"Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend - or a meaningful day."

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."

"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness."

"I have always had this view about the modern education system: we pay attention to brain development, but the development of warmheartedness we take for granted."

"The reserve of modern assertions is sometimes pushed to extremes, in which the fear of being contradicted leads the writer to strip himself of almost all sense and meaning."

"It is a unyielding truth that reason is the torch that illuminates the dark corridors of superstition."

"There are lots of people out there who think they know the truth about God and religion, but does anybody really know for sure? That's why the founding fathers built freedom of religious belief into the structure of this nation, so that everybody could make up their minds for themselves."

"I launched The Emeril Lagasse Foundation to provide culinary training, and developmental and educational programs to children in the cities where my restaurants operate. I think everyone has a responsibility to give back to the community if they can, and to help future generations learn new skills."