Seneca

I have no clue who Lucius Annaeus Seneca is, but I reckon he would make a really good speechwriter in today's world. His wikiquote page is riddled with good sound bites, here's a couple that I would love to always have with me: 

The wise man will live as long as he ought, not as long as he can.

and

I do not distinguish by the eye, but by the mind, which is the proper judge of the man.

This one, I feel, explains in a nutshell why I don't believe in religion:

Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.

I have friends and family who are devout in their respective faith, and I don't knock it for those who believe in it. But I've long stopped trusting religion because I've seen ample evidence that it does more to separate you and me, he and she and they and them instead of uniting us all as one who inhabit this earth. I know that is a very idealistic spiel, but just as you are entitled to pray to whomever you want, it is just as permissible for me to hang on to my idealism, right?