Belief in God 'childish,' Jews not chosen people: Einstein letter

BREITBART ^ | May 13, 2008

[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.

[quadrant]

Its not what I consider “normal”; its what the Bible declares as godly.

[stuartcr]

Could you point out where in the bible it says that normally, self-satisfied people feel no need of a relationship with God. Thanks

[quadrant]

Certainly. People who are self-satisfied are normally healthy, as sickness tends to make people unhappy and dissatisfied with their current condition.
Read Mark 2:11-17
Once Jesus chose to eat with tax collectors and sinners.
When Jesus was rebuked by the Pharisees for this, He answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
One of the great truths of Christianity is the gift that God gives to people to understand that they are sinners in need of the healing forgiveness that is available only through the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus. People who are self-satisfied rarely, if ever, fell the need for this forgiveness.

[stuartcr]

You are correct, in that I do not believe I need forgiveness. I don’t believe anyone does because I believe we are as God made us. I do understand now, where you come up with what the stuff you say. Thanks

[quadrant]

The “stuff” I say comes directly from the Bible. If you refuse to read the book I suggested or the Bible itself,
I recommend a web sites that will give you a fuller and more detailed explanation of God and man's relationship to God. The web site is kenboa.org. Boa has a couple of Ph.D.’s, including one from Oxford, and his grasp of Biblical truth is far superior to mine.
I am as God made me, but I realize that I (as do all humans) live in a fallen and sinful world. Surely you don't believe this world is perfect or as God intended it to be. Consequently, I sin, though I don't want to. Yet I know to the marrow of my soul that the Creator of the universe loves me and wants only my joy. The greatest joy will be complete intimacy with Him, which is not available during this life. Such intimacy in the world to come can be had, but only if the sins we commit in this life are expiated and we live in repentance. A perfect and holy God cannot have fellowship with a sinful creature. All sin must be paid for. You can pay for it yourself, or you can let God pay the price for you, which He did willingly by sending His Son to pay the price for your sins, to die in your place and for the sins of the whole world. You have a chance in this world to allow God to redeem you from sin. You must make that choice yourself. I strongly urge you to make it, as after you die (you do realize you're going to die, don't you?) the choice will be available no longer. You only have one chance, and that occurs during this life. Blessedly, we can make that choice at any time prior to death. As you have no idea when you're going to die, I urge you to put your faith in the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus. God is waiting for you to chose Him and the salvation He offers.
Again, my knowledge is Christian doctrine is quite limited. Please visit the website I mentioned. If you pride yourself on your learning, what have you to lose? If you won't visit the site, please think about what I've written. Don't allow your pride and self-satisfaction stand between you and eternal life.

[stuartcr]

I have read many parts of the bible. I find it an interesting read, with much history and good, common sense advice. Obviously, our beliefs differ. I do not understand why you feel it necessary to tell me what to read, and then berate me for not doing as you say I should.

I have said that I am completely satisfied with my relationship with God, yet you seem incapable of accepting that, and you don’t even believe me when I say I believe in God. Why is that?

I do not believe that we live in a sinful and fallen world. I believe we live in the world God created.

[quadrant]

I'm glad you read the Bible.
I'm not telling you what to read, I'm suggesting that you do so. And I haven't berated you once.
If you tell me you believe in God, I accept that. I merely ask which God you believe in? The God of Biblical Christianity or a god you've created out of your own mind to suit your own predilections? What sort of God is your God? If you believe in God, why do you believe that he would create a world where the strong kill the weak?
I never said we didn't live in a world God created? We do. And He did create it. But the world we live in has been corrupted by human sin, pride, and rebellion against God.
Now, we suffer from that. Our sin has alienated us from God, each other, and the creation itself, which is passing away, wearing out like and old garment. Despite this, hope exists. God - through the person of His Son Jesus - will return. And God will create a new heavens and a new earth to return His creation to the state that He intended.

[stuartcr]

I guess the berating and such was implied.

Since I believe there is only one God, I only believe in Him. If one is a Christian, then they would of course believe in what you call the God of biblical Christianity, and so on for each faith. I have no idea what you mean by what sort of God is my God. He’s not mine, He is God.

I do not know why God does anything, nor do I want to. I don’t think it’s any of my business and I doubt I would understand it anyway.

I do not believe the world has been corrupted by sin, etc., I think the world is just the way God created it.

You may believe we suffer from that, I don’t.

[quadrant]

I mean what do you know of the attributes of the God that you claim to know? For example: the God of Biblical Christianity is eternal and transcendent; he is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is a God of love but also of justice. He created the universe and stands outside it, yet He enters into His creation. He is Spirit, though He created man in His own image. He is a triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - yet He is one God. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is not bound by time and space. Most importantly, we know that He is Holy.
I agree that many if not most of the acts of God are incomprehensible to human beings. Simply put, we lack the capacity to understand the why of things. Why cyclones ravage Burma or why children die of disease are mysteries to us. We cannot understand the how and why God can be triune yet one.
What are the attributes of your God? If we do not suffer from the effects of sin and corruption, what do we suffer from? Why would God allow millions of people to be slaughtered in concentration camps and gulags?

[stuartcr]

I do not claim to know God, just to believe in Him.

