Título: Martin Gardner
Seção: Theism and religion
Background: Martin Gardner (October 21, 1914 - May 22, 2010) was an American popular mathematics and popular science writer, with interests also encompassing scientific skepticism, micromagic, philosophy, religion, and literature--especially the writings of Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum, and G. K. Chesterton. He was considered a leading authority on Lewis Carroll. The Annotated Alice, which incorporated the text of Carroll's two Alice books, was his most successful work and sold over a million copies. He had a lifelong interest in magic and illusion and was regarded as one of the most important magicians of the twentieth century.

Conteúdo: Gardner believed in a personal God, in an afterlife, and in prayer, but rejected established religion. He considered himself a philosophical theist and a fideist. He had an abiding fascination with religious belief but was critical of organized religion. In his autobiography, he stated: "When many of my fans discovered that I believed in God and even hoped for an afterlife, they were shocked and dismayed... I do not mean the God of the Bible, especially the God of the Old Testament, or any other book that claims to be divinely inspired. For me God is a "Wholly Other" transcendent intelligence, impossible for us to understand. He or she is somehow responsible for our universe and capable of providing, how I have no inkling, an afterlife." Gardner described his own belief as philosophical theism inspired by the works of philosopher Miguel de Unamuno. While eschewing systematic religious doctrine, he retained a belief in God, asserting that this belief cannot be confirmed or disconfirmed by reason or science. At the same time, he was skeptical of claims that any god has communicated with human beings through spoken or telepathic revelation or through miracles in the natural world. Gardner has been quoted as saying that he regarded parapsychology and other research into the paranormal as tantamount to "tempting God" and seeking "signs and wonders". He stated that while he would expect tests on the efficacy of prayers to be negative, he would not rule out a priori the possibility 

user: What is his relation with Theism and religion?

assistant: beliefs were logically consistent.

user: What does he believe in if no religion?

assistant: personal God,

user: Why was he critical of organized religion?

assistant: he attacked prominent religious figures such as Mary Baker Eddy on the grounds that their claims are unsupportable.

user: What other things does he believe about religion?

assistant: In some cases, he attacked prominent religious figures such as Mary Baker Eddy on the grounds that their claims are unsupportable.

user: What conclusion can he draw from there believes?

assistant: Gardner has been quoted as saying that he regarded parapsychology and other research into the paranormal as tantamount to "tempting God" and seeking "signs and wonders".

user: Did he make other statement related to this?

assistant: He stated that while he would expect tests on the efficacy of prayers to be negative,

user: Did he write any book at all?

assistant: His semi-autobiographical novel The Flight of Peter

user: What was the book about?

assistant: depicts a traditionally Protestant Christian man struggling with his faith, examining 20th century scholarship and intellectual movements