Ten years ago, the satirical newspaper The Onion asked a bunch of prominent people–great and not-so-great thinkers, artists, actors, and others–if they believed in God.
Some of the answers are surprising–Wes Anderson, who directed The Fantastic Mr. Fox, gave a true storyteller’s answer: “Hopefully.” Others are unexpectedly hilarious: Rod Roddy, the announcer on The Price Is Right, said, “Yes. Otherwise, I would have to admit I’ve only been talking to myself all these years.” And some are brutally honest: singer-songwriter Ani Difranco told them: “I do not assign responsibility to a higher being. I think that we’re responsible to each other, and God is a metaphor.”
Sort through the answers, and you’ll find what we already knew: That believing in God is never as simple as “yes” or “no”–not only are there shades of grey, but there are a million different ways to believe. Perhaps the most enlightening quote comes from Mickey Dolenz, drummer for the ’60s band The Monkees: “No. God is a verb, not a noun.” Meaning, perhaps, that what Godmeans is up to each of us.
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