Q4: I heard that [philosopher/scientist/imporant person] believed in God; isn't it arrogant to think you're smarter than [important person]?

Patrick Julius answers: Plenty of important people have been atheists too; does that make theists arrogant? Plenty of important people have been Buddhists and Catholics and Jews and Muslims; does that make everyone who is not a Buddhist and a Catholic and a Jew and a Muslim (read: everyone in the world) arrogant? Obviously not. Smart people can be wrong, and often are. I don't think Kierkegaard was an idiot for believing in God; I just think he was wrong about this particular issue (and probably a few others as well).

Posted November 8, 2007. Patrick is the president of the Secular Student Alliance at the University of Michigan.