Posted on 05/13/2008 5:45:59 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this week, an auctioneer said Tuesday.
The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.
As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people".
"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.
"No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this," he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.
The German-language letter is being sold Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, said the auction house's managing director Rupert Powell.
In it, the renowned scientist, who declined an invitation to become Israel's second president, rejected the idea that the Jews are God's chosen people.
"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions," he said.
"And 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."
And he added: "As far as my experience goes, they are 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."
Previously the great scientist's comments on religion -- such as "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" -- have been the subject of much debate, used notably to back up arguments in favour of faith.
Powell said the letter being sold this week gave a clear reflection of Einstein's real thoughts on the subject. "He's fairly unequivocal as to what he's saying. There's no beating about the bush," he told AFP.
God is a righteous judge and He will condemn all who are found guilty of sin. That condemnation is either eternal punishment or eternal destruction. And you don't think He should or wants to be feared?
Ultimately, God wants our love not our fear.
I'd say that without being born again the only feeling left for a person to have for God is fear because judgement is coming. If one is born again then his relationship with God has changed to one where we say "abba father". Yet even a Daddy will put a hurt on us if we are way out of line. But he won't destroy us.
Well, we certainly do have different responses and ideas for what generates them.
I suppose that is one way to look at it, if one believes that God does punish people.
I disagree.
Right, and each faith is unique.
You are correct, but since each is unique, only one may be true.
I disagree with that, as I believe with God, anything is possible.
I agree that with God anything is possible but what has He said that He would do?
That would be relative to a person’s beliefs, wouldn’t it?
My response meant, that what He said He would do, would be relative to a person’s belief. This means that what a person believes God had said or would do, would be relative to what one believes. ie, a Christian would believe he interpreted what God said and did as a Christian, a Hindu as a Hindu, Muslim, Jew, etc. I apologise if my response was not clear.
If you are familiar with monist literature (think Ernst Haeckel) and the characteristic ways that monists babble about Goethe, Spinoza, and 'the unity of nature', you'll instantly recognize Einstein as a monist.
Of the ones that are contradictory and affect us humans in a physical/provable manner, as opposed to the more ethereal, spiritual/supernatural promises, it might be better to qualify the statement that only one can be true at a time. Say two religions promised a ‘chosen land’ in the same place, we may find in past or future history, that indeed, those 2 different group did occupy that land, but at different times or peacefully co-existed, even if not mentioned in eithers’ writings. As for the supernatural stuff that religions may promise, like what may happen after death, they don’t even count, as no one has anyway of knowing if indeed they are contradictory, or even exist.
I am not familiar with monist literature.
You don’t believe that God could make more than one promise true?
Besides, we’re talking about religions that have been created by man and promises read from a book. We don’t even know, or have any way of knowing/proving that God even did make any promises. It’s all based on faith...which is different for different people.
How do you know that religious faith was created by man? What are your standards of proof? Do you deny the possibility of Divine revelation?
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