Mencken’s quote shows just how demented theologians can be (are).

I don’t know in what world where “faith” is a gift. I won’t repeat what I’ve already said about the difference between colloquial faith and religious faith except to say that religious faith is bonkers.

As for the Big Bang, nobody knows what caused it, but humankind’s ignorance on this matter should not give anyone intellectual license to say that some unseen Spaghetti Monster — excuse me, “God” — is responsible for it. Similarly, our ignorance of germs and genetic malfunctions gave us no intellectual license to assume that some “demonic force” is the source behind many ailments that afflict humankind. Sure, the belief in demonic forces was indeed held as the reason for certain human maladies, but now we know better. Will humankind “know better” one day about the cause of the Big Bang? I doubt it. I’ll wait for the next Stephen Hawking to prove me wrong. In the meantime “nobody knows” works for me!