Ben Stein

"For me, I've always believed that there was a God. I've always believed that God created the heavens and earth - so, for me it's not a huge leap from there to intelligent design."

"I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against."

"It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it."

"It's amazing what ordinary people can do if they set out without preconceived notions."

"Personal relationships are the fertile soil from which all advancement, all success, all achievement in real life grows."

"Screaming at children over their grades, especially to the point of the child's tears, is child abuse, pure and simple. It's not funny and it's not good parenting. It is a crushing, scarring, disastrous experience for the child. It isn't the least bit funny."

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want."

"The sad fact is that spending rises every year, no matter what people want or say they want."

"We are not supposed to be all equal. Let's just forget that. We are supposed to have equal rights under law. If we do that, we have done enough."

"When I seemed to be irritable or sad, my father would quote the learned Dr. Knight, and then say, 'Just go to sleep.' Like all smart aleck kids, I thought the advice was silly. But as I've grown older, I've realized just how smart Knight was."