Atheists seem very eager to claim Einstein for one of their own. Richard Dawkins devotes a whole section to Einstein in The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens' Portable Atheist is peppered with Einstein quotations seemingly rejecting all belief in God. Recently an Einstein letter surfaced which showed the great scientist scorning the idea that the Jews were in any sense God's chosen people.
But all that these quotations prove is that Einstein was not an orthodox believer. He rejected the idea of a personal God "who would directly influence the actions of individuals or would sit in judgment on creatures of his own creation." Einstein also rejeted the immortality of the soul, noting that "one life is enough for me."
At the same time, Walter Isaacson in his celebrated new biography Einstein provides ample evidence that Einstein not only believed in a higher or transcendent power, but also that Einstein despised atheists. Here are some quotations, drawn from Isaacson's book with full documentation, that I offer as a needed counterbalance to the one-sided list provided by Dawkins, Hitchens and the others.
On whether he considered himself religious: "Yes, you could call it that. Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible laws and connections, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this foce beyond anything we can comprehend is my religion."
On whether he accepted the historical existence of Christ: "Unquestionably! No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life."
On whether he considered himself an atheist: "I'm not an atheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. 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 arrangement of the books but doesn't know what that is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the most intelligent human toward God."
On the nature of God: "That deeply emotional conviction of a presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God."
On whether science leads to religion: "Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of nature--a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort."
On how religion motivates scientific inquiry: "The cosmic religious feeling is the strongest and noblest motive for scientific research."
On whether science and religion are at odds: "The situation may be expressed by an image: science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
On how he feels about atheist efforts to claim him as an ally: "There are people who say there is no God, but what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views."
On how he regards atheists: "The fanatical atheists...are creatures who cannot her the music of the spheres. I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist. What separates me from most so-called atheists is a feeling of utter humility toward the unattainable secrets of the harmony of the cosmos."
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 24)
16. Wow, way to phone it in DD.
I'm sure Mr. Isaacson is glad he's doing all your work for you.
Ryan Anderson at 3:56PM on May 21st 2008
17. From Botts (another post from him also on the other blog):
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. He told me to tell you, that the person who keeps using all different kinds of names, is Devon who formally was MI. He said you would know what he's talking about."
brandon at 3:57PM on May 21st 2008
18. 1. DoubleD, so how do your quotations lend credence to a christian god? It is a big stretch from the 'spirit of natural laws' to a christian god.
>>>
You must be a confused atheist. Your arugment is that there is NO God, not that there is no Christian God.
Odd how the arugment changes and becomes rather meaningless, when the Atheist godhead ( scientist) see design in the universe. Atheist believe the universe is an accident, and without science to back them up all they have is ... say it with me ... FAITH. LMAO
Thomas J Gassett at 4:01PM on May 21st 2008
19. My beliefs were shaped by math, science, Jewish theology and a healthy sense of doubt - just like Albert.
You can't have him, and he will never go along with your agenda.
Mokele Mbembe at 4:04PM on May 21st 2008
20. FAITH. LMAO , this is the first true statement you've made tom.
JefFlyingV at 4:04PM on May 21st 2008
21. Am I to understand that DD needs Einstien's opinion on religion (for lack of a more apt description)in order to justify his beliefs? If your beliefs are right for you ten who cares what Einstien thinks? Ridiculous!
thinkin at 4:08PM on May 21st 2008
22. Ann Gassett:
"Atheist Godhead"
LMAO................. the ultimate oxymoron.
I'll take bets with anyone as to what Einstein would think of the "Intelligent Design" bullshit.
"Vat der hell are you talking about?"
A. Einstein
Linda at 4:10PM on May 21st 2008
23. Behold my "Higher Power":
http://www.funnytshirtsonline.com/public/images_upload/CharlizeTheronbyMatthewRolston.jpg
Mokele Mbembe at 4:13PM on May 21st 2008
24. I'll take bets with anyone as to what Einstein would think of the "Intelligent Design" bullshit.
>>>
Clearly, you have a reading comprehension problem. Go back and read the article again and realize Einstein is talking about intelligent design.
Einstein talks about a library written in many languages that we can't read. Clue: It was the designer that wrote the library, you stupid atheist turd.
Thomas J Gassett at 4:15PM on May 21st 2008
25. TJG,
Naughty potty mouth, no pudding for you!
Mokele Mbembe at 4:18PM on May 21st 2008
26. I'll take bets that Thom got a prize from Prof X.
JefFlyingV at 4:19PM on May 21st 2008
27. DD,
after you're finished obfuscating the truth you can tell us the part about how Einstein rejects organized religion.
Mokele Mbembe at 4:20PM on May 21st 2008
28. Mommy............ Ann Gassett called me a turd.
That's OK, honey. He's just a heart attack waiting to happen.
Einstein would laugh ID off the page, you ridiculous, mindless christian conservative.
Is that chest pain you're having???
Don't call 911.
Linda at 4:23PM on May 21st 2008
29. I have about 50 more quotes that show that DD's interpretation of Isaacson's book is erroneous and cherry-picked.
Linda at 4:25PM on May 21st 2008
30. Hey Mokele and JetFlying,
DD's point is that Einstein signed on the idea of an immaterial creative intelligence responsible for the universe. So, he and the classical theists share that in common. It amounts to a rejection of materialism.
I would said that DD's line of argumentation is an effective polemic against A-theists, who say matter is all that exists.
Obviously, arguing for any particular religion's attempts to define that supreme creative intelligence is another discussion for another day. And one could NOT use A.E. as support for Judaism or Christianity or Buddhism.
preteristvision at 4:26PM on May 21st 2008