Quote -
I do, however, take great exception to being told (not by philebus) that I base my beliefs on celebrities and/or governments.  They would be the very last people I would ever look to for enlightenment, instruction or truth.  In fact, I have a hard wired distrust of anyone in a position of "authority", simply because the people who gravitate to such posts are usually those least fit to hold them.

I read that and thought of "intellectual authorities", such as Sagan, Fermi or Hawking.  If Hawking goes looking for god, a number of people may give the ideal more credit.  If Hawking says there's no need of god, another number of people may get excited...