Jack Welch, former corporate chief at General Electric, grew up as a devoted Irish-Catholic. He was an altar boy, and later, as an adult, he was known to travel more than an hour to attend mass.

His commitment to faith changed, however, 34 years ago, when his mother died of a heart attack. In his book, Jack: Straight From the Gut, he writes, "I felt cheated, angry, and mad at God for taking my mother away." He still claims to believe in God, but says he lost his heart for religion and no longer attends church.