ELON Musk was “God-minded” as a kid and once terrified parishioners by climbing his local church tower, his dad has revealed.

The world’s richest man has previously stated he is “not very religious” and didn’t even pray when he almost died of malaria in 2000.

But writing recently on his X social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, he agreed with a claim by podcaster Zuby that the West is “absolutely screwed” if it loses Christianity.

The Tesla CEO’s dad Errol, 77, explained that his son was baptized at a  Methodist congregation before the family joined the Anglican church.

Speaking from his home in South Africa, the retired electromechanical engineer said: “Although Elon has been heard to say he’s sort of an atheist, he was very God-minded as a child.

“He would always refer to what the Lord Jesus would think of you if you did something bad.

“Elon had a passion not to tell a lie, ever.

“He also believed from a young age that the world is a wonderful, miraculous thing.

“At 14 he bought me Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World for my birthday and asked that we sit and listen on our stereo.

“At school and university Elon would remind people there’re no atheists at exam time.

“I never heard that from anyone else.”

Elon gave a glimpse on where he currently stands when it comes to faith last month.

It came in response to a post on X by British rapper and internet personality Zuby.

Zuby wrote: “I don’t think I’ve ever said this publicly and directly but I think the West is absolutely screwed if it loses Christianity…

“It’s like removing the foundations of a building but pridefully expecting it to remain standing forever…

“All while enemies both inside and outside are trying to knock the building over.”

Elon, who was previously interviewed on Zuby’s podcast in June last year, replied to the post saying: “I think you’re probably right.”

‘SCARED STIFF’

Explaining the tech tycoon’s religious background, Errol said: “Elon was baptized in the Central Methodist Church in Pretoria, as were (younger siblings) Kimbal and Tosca.

“We later joined the Anglican Church in Waterkloof, where (Elon’s mother) Maye became Sunday School teacher.

“Elon though went to the Pretoria Hebrew Nursery School for about three years.

“There, we encountered several Elons but they spelled it Ilon.”

Errol told how he himself was brought up in Methodism by his own parents in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

He says that he remained a regular churchgoing person but now only attends at Christmas and Easter because there are no regular Methodist or Anglican services where he lives.

He said: “Clearly, Christian teaching rubs off on you from your parents, and on your children from you.

“I even have my six-year-old son now telling his four-year-old sister ‘Liewe Jesus kyk vir jou’ (‘Dear Jesus is watching you’ in Afrikaans) and pointing up when he perceives she did something wrong.”

Errol also recalled one time Elon showed his ambitions to climb to the top after church one Sunday when he was six.

He explained: “I got a call from Maye one Sunday morning to say that Elon had left the class and gone out and climbed the high steeple-like column on the side of the church.

“The mothers were fainting, and the fire brigade was coming.

“I rushed down and found Elon sitting on the top of the column, about seven or eight metres (around 23-26ft) above the ground, maybe higher.

“A crowd stood at the bottom. All peering up scared stiff.”

Errol said that when he asked his son how he had got up there, he cheekily shouted down: “Easy!”

“I said, ‘Come down now, you’re scaring these people,’” Errol recalled.

“He clambered down, his takkies (sneakers) in the gaps between the stones and his fingers clinging on.

“He was down in about a minute and the fire brigade was cancelled.”