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I found the Carl Sagan agnostic reference
ljk — (archived)

http://www.ronaldbrucemeyer.com/rants/1109almanac.htm

In 1996, Sagan was profiled by Jim Dawson in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, and said, "My view is that if there is no evidence for it, then forget about it. ... An agnostic is somebody who doesn't believe in something until there is evidence for it, so I'm agnostic." He said much the same to Parade magazine, for which he was contributing editor. "There was no conversion in his deathbed," said Druyan. "Neither did he call to God, nor on hope in another life, nor pretend that he and I, who were inseparable for 20 years, were not saying good-bye forever." Furthermore, said Druyan, "Carl never wanted to believe. ... He wanted to know."[2]

Sagan gave his religious views most candidly in his 1996 book, The Demon-Haunted World:

Think of how many religions attempt to validate themselves with prophecy. Think of how many people rely on these prophecies, however vague, however unfulfilled, to support or prop up their beliefs. Yet has there ever been a religion with the prophetic accuracy of science? ... No other human institution comes close.[3]

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