“To put it as simply as possible: I am not a Muslim.[...] I do not accept the charge of apostacy, because I have never in my adult life affirmed any belief, and what one has not affirmed one can not be said to have apostasized from. The Islam I know states clearly that 'there can be no coercion in matters of religion'. The many Muslims I respect would be horrified by the idea that they belong to their faith purely by virtue of birth, and that a person who freely chose not to be a Muslim could therefore be put to death.” KnowsPersonsSaidIdeasMatterStatesWould BeReligionBeliefAcceptingVirtueBirthAdultsIslamCan NotCoercion Author:Salman Rushdie
“In matters concerning religion, I consider myself not a child but an adult with 35 years of experience.” YearsChildrenMatterReligionAdultsYears Of Experience Book:Collected Works Source: Collected Works
“Norway, Iceland, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the United Kingdom are among the least religious societies on earth. According to the United Nations' Human Development Report (2005), they are also the healthiest, as indicated by life expectancy, adult literacy, per capita income, educational attainment, gender equality, homicide rate, and infant mortality. . . . Conversely, the fifty nations now ranked lowest in terms of the United Nations' human development index are unwaveringly religious.” HumansEarthReligionNationsTermReligiousUnitedDevelopmentAdultsRateEducationalGenderIncomeKingdomsFiftyReportsCanadaJapanAustraliaMortalityLowestLiteracyUnited NationsInfantAttainmentGender EqualityHuman DevelopmentSwedenBelgiumSwitzerlandUnited KingdomHomicideDenmarkExpectancyNorwayIcelandNetherlandsLife ExpectancyInfant Mortality Book:Letter to a Christian Nation Source: Letter to a Christian Nation