Zuckerberg responds to a Facebook comment saying he’s no longer an atheist.
One of the world’s most wealthy people is touting the importance of religion. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, posted a Christmas and Hanukkah wish on his Facebook page on Christmas Day. Someone commented asking him why he was discussing the two religious festivals if he himself was an atheist. Zuckerberg replied saying that although there was a time when he ‘questioned things,’ he now feels religion is important.
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Says “Religion is Very Important”[/tweetthis]
Zuckerberg was raised in a Jewish family. However, he had openly stated he was an atheist. Lately his meetings with religious leaders such as Pope Francis have given rise to a host of questions about his religious beliefs. The Daily Mail reports his wife, Priscilla Chan, is Buddhist. The Christmas Day post has raised speculation as to which religion Zuckerberg himself believes in.
The Christmas Day post wished a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah because the two holidays coincided with each other. He also expressed his joy at the warmth and love that friends and family shared on the social networking site and said that this was what made him happy the most. He went on to say he hoped they would always be surrounded by friends and loved ones, and that everyone will get a chance to reflect on the meaningful things in their lives.
A Facebook user commented asking him, “but aren’t you an atheist?” To this, Zuckerberg replied said he is not. He went on to say that he was brought up in a Jewish home and admitted that there was a time when he questioned everything, indicating for a period when he was openly an atheist. He then said that he thought religion was very important for people.
Last year, Zuckerberg posted a picture of himself praying before a Buddhist shrine in China and also visited the Pope dressed in full three-piece suit – something that is very different from his usual jeans and hooded sweatshirt. His choice of attire indicated the respect he had for the religious figure he was visiting.
His wife, Priscilla is a practicing Buddhist and played a key role in helping him explore the Eastern way of life, he says.