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Gates.jpg
Bill Gates tells a UK newspaper he has no use for money. He intends to eradicate polio, with the same drive he brought to Microsoft. (AP file photo)

A spiritual side to Bill Gates as foundation does 'God's work'

January 22, 2013 @ 4:58 pm (Updated: 8:26 am - 1/23/13 )

Bill Gates, who rarely speaks of faith, says his foundation is doing "God's work."

In an interview with UK newspaper The Telegraph, he discussed The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's work eradicating polio in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In Pakistan, some health workers have paid with their lives for distributing the vaccine, because Islamist groups have spread a belief that the vaccine is a Western evil.

"It's not going to stop us succeeding," Gates says. "It does force us to sit down with the Pakistan government to renew their commitments, see what they're going to do in security and make changes to protect the women who are doing God's work and getting out to these children and delivering the vaccine."

While Gates hasn't mentioned "God" before in interviews, he has said he believes in the values derived from religion, though not religious rituals.

In a Time Magazine interview a decade ago he was quoted as saying organized religion is a waste of time.

"Just in terms of allocation of time resources, religion is not very efficient. There's a lot more I could be doing on a Sunday morning," he said.

While Melinda Gates is Catholic, Bill says his views don't "relate to any particular religion; it's about human dignity and equality."

"The golden rule that all lives have equal value and we should treat people as we would like to be treated," he says.

Later this month Gates will be back in London to deliver a lecture with the theme "the value of the young human being."

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (20)


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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Not so fast, Bill
    January 22, 2013 9:03 pm
    God created both the Garden of Eden, and the serpent. Nothing exists that was not created by God, including polio.

    Now, did God create polio to open an arena where some men could portray their love of humanity by working to eradicate the disease? Probably not.

    Get to the point where you realize that man is in essence a spiritual being, living in an essentially spiritual world, and things take on a different perspective. The physical world will always be imperfect, corrupt and even diseased; to the profound disappointment of those who believe they are essentially physical beings living in a material world. Those who believe the fundamental values and priorities of the world are material will focus on accumulating large piles of material wealth, as well as concentrate on trying to correct the imperfections of the physical plane. That's a fool's errand. The physical is always flawed, and no amount of money will make it perfect. Not even Bill Gates type money.

    To the degree that the polio vaccine mitigates suffering, particularly among children, it is a worthy device. But slow down, Bill, before you claim to know the mind of God or what his "work" entails. None of us know the mind of God, but his works are all around us and they should provide a manifest clue.

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  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    Stop being such a tool, Chuck.
    January 23, 2013 8:13 am
    God has never existed, and will never exist. The idea of deities is just humanity's desperate attempt to come to grips with our own mortality, and to explain phenomenon that science has yet to discover an explanation for. Stop trying to shove God's name into everything, and just be happy that someone is trying to do something to improve the lives of the poor, sick individuals of third world countries. Kudos to you, Bill, for putting your ginormous wad to good use.
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  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    BTW...
    January 23, 2013 8:15 am
    Shame on you, Bill, for Windows 8. Stop forcing touchscreen os's on us.
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Dude Abides.....
    January 23, 2013 8:25 am
    Science is a tool that weighs, measures, and records things. Including change.

    If you claim that there are things that science has yet to discover, it's pretty tough to rely on science when making sweeping proclamations about the existence or non-existence of God.

    God may not exist, in your life, and that's a matter of personal choice. You might be slower to assume that everybody who just might dare hold a different opinion is a "tool".

