Why Elon Musk’s belief in the creator changes nothing


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Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla chief executive, said in a podcast that he now believes there is a creator of the universe after many years of identifying as a non-believer.

He declared on December 16 that he looked up to the maker of the universe and specified that “God is the Creator.”

His comments have been widely reported by various news outlets. But none of the news outlets reported that the shift in Mr Musk’s belief is based on new empirical evidence.

It should also be noted that Mr Musk now identifies with America’s right. To be seen as an integral part of the right, he has to believe what they believe—or, at the very least, pretend to believe what they believe.

But even if Mr Musk genuinely believes that there is a creator, sceptics would still want to see real evidence of his existence. It is one thing to say there is a creator and quite another to say that the creator is the same entity described in holy books.

The creator described in holy books created everything we see, or so religious people believe. He or she has a keen interest in what human beings do. He watches over them and knows what they did, what they have done, what they are doing and what they will do.

Crucially, he cares more about being worshipped than anything else. If, for example, people are killers, murderers, rapists, tyrants but they worship him, they will be in his good books. And they have high chances of securing a place in heaven.

A distinction is rarely made between the creator who sets everything we see in motion and remains indifferent to what is going on in life and the creator who oversees everything in life, rewards and punishes wrongdoers.

If you are Mr Musk, you believe the former. If you are a Bible-totting, churchgoing Christian, you believe the latter. The evidence for both is not forthcoming. If it was readily available, we would never have a debate about the existence of the creator.

More importantly, there is no evidence that death creates the opportunity for believers and non-believers to meet with the creator. Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, you have zero chance of meeting with the creator. There is no way to know who was right or wrong about the creator. And that makes Mr Musk’s about-turn inconsequential.


🔴 Sunday Thought cuts through the noise of prayer, piety and superstition to ask the questions most people avoid. It discusses God, faith and religion—not to preach, but to probe, challenge and sometimes unsettle. Whether you believe, doubt or have stopped looking altogether, Sunday Thought will make you think, question and maybe even rethink everything you thought you knew about the divine—and about life itself.

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