Actor Matthew McConaughey talks faith on CNN, stops short of endorsing religion 

Oscar Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey says his belief in God influenced his recently published second book, Poems & Prayers.

“I believe in God, and I’m working on this, and I want to strengthen my relationship in that faith,” McConaughey said in an interview with CNN.

McConaughey called himself religious, saying he has kept journals for his entire life. He’s written in those journals since his teenage years to “wrestle with life’s greatest, existential questions: ‘Why do I exist?’; ‘Is there a God?’; ‘Who am I?’; ‘How do I deal with grace and forgiveness?’”

The Latin root of the word religion, McConaughey noted, is religare, which means “to bind together again.” Civilization has “bastardized religion,” but can return, he said.

“I believe that belief is in short supply, and we need it,” McConaughey said. “It is necessary for our own survival. If we let the doubt win, we all lose.”

McConaughey read to CNN from one of his poems called Doubt Faith:

In this life, in our minds, through our eyes and on each day. Doubt is logical and reasonable. Faith is not. Faith does not ride doubt. Rather it carries us through it. May our faith outshine our doubt.

McConaughey never specified his religious convictions, but instead used the words “faith,” “belief” and “religion” as generic terms that could encompass any individual’s worldview.

McConaughey’s language exemplifies the religious inclusivity of many Americans. Two in three Americans (65%) say “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam,” according to a recent Lifeway Research study.

Of the 3,000 surveyed, 46% said religious belief is “not about objective truth,” and only 32% disagreed.

“When a clear majority of Americans think God is flexible when it comes to religion, it’s not surprising that agreement with some teachings in the Bible does not translate to accepting all biblical teaching,” Executive Director of Lifeway Research Scott McConnell said.

“Americans want the same flexibility they think God has, even if that contradicts other beliefs they have and how God is revealed in Scripture.”

McConaughey said people may disagree on specificities, but many religions share similar ethics.

“Even if you don’t believe in God, there are plenty of wonderful ethics from religious texts,” he said.

Despite the differences, McConaughey said most people can agree at some level.

“I say grace with my agnostic, even atheist, friends at the table, who can find something to be thankful for in life. I may say ‘thank you, God’; they may say, ‘thank you.’ Fine,” he said.

He referenced a three-hour conversation with astronomer Carl Sagan, who “broke down the universe,” which encouraged McConaughey in his faith, despite Sagan’s declared atheism.

“I personally think life is religious,” McConaughey said.

While they both agreed on the preceding facts and premises, McConaughey concluded “God exists,” but Sagan said, “God does not exist.”

“I have these conversations with many friends of mine who would call themselves agnostic,” McConaughey said. “We do not disagree on certain principles and the ways and rules of engagement and life with ourselves and others.”

McConaughey encourages his readers and followers to believe in something they would die for. Asking yourself the question “what would you die for?” reveals your deepest convictions, he says.

“I’m doing my best to wake up every day and feed the things that satisfy me for longer periods of time,” McConaughey said. “I have found and built a life where I have investments that are non-negotiable, starting with family.”