Here s a quote from one of Sagan s article in Parade Magazine in March 1996 called In the Valley of the Shadow also published in his last book Billions and bilions I would love to believe that when I die I will live again that some thinking feeling remembering part of me will continue But much as I want to believe that and despite the ancient and worldwide cultural traditions that assert an afterlife I know of nothing to suggest that it is more than wishful thinking The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there s little good evidence Far better it seems to me in our vulnerability is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides His wife in the same book wrote that there was no religious awakening or anything like that he remained true to his beliefs until the very end I think those prove that he was nothing but a model atheist I think he would consider an insult putting anything else especially in encyclopedia 14 54 2 Jun 2004 UTC