Arthur C. Clarke

The Making of Kubrick's 2001, Clarke says that he is an atheist.

"It may be that our role on this planet is not to worship God, but to create him."
-- Arthur C. Clarke

In an April 1, 1997 profilein the New York Times Clarke speaks about his new book 3001, the latest and perhaps final in the series of books beginning with 2001:

In the world of 3001 Clarke envisions for the story, the writer of the piece, John F. Burns, says: "Perhaps most controversially, religions of all kinds have fallen under a strict taboo, with the citizenry looking back on the religious beliefs and practices of earlier ages as products of ignorance that caused untold strife and bloodshed. But the concept of a God, known by the Latin word Deus, survives, a legacy of man's continuing wonder at the universe.
"In this, Clarke is giving vent to one of the few things that seem to ruffle his equable nature. 'Religion is a byproduct of fear,' he says. 'For much of human history, it may have been a necessary evil, but why was it more evil than necessary? Isn't killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity?'"

From our friends at Celebrity Atheists