"Hell wasn't a major reservoir of evil, any more than heaven, in Crowley's opinion, was a fountain of goodness; they were just sides in the great cosmic chess game. Where you found the real McCoy, the real grace and the real heart-stopping evil, was right inside the human mind." -Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens This puts into place the whole, "the 'Devil' made me do it," or "by the grace of 'God' go I." for me. People, especially religious nuts, like to place blame and credit for all those things that happen in the world on these supernatural, completely intangible and unfounded ideas called "higher powers." So that answers whether I believe in a higher "being," creator, or "God." I believe in the human spirit. Whether it be for good or evil, that is what makes the world go around. Not some invisible hand patting us on the ass when we need a boost or a good spanking when we're bad. We bring ourselves our own misery and paradise into being. We as humans have the power to do anything imaginable, all we lack is the motivation and will to do so.