Mark Zuckerberg says
he is NOT an atheist and believes 'religion is very
important'
Clemence Michallon
Dailymail.com 30 December 2016
*Facebook founder dispelled
doubts on his religious beliefs on Christmas
Day
*Had written a post wishing
his followers merry Christmas and happy
Hanukkah
*Someone responded by
asking Zuckerberg: 'But aren't you atheist?'
[sic]
*Zuckerberg replied saying
he had 'questioned things' at one point but said he wasn't
an atheist and pointed out he was raised
Jewish
*He did not however specify
what he believes in and whether he practices any specific
religion
Facebook founder Mark
Zuckerberg has clarified that he is not an atheist, ending years of
speculation about his religious beliefs.
The revelation came in a
comment underneath a post Zuckerberg originally posted on Christmas
Day, wishing his followers a merry Christmas and a happy
Hanukkah.
Someone asked: 'But aren't
you atheist [sic]?' prompting Zuckerberg to say he was not and that
he believes religion to be 'very important'.
Zuckerberg, who was raised
Jewish, has cultivated an interest in Buddhism through his wife and
met the Pope last summer, did not elaborate on his beliefs and did
not explicitly say if he subscribed to a specific
movement.
Mark Zuckerberg said in a
Facebook post on Christmas Day that he is not an atheist as many
thought, and revealed that after a period of questioning he
believes religion is 'very important'
The revelation came
underneath a post in which Zuckerberg wished his followers a merry
Christmas and a happy Hanukkah on December
The tech billionaire
acknowledged that he went through a time when he 'questioned
things' as he tried to figure out his stance on
religion.
'I was raised Jewish and
then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I
believe religion is very important,' he wrote.
His original Christmas Day
post wished his followers merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah from
himself, his wife Priscilla Chan, their one-year-old daughter Max
and their dog Beast.
'Seeing the moments of joy
and family shared on Facebook today is one of my favorite things
about our community,' Zuckerberg wrote.
'I hope you're surrounded
by friends and loved ones, and that you have a chance to reflect on
all the meaningful things in your life.
'May the light of your
friendships continue to brighten your life and our entire
world.'
Zuckerberg's wife practices
Buddhism, a religion that Zuckerberg explored further last year
during a trip to China.
'I had the opportunity to
visit Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an and offer a prayer for peace and
health for the world and for my family,'
After a period during which
he 'questioned things', Zuckerberg feels that religion is an
important part of life
'Priscilla is Buddhist and
asked me to offer a prayer from her as well. Buddhism is an amazing
religion and philosophy, and I have been learning more about it
over time. I hope to continue understanding the faith more
deeply.'
Zuckerberg and Chan met
Pope Francis at the Vatican this summer and on that occasion too
shared a heartfelt message.
'We told him how much we
admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and how he's found new
ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world,
Zuckerberg wrote.
'We also discussed the
importance of connecting people, especially in parts of the world
without internet access.
'We gave him a model of
Aquila, our solar-powered aircraft that will beam internet
connectivity to places that don't have it. And we shared our work
with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to help people around the
world.
'It was a meeting we'll
never forget. You can feel his warmth and kindness, and how deeply
he cares about helping people.'