Karl Popper on Religion and God

In an interview that Popper gave in 1969 with the condition that it shall be kept secret until after his death, he summarized his position on God as follows: I don!t know whether God e"ists or not# ### $ome forms of atheism are arrogant and ignorant and should be re%ected, but agnosticism&to admit that we don!t know and to search&is all right# ### 'hen I look at what I call the gift of life, I feel a gratitude which is in tune with some religious ideas of God# (owever, the moment I even speak of it, I am embarrassed that I ma) do something wrong to God in talking about God# (e ob%ected to organized religion, sa)ing it tends to use the name of God in vain , noting the danger of fanaticism because of religious conflicts: *he whole thing goes back to m)ths which, though the) ma) have a kernel of truth, are untrue# 'h) then should the +ewish m)th be true and the Indian and ,g)ptian m)ths not be true- In a letter unrelated to the interview, he stressed his tolerant attitude: .lthough I am not for religion, I do think that we should show respect for an)bod) who believes honestl)