Einstein Letter: Religions are Childish Superstitions, Jews are NOT the Chosen People

[maverick4]

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080513122249.m3ds3b6j&show_article=1

Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this week, an auctioneer said Tuesday.

The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people".

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.

"No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this," he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.

 

[Lifer]

Re: Einstein Letter: Religions are Childish Superstitions, Jews are NOT the Chosen Pe

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080513122249.m3ds3b6j&show_article=1

Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this week, an auctioneer said Tuesday.

The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people".

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.

"No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this," he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.

He is entitled to his opinion. And so are you.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Re: Einstein Letter: Religions are Childish Superstitions, Jews are NOT the Chosen Pe

I'll profer no opinion of Einstein's opinions, other than to say they are probably closer to my own opinions, than are the opinions of extremists who expand "chosenness" to include historical supremicism.

As to Einstein's quote on God, it is notable that he says of Quantum theory:

"I do not know the secrets of The Old One, but I do not think that he plays dice."

Like all of us, Einstein spent his life on a journey. The products of that journey in his field of expertise and endeavor are nonparreil. His thoughts on religious matters do not carry any particular authority, but knowing a great deal (for his time) about how the universe worked, made it a simple matter to see biblical literalism for what it was, and still is.

Even supposed fundamentalists agree on this; they claim literalism but pick and choose areas which need interpretation, like every other religious faction.

To go beyond that, he can only say how it appears to him - as he is doing in the quotes noted.