Mark Zuckerberg Says He’s No Longer An Atheist, Makes Strong Statement About Religion

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has been a self-described atheist for years now. But this past Christmas, the wunderkind stunned the masses by publicly rejecting atheism and declaring religion as “very important.”

On December 25, Zuckerberg took to the social media platform he created to post that he and his family were “celebrating” Christmas.

“Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from Priscilla, Max, Beast and me!” wrote the billionaire, referring to his wife, daughter and dog.

Facebook commenters quickly reacted to the post, one user specifically asking Zuckerberg about his past atheism.

“I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important.”

-Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg

“But Aren’t You Atheist?” inquired Jose Antonio.

“No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important,” responded Zuckerberg.

As noted by The New York Times, “Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have publicly discussed their moral values frequently — including in a lengthy letter when their daughter was born a year ago, in which they pledged to donate 99 percent of their Facebook stock, which is at about $45 billion at the time was one of the largest philanthropic commitments ever.”

In August of 2016, the influential couple met Pope Francis at the Vatican, where they discussed philanthropic efforts and ways to equip the poor with vital communication technology. Zuckerberg also gifted the leader of the Catholic Church a drone.