2007-10-12 01:45:43 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
He would say this extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. [Carl Sagan]
In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. [Carl Sagan, 1987
You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep seated need to believe. [Dr. Arroway in Carl Sagan's Contact (New York: Pocket Books, 1985]
The major religions on the Earth contradict each other left and rightYou can't all be correct. And what if all of you are wrong? It's a possibility, you know. You must care about the truth, right? Well, the way to winnow through all the differing contentions is to be skeptical. I'm not any more skeptical about your religious beliefs than I am about every new scientific idea I hear about. But in my line of work, they're called hypotheses, not inspiration and not revelation. [Dr. Arroway in Carl Sagan's Contact (New York: Pocket Books, 1985), p. 162. ]
# nything you don't understand, Mr. Rankin, you attribute to God. God for you is where you sweep away all the mysteries of the world, all the challenges to our intelligence. You simply turn your mind off and say God did it. [Dr. Arroway in Carl Sagan's Contact (New York: Pocket Books, 1985), p. 166.]
# The question [Do you believe in God?] has a peculiar structure. If I say no, do I mean I'm convinced God doesn't exist, or do I mean I'm not convinced he does exist? Those are two very different questions. [Dr. Arroway in Carl Sagan's Contact (New York: Pocket Books, 1985), p. 168.]
You see, the religious people -- most of them -- really think this planet is an experiment. That's what their beliefs come down to. Some god or other is always fixing and poking, messing around with tradesmen's wives, giving tablets on mountains, commanding you to mutilate your children, telling people what words they can say and what words they can't say, making people feel guilty about enjoying themselves, and like that. Why can't the gods leave well enough alone? All this intervention speaks of incompetence. If God didn't want Lot's wife to look back, why didn't he make her obedient, so she'd do what her husband told her? Or if he hadn't made Lot such a shithead, maybe she would've listened to him more. If God is omnipotent and omniscient, why didn't he start the universe out in the first place so it would come out the way he wants? Why's he constantly repairing and complaining? No, there's one thing the Bible makes clear: The biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, he's not good at execution. He'd be out of business if there was any competition. [Sol Hadden in Carl Sagan's Contact (New York: Pocket Books, 1985), p. 285.]
This is my favorite one as well as the first quote
We should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. [Carl Sagan, on secular morality]
2007-10-12 02:11:04 · answer #1 · answered by Imagine No Religion 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Carl Sagan's book with his wife Ann Druyan " The Shadow's of our Forgotten Ancestors," is beautiful. "Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people." - Carl Sagan "For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." Carl Sagan
2016-05-22 01:36:37 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does anything Carl Sagan says really matter?
God is real......and He created Mr. Sagan too....whether he believes that or not.
2007-10-12 01:51:18 · answer #3 · answered by primoa1970 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
He was clearly an atheist. He was a big inspiration to me when I was in high school and college.
2007-10-12 01:49:14 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not much anymore, his being dead and all.
He was an atheist so did not have much to say about God when he was alive.
He now knows the truth of the matter.
2007-10-12 01:52:18 · answer #5 · answered by credo quia est absurdum 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
he's either an atheist.. or held a similar belief to Einstein .... but I'll go with atheist, to be on the safe side
2007-10-12 02:09:43 · answer #6 · answered by I'm an Atheist 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nothing. He died years ago.
& I bet he's got no regrets wherever he is.
HE had billions & billions & billions of options.
.
2007-10-12 23:36:03 · answer #7 · answered by Rai A 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
peace
2007-10-12 01:50:45 · answer #8 · answered by zee zee 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, if we could hear him, he undoubtedly says, "Oops..."
2007-10-12 02:00:53 · answer #9 · answered by Open Heart Searchery 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