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"Science without Religion Is Lame, Religion without Science Is Blind"

Letter describing Einstein's religious beliefs up for auction

By Gabriel Gache, Science News Editor

14th of May 2008, 07:52 GMT

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Albert Einstein
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This is what Albert Einstein wrote in his letter to philosopher Eric Gutkind, in response to his receiving the book "Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt". The letter was written on January 3, 1954, in German, and explains Einstein's personal beliefs regarding religion and the Jewish people; it was put on sale one year later and remained into a personal collection ever since. Now the letter is again on auction in London and has a starting price of 8,000 sterling pounds.

The letter states pretty clearly that Einstein was by no means a religious person - in fact, the great physicist saw religion as no more than 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 (for me) change this", Einstein wrote.

Einstein was Jewish, which is why the people of Israel asked him once to become Israel's second president. Also, Einstein felt uncomfortable with the idea that the Jews are God's favored People.

"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", said Einstein.

Although, neither Einstein nor his parents were religious people, he did in fact attend the Catholic primary school. But at the age of 12 he was already questioning the truth of the stories written in the Bible. "The consequence was a positively fanatic orgy of freethinking coupled with the impression that youth is being deceived by the state through lies; it was a crushing impression", Einstein wrote.

Einstein may have not believed in God, but he felt that faith was a must. This is probably why he never gave a second thought to studying the quantum theory and its random nature. He once said that "God does not throw dice", meaning that quantum theory randomness is out of the question for him. This belief in faith is probably also why his position towards religion was often misinterpreted.

"Like other great scientists he does not fit the boxes in which popular polemicists like to pigeonhole him. It is clear for example that he had respect for the religious values enshrined within Judaic and Christian traditions... but what he understood by religion was something far more subtle than what is usually meant by the word in popular discussion", said John Brook from the Oxford University, leading expert on Albert Einstein.

Einstein was often associated with atheism because of his views on conventional religion, but he never liked being called an atheist.

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Einstein | religion | faith | atheism | quantum mechanics
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Comment #1 by: ??? on 06 Jan 2009, 23:27 GMT reply to this comment

this is sooo cool and i love his picture my science teacher told our class to look up the frase ( p.s. im not a scientists)


Comment #2 by: Some Guy on 28 May 2009, 20:21 GMT reply to this comment

I decided to look this quote up because a friend of mine used this as an argument for religion. Both of us still agree that Einstein was not religious but also, since this quote is very popular I decided to do a bit of research to understand why he said it. This article has been very helpful. Thank you!


Comment #3 by: Simon on 09 Jun 2009, 19:32 GMT reply to this comment

What Einstein was refering to when he used the term "religion" was the sense of wonder and awe that we feel when we contemplate the universe and our place within it. He was saying that there is no point in science trying to find answers if we do not have that "wonder and awe" after all, why bother? And further, that our wonder and awe is empty, and unfulfilled without the answers that science can offer. Most people choose to see his quote as evidence that he was religious, but it's much more likely he was speaking of the essence of religion (wonder and awe), not any particular religious doctrine.


Comment #4 by: Rafael Bayerri-Albesa on 30 Oct 2009, 22:52 GMT reply to this comment

Albert Einstein was the greatest phyisicst in earth's space-time history,to date,but in addition,a great genius that saw beyond the scope of other mere humans;amidst great science,he appreciated the fact of a God,a Supreme Being that designed,created and manifested the greatest idea of all space and time;the Universe.I personally believe that science and religion are inextricable-they go go hand in hand.God is the Ultimate Scientist...

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