than a professional choice.”