Did Einstein believe in God?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Freedom of Anonymity on January 13, 2010 at 10:54pm

Probably a deist, possibly an agnostic, but definitely not an atheist. Likely, the only certain answer would have to come from the man himself, to wit:

"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

"I'm not an atheist and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangements of the books, but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God."

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by thedogma on January 13, 2010 at 11:37pm

Found this though:

It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.
-- Albert Einstein, 1954, from Albert Einstein: The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Freedom of Anonymity on January 13, 2010 at 11:53pm

He only denies a "personal God"; which would fall directly in line with deism. Much like Thomas Jefferson who was a deist, it is more at acceptance of a "Supreme Architect" and denial of "one supreme God".

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Freedom of Anonymity on January 14, 2010 at 1:08am

It's an entertaining take on things, but not certain that the author's version of "logic" is something that I would espouse.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Freedom of Anonymity on January 14, 2010 at 11:05am

lol, the only reason I used that word is because the author asserted that Einstein's "logic" was in error ... then goes on to use "logic" in explaining "God" ???wtf???

I'm not certain that we've found one written ounce of information that the man's logic was actually in error ~ even when he pronounced himself wrong! I'd like to have that level of neocortical power for just one day ::sigh::

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by thedogma on January 14, 2010 at 8:13am

I saw that, wasn't it a pro-creation site? I just figured they had skewered his words to suit themselves. But it turns out he was maddeningly ambiguous.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Ory Stewart on January 14, 2010 at 10:18am

Perhaps Einstein simply changed his mind at a point in his life. There are quotes from when he had a stronger belief in a god, and quotes from when those beliefs faded. Also, some quotes are from public articles (many of which seem to support a belief in god), and some come from personal letters (which seem to support his lack of belief in a god or belief in a deistic god). I would tend to think that the personal letters from later in his life are most accurate.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by thedogma on January 14, 2010 at 10:20am

me too

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Roy The Infidel on January 14, 2010 at 8:18am

For all intents and purposes, Albert Einstein was a deist. He did not believe in a personal god (in the Abrahamic sense) nor of an afterlife in heaven or hell and souls for that matter. Read somewhere where he once said, "nothing survives the finality of death." Sorry, I can't recall which book it was.


Mileva Marić, of Serbian descent, was working toward a Ph.D. when she met dashing Albert. Study mates turned into soul mates, producing daughter Lieserl out of wedlock in 1902. What became of the girl is unknown; she may have been put up for adoption, or perhaps she died of scarlet fever by the time Albert and Mileva married in 1903. The Einsteins were parents again with the birth of Hans Albert in 1904, followed by Eduard six years later.

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/life/family.php

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rob van Senten on January 14, 2010 at 6:34am

Erm...

Does it really matter what Einstein's opinions were regarding "God(s)"?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rob van Senten on January 14, 2010 at 7:23am

"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

At that time in history, atheism was not the lack of belief in God(s) it usually meant to deny the existence of God(s). It could be argued that Einstein is an atheist by our current definition, meaning to lack a belief in God(s) but not by the definition of his time.

It's very difficult subject to debate which is why I usually try to refrain from trying.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by thedogma on January 14, 2010 at 8:22am

Well, I made an assumption that he was, found strong statements to support myself ( ie that he did not believe in a personal god) and promptly got lynched by a group ( yes a group) of FB friiends from AA....they circled the wagons and surrounded me.

It still stings.

Of course, I expected some fall-out. I knew I was burning a bridge, and was ready to do it. ( coming out athiest) but I'm afraid instead of just villifying myself, I created a martyr ( the orginal poster who had posted the woo-woo remark of Einsteins, like when the "Solution is simple, God is answering.")

sorry for the run-on sentence.

I think I violated the taboo of the group..if you can't say anythign nice, keep your fucking mouth shut. And, I also citicized the idol of the fan club, by questioning the validity of the post.

OUCH OUCH OUCH

still, important to have done it , I think.

I also went ahead and removed those posters from my newsfeed...as I just react to thier stuff almost daily. So, something positive did come of it.


Hard though, cuz I have known some of them almost 20 years and we have been through a lot together.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page