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  • The Dude Abides wrote...
    Chuck...
    January 23, 2013 9:01 am
    You can hold all the opinions you want, it doesn't change the fact that God doesn't exist, and those who believe he exists are tools for religious zealot groups. While I do applaud those people who use religion as a guideline to live a good life, those people are in a very small minority. Most people who believe in some form of "God" just use their beliefs as an excuse to spew hate, judge people, and start wars. If there truly is a God, then he/she/it should have smote those people off the face of the earth long ago. I feel sorry for those of you who can't enjoy the beauty of nature without speculating about a massive unseen force behind it.
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  • Cameron wrote...
    Did anyone at Seattle's Morning News....
    January 23, 2013 5:01 am
    Check with Dave before using the "G" word? You know how Dave likes to mock anything that can be construed as religous...unless of course it supports his real religion..his politics. Maybe it's OK with Dave because Bill Gates gives money to some of his Democrat causes and candidates.
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  • Gar57 wrote...
    Dave doesn't mock religion...
    January 23, 2013 5:14 am
    I've been listening to Dave Ross for years and I cannot recall one instance where he mocked religion. If you are indeed a listener, you would know Dave is a regular church-goer himself. The fact his politics may differ from yours certainly doesn't give you or anybody the right to mix politics and religion. The real irony here is that is exactly what you did in saying his politics is his religion. Talk about calling the kettle black!
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Wow, every single topic lately
    January 23, 2013 7:09 am
    somebody immediately tries to turn it into a political peeing contest. More often than not, those trying to do so share a common political philosophy. It would be fascinating to understand why they feel so compelled.
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  • Cameron wrote...
    Dave picks and chooses his religious beliefs...
    January 23, 2013 5:16 am
    to fit his politics, if you were a regular listener you would know that.
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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Cameron, if Dave 'picks and chooses', so do many others of faith.
    January 23, 2013 5:49 am
    Including some of the greatest religious thinkers for the past 2000 years. ... This is WHY we have different Christian sects (as well as Islam, et al).

    And many believe the God of the Creation is not (necessarily) the same God of Jesus. ... After all, Jesus gave us a new covenant for all the peoples of this world. To love God, but also to love your neighbor.

    Of course, even the God of Jesus is viewed differently by different denominations and sects. ... So, WHO is right? ... Perhaps all of us are in our own way. ..... INCLUDING Dave Ross.

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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    With respect Ron, if you are a monotheist...
    January 23, 2013 7:18 am
    how could the God of Creation be different than the God of Jesus? There is only one God. I think we agree that there are many interpretations (all flawed by human expectations and reasoning) of a concept larger than our ability to fully understand.

    As you point out, not only do the Muslims and Jews not agree with one another or the Christians about many aspects of God, each of the three major monotheistic faiths is then subdivided into as many as several hundred somewhat discordant sects, denominations, etc. I'm sure none of us are 100% correct, and none of us 100% wrong.

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  • ron prevost wrote...
    Perhaps God 'evolved', Chuck.
    January 23, 2013 7:23 am
    Christianity IS a new covenant. And many finer minds than yours or mine have debated this point for 2000 years.
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Everyone will consider his or her perspective to be the most
    January 23, 2013 7:40 am
    highly evolved. All others are "distortions, perversions, misunderstandings, corruptions!" right? Don't forget that our common faith is not the most recently founded of the major religions. I wouldn't put a lot of stock in the concept of God's "evolution".

    Evolution implies change over time. I personally believe God has not changed, and there was no need for adaptation or improvement. In a cosmic sense, there is no such thing as time. (Science confirms that on the edge of the expanding universe, it's still the first moment of Creation when God said "Big Bang" -sometimes referred to as "let there be light").

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  • Gar57 wrote...
    Dave is Catholic.
    January 23, 2013 5:55 am
    And always has been. But again, you are confusing political with religious beliefs. His politics are different than yours. Get over it.
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  • Forrest wrote...
    Bill Gates, good without God.
    January 23, 2013 9:13 am
    Pat Robertson, a horrible, horrible, evil person with God.
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  • mnpat wrote...
    With all religon and Spiritual feelings aside
    January 23, 2013 9:48 am
    My personal feelings are ....it's nice to see people do nice things without the need of government....with their own funds and not taxpayer funds....and without trying to buy someones votes.
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    LOL
    January 24, 2013 6:45 am

    Bill Gates is PERSONALLY doing what the institution of church can't get done and because he uses the word "Doing God's Work", the internet theologians are up in arms,lol.

    I challeng you theologians to take your a55 into these war torn country's and risk your lives trying to help these people.

    Who give's a rats a55 what he feels, believes and/or how he communicates what he is doing as long as he is doing what HE considered "gods" work, who the he// are you to tell him that he is NOT.

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