An intelligent person comments on religion
Albert Einstein: belief in God is a “childish superstition.”
“The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can change this. … For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions, 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. 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.”
– Albert Einstein
Einstein was a Jewish scientist, Nobel Prize winner in physics, considered to be the father of theoretical physics and one of the most brilliant men who ever lived. His views on religion have been long debated and his public statements have often praised the relationship of science and religion. Like many, he apparently kept his real thoughts on religion private, but they are now revealed for the first time and are not ambiguous.
These words of Einstein are found in a letter written by him in 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind. This letter, contained in a private collection for 50+ yrs, is to be auctioned off this week in London.
When it comes to religion in today’s society, very few non-believers in the public eye or in public service can freely speak about what they truly think about religion for fear of repercussions … politicians are a perfect example. (I have a feeling McCain is one of those people. He doesn’t talk about religion much). If any politician ever exclaimed “the emperor has no clothes,” it would mean a certain end to their career; so they are forced to play the part of “church people” in order to sell themselves. There is no tolerance for such views that question the authenticity of Christianity in America. But, I’ll bet if you ask PhD physicists and geologists about this subject in private, the vast majority would respond like Einstein. The reverse would be true … if you know what I mean. i.e. The Gallup Poll explored the relationship between belief in creationism and education.
The point here is not to demonize religion, but to not demonize those who don’t believe, or just don’t know. Religion can add to one’s life but should be kept out of politics and science. Speaking of intelligent people, George Bush explained yesterday how faith has added to his life:
“part of the faith walk is to understand your weaknesses and is to constantly try to embetter yourself and get closer to the Lord, and that’s a daily occurrence.”
– GW Bush, 5/13/08
I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being.
- Albert Einstein
Yes, it appears that Einstein did not suffer from GDS–God Derangement Syndrome.