"The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown grew up as a Christian, but the more he learned, the more he veered away from his faith. Now, the bestselling author no longer classifies himself as a Christian.
During an interview with BBC Hardtalk, Brown confessed that he has given up on the faith he was taught to believe in after doing research for his latest book, "Origin." He learned that the laws of physics alone are enough to create life on this planet, therefore disproving the belief that God created the world in seven days. "I no longer believe in the God of my childhood that some deity sent his son down to be crucified for my sins," he said.
However, Brown confessed that it is difficult for him to fully embrace atheism. Because of his evangelical upbringing, Brown finds it hard to let go of the idea that there is no higher power in this universe. "I am certainly moving in that direction, but for me in my life, it is still hard to sort of say there's nothing," he said.
"I will tell you that if I lay [sic] out under a starlit sky, I feel like there's something a lot bigger than us," he continued.
After "The Da Vinci Code" was released in 2006, Brown still considered himself a Christian, although not in the most traditional sense of the word. He shared with Belief Net that faith is subjective, and if you ask three different people what it means to be a Christian, they will give three different answers.
"Some feel being baptized is sufficient. Others feel you must accept the Bible as immutable historical fact. Still others require a belief that all those who do not accept Christ as their personal savior are doomed to hell. Faith is a continuum, and we each fall on that line where we may," he said.
The author continued that his spiritual quest is a life-long work in progress, and the more he learns, "the more questions I have."
