Because Carl Sagan can’t strike him down with a bolt of lightning or send him to hell, so it’s just an empty gesture. For a religious believer it isn’t. Religi

Because Carl Sagan can’t strike him down with a bolt of lightning or send him to hell, so it’s just an empty gesture. For a religious believer it isn’t. Religious rituals are not just symbolic, they are real. Communion for example is not just a nice symbolic act, it’s as real as taking your medicine, and much more important if you’re Christian.