How is it that you know all the good things about God, but the bad things are mysteries?

Perhaps what you consider suffering, is just a human sensation, and to God, it’s not suffering, it’s just the way He made us.

If God is the Alpha and the Omega, and all that you say, why couldn’t He have made us all different? How do you know God doesn’t manifest Himself to each of us differently? Why couldn’t that be one of the mysteries?

[quadrant]

Believe in Him in what ways? As who? As what? And if you answer as God, remember that in logic such an answer is known as circular reasoning.

My knowledge of God is entirely personal, as I never had much affinity for theology. The descriptions I've given you are a smattering of what I've learned from reading and most importantly from listening to godly men (and women) who have spent several lifetimes studying the Divine.

From personal knowledge, I can assure you that suffering is more than sensation. It is a rending pain that goes to the depth of the soul and spirit.

God made us from His love for intimate fellowship with Him. We chose to be masters of our fate and captains of our souls. That is, we chose we chose another path and from that choice, began the sin and corruption of the world.

To borrow a phrase from Thomas More (as portrayed in a Man For All Seasons) God made plants for their simplicity and animals for their innocence. But man, God made to serve and love Him. As He gave us free choice and will, He does not want a race of robots who would love and serve Him from instinct, but desires a race of people who freely choose Him.
If you wish to know the answer to your last question, why don't you (humbly) ask Him?
By the way, I recommend heartedly A Man for All Seasons. Watching the movie is worth 90 minutes or so on a Sunday afternoon.

[stuartcr]

I do not attempt to apply our human logic to my belief in God because I do not think it is possible, therefore I have no explanation other than what I believe is self-evident...it’s just the way I am. I may wake up tomorrow morning believing completely differently, it’s up to God.

Your beliefs are fine for you, as mine are for me, or for Hindus, Muslims, Jews, etc.

[quadrant]

I don't attempt to “apply human logic to God” - as I know that would be futile - but I know that God and His attributes may be known in part by human beings.

From the tenor of your posts, I know you are far too intelligent a man to drift through life, unreflectively believing that “its up to God” or to believe that the contradictory beliefs about God may be all be true.

[stuartcr]

What was it that you meant, in #131, 1st para?

I don’t consider the gift of life that God gave me as drifting. I do happen to believe that ‘it’s up to God’. Perhaps, that’s why I’m so self-satisfied, as mentioned earlier. I have no problem with contradictory beliefs about God. Why should I? I’m just thankful that He made me the person He did.

[quadrant]

What do you believe is “up to God

[stuartcr]

You haven’t even tried to answer any of the hard questions, have you?

You do realise that you used that phrase prior to me, and I was just answering it. What do you believe is ‘up to God’? In this case, what I meant was how I wake up in the morning is up to God.

[quadrant]

You haven’t asked any hard questions?

[stuartcr]

What is the evidence of reason?
What is the evidence of revelation?
Why are all the good things about God known, but the bad things are mysteries?
Why don’t you think God is capable of manifesting Himself to each of us differently?

[quadrant]

The entire edifice of scientific thought is evidence of knowledge derived from a systematic progression of investigation from premise to conclusion. The works of Aristotle and Pascal (and others, of course) are evidence of reason. Much - but certainly not all - of the work done lawyers and judges is based on logical analysis, which itself is based on reason. If you want a fuller explanation of reason, any logic textbook will help you. Revelation by its nature does not lend itself to the sort of investigation one might conduct if one were attempting to validate a scientific claim. I will attempt a crude summary of a method I believe is key to understanding genuine revelation. The revelation in question must not contradict other known revelations. For example, that given to Mohammed or Jospeh Smith contradicts known and accepted revelations given to many individuals over centuries. Please understand, that though all humans - even the most incorrigible sinners - are capable of receiving revelations from God, genuine instances of these occurrences (as with miracles) are rare. A close reading of the Bible will demonstrate that the individuals who receive direct revelations from God are few. And the revelations tend to come at very specific times - turning points - in the history of God's relationship with humanity. For example, the revelation to Abraham came to reveal that God has chosen the Jews to be His chosen people. Moses was given revelation to instruct him in the law and to lead the Israelites out of bondage. John the Baptist was given revelation to instruct him to prepare the way for the coming of Messiah. Not all - or even small fraction - of the good things of an infinite God could ever be known by finite humans. Nor are all all things with negative consequences unknown. One knows that the consequence of unrepentant sin is eternal separation from God, a state commonly known as hell. One knows that God's love and justice are inseparable; this is a great comfort to humanity as it assures us that those who commit terrible act and escape human justice will not escape Divine justice.

God does not manifest Himself differently to each person, but each person may experience His Divine attributes in an individual ways. Yet as God is pure and holy, those experience do not contradict one another. If one believes that he or she has experienced the Divine in a way that directly contradicts what is known of God, then he or she should closely and prayerfully examine the experience to be certain that it was initiated by the Holy Spirit and not the evil one.

[stuartcr]

Very good attempts and an excellent exercise in writing on your part.

You state things, that ‘one knows’, yet we both know these things cannot be validated. That is what makes all this a matter of beliefs, not knowledge...otherwise they would be facts, and these sorts of conversations would have ended many years ago.

Thanks for the entertainment.