This really is just folklore, see this recent thread and Knuth himself on this story: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18698651 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmbGs290qeM&feature=youtu.be

This may very well be, i cannot verify it :) Nevertheless is the thought of Steven Jobs having read all of Knuths books quite entertaining.

Isn't Knuth an observant christian? He doesn't strike me as the kind of character to use those words.

Yeah this is obviously a fabrication. I've had the fortune of meeting Dr Knuth on multiple occasions (at CHM) and the behavior described is 100% out of character.