Well, I hope we have exhausted our thoughts on what Einstein believed: brilliant scientist..... (but its getting a bit difficult for me to escape thinking he was all over the place when it came to talking about god/God).
Who cares what he thought anyway concerning these things? :- there's nothing special about his theories, how you view his religious opinions depends on how close you are to his views, and whether you are approaching his views or moving further away. Its all relative: and, when it comes to God, reality is simply not as straightforward as it at first appears. In summary, it seems Einstein thought he had seen the light, and even though he thought he was always consistent, it seems the light wasn't always constant.
Whew. Now we have summed up Einstein, may I move on to greater things?
When it comes to thinking about the character and nature of God are we in a good position to debate? I think there is good reason to at least proceed with real caution:-
1. We are finite creatures, and we are debating about the Infinite. Surely, this is good reason to be cautious. That the Bible says God is All Powerful I do not dispute for a moment. That the Bible says God is a loving God, even "God is love" I again would not deny at all. But then to blame God for all the evil in the world for whatever reason, is this to stay near to what the Bible says?
2. I believe my human abilities are the consequence of the human creature being created in the image and likeness of God. What of the Atheist? If there is no God, then I suppose you believe that everything is the result of blind chance. Everything must have happened by chance, with the blind chance forces of evolution. If everything is the result of chance then you must admit that you believe that you yourself are the result of chance too. Not only that, but also, the Atheist must believe that his/her powers of reason and ability to use logic are also the result of blind evolution and chance.
Now, perhaps one of you Atheists can answer me this: if you agree that your powers to be rational are the result of chance, then on what basis do you trust them? How do you know you can depend on or trust your powers of rationality? Surely you cannot implicitly trust them!
3. I believe that we all are finite creatures, created in the image of God. But I also believe that I am a fallen, sinful creature. This fallen state means that every aspect of my being has been affected, including my powers of rationality. So I have to admit, not only should the Atheist be cautious when it comes to considering the things of God, but I also need to be cautious. I am a sinner, my powers of logic have, in part at least, become corrupted. I believe that of Theists and Atheists alike.
4. There is another problem: Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the Father except by me." John 14:6. I take it that this means that we cannot come to the Father by any other religion. But surely it also means we cannot come to God the Father by our powers of rationality, by our powers of logic, or by attempts at rational debate. We cannot understand the character of God by thinking about the world and concluding He is bad or good. We can only come to understand much about God by the teachings and person of Christ in the Bible. (There are a few things we should be able to see from the created world, according to the Bible (Romans 1:18-22,and onwards), but the full extent of God's goodness we cannot see from the created world.)
I expect some of you can pick holes in the above but I shall move on:- Is God some evil monster? that is my next question, and I shall point out some Scriptures which need to be included in any discussion.
Luke 19:41-44 - which starts "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known,even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes", etc.
Here Our Lord reaches the brow of a hill and suddenly Jerusalem is displayed before Him, and He weeps because he knows the judgment, the pain, and the suffering that is coming upon them because of their rejection of Him. But let me just quote from J.C. Ryle:-
"We learn, firstly, from these verses, how great is the tenderness and compassion of Christ towards sinners. We are told when he came near the city for the last time "He beheld the city and wept over it." He knew well the character of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Their cruelty, their self-righteousness, their stubbornness, their obstinate prejudice against the truth, their pride of heart were not hidden from Him. He knew well what they were going to do to Himself within a very few days. His unjust judgment, His delivery to the Gentiles, His sufferings, His crucifixion, were all spread out distinctly before His mind's eye. And yet, knowing all this, our Lord pitied Jerusalem! "He beheld the city and wept over it!"
We err (mistake) greatly if we suppose that Christ cares for none but His own believing people. He cares for all. His heart is wide enough to take an interest in all mankind, His compassion extends to every man, woman, and child on earth. He has a love of general pity for the man who is going on still in wickedness, as well as a love of special affection for the sheep who hear His voice and follow Him. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hardened sinners are fond of making excuses for their conduct: but they will never be able to say that Christ was not merciful, and was not ready to save." There is more I could quote and more that could be said: but essentially, Christ cares, and God cares about the wicked, He wept. He knew what would happen to them, how they would suffer and it moved Him deeply.
This needs to be fitted into your understanding of the nature and character of God.
Ezekiel 33:11 - "As I live, saith the LORD GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked: but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
Here God pleads with all who have not yet turned back to Him in repentance and faith. "Turn ye, turn ye" is a cry from the heart of God to sinners.
God says it under oath "as I live", He takes no pleasure in the eternal death, the eternal punishment, of the wicked.
Here is a promise that if we will just turn back He will pardon and give us life. No need to repair all the things broken, no need to make good all that was done bad, no need to find all the resources to make up for all the faults, just turn back and live. Surely the Gospel itself is evidence enough that God loves sinners: He doesn't require we pay for our salvation, just turn. And He pleads for our turning, He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
Romans 5:8 - "But God commends His love towards us in this: while we were yet sinners Christ died for us."
God didn't start loving us after we turned to Him, but beforehand. He made the first move, not us. "We love Him because He first loved us" 1 John 4:19.
Romans 9:1-4 - "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. That I have great heaviness and continued sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: who are Israelites;"... etc
Here is the Apostle Paul, writing about the Jews who have rejected Christ, and who have tried to kill him on numerous occasions, always trying to catch up with him on his missionary journeys so they can stir up a crowd, or whatever to try to get him killed. Here is Paul telling us his heart towards these enemies of himself, the gospel and of Christ. "I could wish that I myself were accursed". I could wish that I would suffer that they might be saved. I could wish that I might be given eternal punishment in hell that they might escape and be saved and spend eternity in heaven. And because this is rather difficult to believe, maybe, he says it very emphatically: "I say the truth, I lie not, my conscience also..." etc.
Here is the heart that is filled with the Holy Spirit of God, showing the heart of God to all. This is the tender mercy of God. This is the tenderness and zeal to which every Christian should aim, this is the fullness of the Spirit which is possible, though rare, for sinners. Christ's example demonstrates perfection in the God Man; but we know we cannot match Him because He is God as well as man; but Paul shows us what God can do with a sinner prepared to follow Him, Paul shows the heights of love that can rest in the heart of a sanctified sinner; it is the deep self-sacrificing love of God for the unrepentant, for sinners. Oh, the pathos, the touchingly pathetic heart of Paul, and of Christ. This passage of Scripture should move you, it should tempt at least a tear from you. It got them from me this morning.
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." So how can it be said God doesn't care for the world? Only by those who rely on that logic of which has already been descredited by Him who said "No man cometh to the Father but by me".
