Renowned scientist Albert Einstein dismissed the Bible as a collection of “pretty childish” legends and belief in God as a “product of human weaknesses,” according to a letter to be auctioned this week.

Einstein, who was Jewish, also rejects the notion that Jews were God’s chosen people.

The letter was written in German in 1954 to philosopher Eric Gutkind.

It is to be auctioned in London, England, on Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions, and is expected to fetch between $12,000 and $16,000 US.

Einstein writes "the word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish."

Born to a Jewish family in Germany in 1879, he also adds that "for me, the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions."

He also wrote "the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people.

“As far as my experience goes, they are also no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."

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Wow! That is straight forward.

First when I read the headline I thought that you were opening up a can of copperheads. After reading it I can seriously say that I used to believe the same thing, but fortunatly for me some experiences in my life have changed that view. I have a belief in god, just not through organized religion.

I think that pretty much settles the debate on whether Einstein believed in God, or not.

However - in all fairness - that's just Einstein's opinion. Just because he's Einstein, that doesn't guarantee that he's correct.

Of course not, but, I agree with him. I don't agree with any organized religion. Humans are too corrupt, and there is always someone who ends up using the church for their own means.

There are other Einstein threads about this exact topic made not so long ago a few threads down that has tons of Einstein quotes showing he did believe in a god.

You don't think that "the word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish." is definitive enough?

Well... The OP should have had the whol article. You have the same belief as Einstein. He wasnt an atheist, but agnostic. he thought that god didnt reward or punish people for good or evil, but he made the laws of nature that did this.

Eintein has the best description of god to this day IMHO

Like I explained in the other thread, he was a pantheist, he argued that the universe itself could be viewed as a form of abstract god. He was referring to nature itself. Not an independent conscious being.

and that ties in with the christian belief that god is everywhere all the time. seems to be making more and more sense now. the bible shouldnt be taken literally. he have grown as a species and we should realize things when they are put in front of us, instead of referring back to a book that 2000 years old.

What one has to realize is that God can be defined in many ways. For an example Einstein believed in a Spinoza's God.


I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings. (Albert Einstein)

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/albert-einst...on-theology.htm

Here is a little taste of Spinoza's defintion of God:

Except God no substance can be granted or conceived. .. Everything, I say, is in God, and all things which are made, are made by the laws of the infinite nature of God, and necessarily follows from the necessity of his essence. (Spinoza, Ethics)



Einstein was adamant about there being no personal God who judges as what the bible and jewish texts describe. Also Einstein disaproved of people using his words and opinions to support the notion that God dint exist:

Then there are the fanatical atheists whose intolerance is the same as that of the religious fanatics, and it springs from the same source . . . They are creatures who can't hear the music of the spheres. (The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 2000 p. 214)

In the view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognise, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support for such views. (The Expanded Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, p. 214)

What separates me from most so-called atheists is a feeling of utter humility toward the unattainable secrets of the harmony of the cosmos. (Albert Einstein to Joseph Lewis, Apr. 18, 1953)

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/albert-einst...on-theology.htm

It is folly to use Einstein to claim he did not believe in a god that is behind the forces of nature and also folly to use him and claim he believed in a personal god or even that he did not believe in god altogether. Some will attempt to use him for political means. He has a scientific view. A balanced view of anything be it history or one person is the best IMHO

I have seen a quote saying he was not a pantheist already as well.



http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/einstein.html



http://www.physics2005.org/einstein.html

I find Christians very anxious to claim Einstein as a believer ,I think it makes them feel more secure in their beliefs ,if they can get him on side with them


fullywired

I believe in god, and its the same way Einstein believed. I don't think god cares what happens to each person on this planet, are you kidding. but there must be something. these laws of nature and physics are to profound to be to the creation of just a random "coming to be".


I got into a discussion with someone who called him self a Christian and i told him my beliefs and he labeled me an atheist!!!! i am far from that. this the same thing people are doing to Einstein. no one takes the time anymore to hear someone out.



Best quote from Einstein.

"Science without religion is lame, Religion without science is blind"

See the thing that i dont get is that the only thing that Christians say to back up there BS is Well Christianity / the bible says so blah blah blah. I think Einstein was a little more advanced than the people who lived 2000 years ago.

According to the rules, you don't put the whole article, that is why there is a link so that YOU can go ahead and read the whole article. By putting the whole article on here, that can be called plagiarism, which, again is against forum rules.

by Tiggs:

I don't think that this is what being said here, although I could be wrong. I think it's just being noted what he said in a letter. In all fairness in my thinking, I too would not agree that belief in God is a human weakness. I think it's any belief is strong or weak if we know what to do with it. After all, I don't think it's right to judge how someone believes.

Einstein was Jewish, althought he was versed on both the Bible and Talmud...
The followng are statements/quote of his......

Einstein's Religion:
"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive With our frail and feeble minds. That deeply emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible Universe, forms my idea of God."

— Quoted in the New York Times obituary April 19, 1955
________________________________________________________

When asked about converting to Christianity:
A Catholic science student, concerned for Einstein's soul, once wrote to Einstein, begging him to pray to Christ, the Virgin Mary, and to see a Catholic priest immediately.

Reply: " If I would follow your advice and Jesus could perceive it, he, as a Jewish teacher, surely would not approve of such behavior."
__________________________________________________________

On Buddah,Moses and Jesus
"Our time is distinguished by wonderful achievements in the fields of scientific understanding and the technical application of those insights. Who would not be cheered by this? But let us not forget that knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life. Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the discoverers of objective truth."

"What humanity owes to personalities like Buddha, Moses, and Jesus ranks for me higher than all the achievements of the enquiring and constructive mind.

What these blessed men have given us we must guard and try to keep alive with all our strength if humanity is not to lose its dignity, the security of its existence, and its joy in living."

Christianity and Judaism
"If one purges the Judaism of the Prophets and Christianity as Jesus taught it of all subsequent additions, especially those of the priests, one is left with a teaching which is capable of curing all the social ills of humanity."

"It is the duty of every man of good will to strive steadfastly in his own little world to make this teaching of pure humanity a living force, so far as he can. If he makes an honest attempt in this direction without being crushed and trampled under foot by his contemporaries, he may consider himself and the community to which he belongs lucky."

"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self. "

Athiest Irked him:
"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human understanding, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."



I think his first was a great answer! Could he simply mean the Holy Spirit?