What were Albert Einstien's Religious Beliefs?

by KateWild 110 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • adamah
    adamah

    Kate said-

    I also agree with Einstein that there is superior intellegence involved with the order and precision of the universive. So I believe the the person responsible for this is God

    You're projecting your beliefs onto Einstein, since that's exactly the point: Einstein didn't believe in an intelligent creator, but repeatedly said he believed in Spinoza's God, “who reveals Himself in the orderly harmony of what exists.” Spinoza said, "everything that exists is a part of God and God is in everything that exists.”

    From wikipedia on Spinozism:

    Spinoza was considered to be an atheist because he used the word "God" [Deus] to signify a concept that was different from that of traditional Judeo–Christian monotheism. "Spinoza expressly denies personality and consciousness to God; he has neither intelligence, feeling, nor will; he does not act according to purpose, but everything follows necessarily from his nature, according to law...." [8] Thus, Spinoza's cool, indifferent God [9] is the antithesis to the concept of an anthropomorphic, fatherly God who cares about humanity.

    So if someone doesn't know what Spinoza's view of God was, they cannot understand Einstein's view. People hold to the concept of everything created needing a creator, when Einstein NEVER believed in an intelligent designer. So when Einstein eg spoke of 'God playing dice with the universe', he likely knew that believers would assume he was talking about THEIR concept of God, when he wasn't.

    However, Einstein was NOT a theologian (one who claims to KNOW about God), just a famous scientist, so making his beliefs on God as a topic of discussion wasn't his goal or responsibility since he knew God was not a scientific matter, being untestable.

    Adam

  • yadda yadda 2
    yadda yadda 2

    Adamah is correct that those with a Christian agenda have sometimes twisted and taken liberties with Einstein's actual and purported quotes.

  • rip van winkle
    rip van winkle

    This handwritten half-page letter sold for $404,000.00(US) at an auction in London on May 15, 2008.-rip

    I do find that inpressive if your source is reliable. The Guardian, 13.05.08, wrote about the auction and stated is was expected to sell for more than £8,000 sterling. But for arguments sake can' t be bothered with accurate conversions.....£300,000.00 sterling is a lot more.

    Very interesting that Einstiens religious beliefs are so valuable to many

    Kate xx

    _____

    Katie, the sale of Einstein's letter went for 25 times the presale estimate. NYTimes, May 17, 2008

    Also noteworthy ;) is that it set a record for a single Einstein letter.

    In pounds( sorry no symbol) it sold for 170,000.00 and at the time it was equivalent to $ $404,000.00 (US)

  • prologos
    prologos

    Richard Dawkins classified A. E. as a DEIST.

    Not a fellow Atheist, not a Theist, a Deist.

  • Ruby456
    Ruby456

    Deism comes closest, I think, as Einstein did not believe in a personal god. Spinoza's pantheism (everything is god) was very influential. Einstein valued his rational mind and his intuition. Intelligent design as it is understood today would have been anathema to Einstein as he revelled in the freedom that not being answerable to a higher authority gave him.

  • yadda yadda 2
    yadda yadda 2

    Intelligent design as it is understood today would have been anathema to Einstein as he revelled in the freedom that not being answerable to a higher authority gave him.

    What? So you're saying this was Einstein's motivation to reject belief in a personal God or ID? Oh please, don't bring that hoary old Christian apologetic chestnut out.

  • Ruby456
    Ruby456

    I've read your post several times Yadda yadda 2 and your link - and I'm afraid I'm still wondering what you are trying to say

  • Monsieur
    Monsieur

    adam

    However, Einstein was NOT a theologian (one who claims to KNOW about God), just a famous scientist, so making his beliefs on God as a topic of discussion wasn't his goal or responsibility since he knew God was not a scientific matter, being untestable.

    adam

    seems like you are confusing two things here regarding Einstein. While it is true that he was not a theologian, when he DID refer to the espinozan 'God', Einstein knew the subject inside out. In this sense, god/science was very scientific and very testable.

  • KateWild
    KateWild

    I am pleasantly surprised we are still in Active Topics. Good to see you are all having fun xxx

  • adamah
    adamah

    Monseuir said-

    While it is true that he was not a theologian, when he DID refer to the espinozan 'God', Einstein knew the subject inside out. In this sense, god/science was very scientific and very testable.

    Einstein would NEVER claim to "know the subject inside and out", even if the topic was physics; instead, like the scientists who preceded and influenced him (eg Maxwell, who developed theory of fields) Einstein understood that science is not about what we KNOW, but understanding and creating "better ignorance", as explained in this TED Talk with biologist Stuart Firestein:

    http://blog.ted.com/2013/09/24/in-praise-of-ignorance/

    Firestein explains that ignorance, in fact, grows from knowledge — that is, the more we know, the more we realize there is yet to be discovered. The purpose of gaining knowledge is, in fact, “to make better ignorance: to come up with, if you will, higher quality ignorance,” he describes. “The purpose is to be able to ask lots of questions — to be able to frame thoughtful, interesting questions — because that’s where the work is.”

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