Charles Bukowski Quotes

I'm an agnostic in the truest sense of the word. I think about these things - I grew up Roman Catholic, I've been interested in Hinduism, in Eastern religions, but I'm not dedicated to anything - I go through periods where I think maybe it's all nonsense; maybe it's 'The Matrix...' I'm open to various ideas.

About belief or lack of belief in an afterlife: Some of you may know that I am neither Christian nor Jewish nor Buddist, nor a conventionally religious person of any sort. I am a humanist, which mean, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without any expectation of rewards or punishments after I'm dead.

Death: Do you never stop questioning? Antonius Block: No. I never stop.

I think maybe it is better to believe than not to believe. But I couldn't tell you why.

Really, a young Atheist cannot guard his faith too carefully. Dangers lie in wait for him on every side.

And if someone doesn’t believe in any afterlife?” I asked. Walt gave me a sad look. “Then that’s what they experience.

What am I supposed to say to an atheist when he sneezes, ah, when you die nothing happens.

I don't fear death. I remember my last meeting with my father when he told me, "You know, tonight when I will be killed, my mother and my father will be waiting for me." It makes me weepy ... but I don't think it can happen unless God wants it to happen because so many people have tried to kill me.

Death makes me realize how deeply I have internalized the agnosticism I preach in all my books. I consider dogmatic belief and dogmatic denial very childish forms of conceit in a world of infinitely whirling complexity. None of us can see enough from one corner of space-time to know "all" about the rest of space-time.

There is something pagan in me that I cannot shake off. In short, I deny nothing, but doubt everything.

I don't know what happens to you after you die. I'm not banking on there being, like, a heaven.

No man can be an agnostic who has a sense of humour.

A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion.

I mean, whatever kills you kills you, and your death is authentic no matter how you die.

I think of myself as a positive agnostic. I don't know, therefore I'm open. I don't know, therefore I'm interested.

I'm not sure about anything as far as religion and spirituality go.

I think you are born, and I think you die. I have a pragmatic nature, but I yearn to believe.

I never believed in God, and I will never believe in it.

In my own works I am an obsessionist. Though I write humorous music too, much of it has been obsessed by death and the tragic.

You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth of falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it?

I am not an atheist. An atheist is someone who has compelling evidence that there is no Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. I am not that wise, but neither do I consider there to be anything approaching adequate evidence for such a god. Why are you in such a hurry to make up your mind? Why not simply wait until there is compelling evidence?

I don't believe in God, so I'm not afraid of dying.

I don't believe in anything, Mother," I said. "You told Armand long ago that you believe you'll find answers in the great jungles and forests; that the stars will finally reveal a vast truth. But I don't believe in anything. And that makes me stronger than you think

In the world according to Garp, we are all terminal cases

I have no faith at all. I only hold convictions.