Did you know that Angelina Jolie and BILL GATES are Atheist?

Question

In the September 6, 2000 edition of The Onion A.V. Club titled "Is There A God?", celebrities were asked the question. Jolie was among those asked.


The Onion: Is there a God?

Angelina Jolie: Hmm... For some people. I hope so, for them. For the people who believe in it, I hope so. There doesn't need to be a God for me.


http://www.celebatheists.com/index.php?title=Angelina_Jolie

Frost: Do you believe in the Sermon on the Mount?

Gates: I don't. I'm not somebody who goes to church on a regular basis. The specific elements of Christianity are not something I'm a huge believer in.

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Believer's%20Corner/meet_a_few_atheists.htm

Answer 1

That doesn't necessarily mean that they are atheists. Angelina said there doesn't NEED to be a God for me--that doesn't mean she won't bring her child up religiously (and possibly get back into it herself).

Gates just said he doesn't go to church on a REGULAR basis--lots of people don't. He continues that the SPECIFIC ELEMENTS of Christianity... -- that doesn't mean he doesn't believe in God--he may not agree with organized religion.

Answer 2

For Angelina Jolie's answer I don't belive she was trying to come out as an athiest. I think what she was trying to say is that she finds faith in other things,not just god. She didnot say that she was completly against him. A lot of people doubt God's existence at some point when things aren't going great. This might be her time.
And Bill Gates never said so either. He said he doesn't follow all the Christian "requirements". Neither do I.
So I will stand up for these god believing celebs!

PS: why were u looking at a magazine from Sep.2000 neway?

Answer 3

invoice gates has reported that he has no idea if there's a God or not. i do not learn about Angelina Jolie. i do not imagine invoice Gates provides that decision a lot concept. "Angelina Jolie does not p.c. out herself with any unmarried faith, nor has she declared herself an atheist (opposite to the claims of a few atheist web pages {5}). the topic of religion has hardly arise in her interviews, so her beliefs about such issues as God and the afterlife at the instantaneous are not properly documented."

Answer 4

Bill Gates wife Melinda is a Catholic. Notice that Mr. Gates said the "specifics" about religion. He did not say he did not believe in God.

Answer 5

You don't particularly need to be religious to still be a moral, ethical person. I think Jolie and Gates are of the stance that they don't adhere to the fear of damnation or hell advocated by organized religion to act as decent human beings. They are both independent thinkers who do not need the confining parameters of a set system of thought such as that dictated by organized religion. Many of us, who are believers, do find parts of the Bible confusing, contradictory and when one looks back on past history, especially the era of the Crusades, for instance, where thousands of innocent people were killed in the name of religion, it is seen as more of a scourge rather than a salvation for humanity. Look at the conflicts that exist today in the name of religion in the Middle East. Man is guilty of taking these beliefs too far and innocent people become victims. I think of various priests who have harmed young children by their pedophilic actions. Here is where religion is distorting the human heart and mind. Jolie and Gates are both very intelligent beings. They can think outside of the box. They don't need fire and brimstone to be ethical people. Religion has the power to corrupt also, and that is more likely their feeling as well. A lot of fanaticism can arise out of religious beliefs. Look at all the wierd cults in days gone by. The Jamestown massacres, the Sun Yung Moon cult, and others, where people join all in the name of whatever religion, and turn into zombies. Not all religious affirmations are honorable. You are misunderstanding Jolie and Gates' choices to be non-committal to any system of religious thought. I think they are both voicing a sensitivity that too much destruction has arisen from religion as a whole and they would rather lead lives of truth and honor without the pomp and circumstance and death and dishonor from the rigidities of adhering to any school of religious thought. It does not mean you live without conscience. Man can live by the Golden Rule, the do unto others as you would have them do unto you idea, and that's all the religion anyone needs. I don't understand religious people, (I'm a believer but not a bible-thumper), who are threatened or dismayed by others who do not follow any religion. It is possible to live your life with an impeccable set of personal standards not based on any religious ideology. Some need to be governed over by fear of going to hell and others need no such fears to yet live their lives with truth and honesty. C'est la vie!

Answer 6

There are many more atheists in the world than Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie.

Answer 7

I only found out about Jolie recently, but did know it about Gates.

Hooray for them!

Eldad: but John Wozniak is also an atheist!

Answer 8

Well, let's see--neither said they didn't believe in God--both would qualify as agnostics, not atheists.

And they bot h act more like Christians than alll of the so-called fakes who have nothing better to do than run around trying to discredit anyone decent who doesn't happen to subscribe to their own set of belliefs.

Answer 9

Gates doesn't claim to be atheist, just non-Christian. He also said, in that same interview, "I don't know if there's a god or not," which would classify him as an agnostic.

Answer 10

Interesting. Those two athiests are doing wonderful things to make the world better. Just another example of how their is NO correlation between religion and morality.