Sagan is said to be an atheist or agnostic , but some people have said he is a pantheist , because he said thing like `` The idea that God is an oversized white male with a flowing beard who sits in the sky and tallies the fall of every sparrow is ludicrous . The idea that God is an oversized white male with a flowing beard who sits in the sky and tallies the fall of every sparrow is ludicrous .