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Einstein: Belief in God is 'childish'


Pierre the Great

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http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/080513/worl...e_jews_einstein

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.

"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions," he said.

"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."

And he added: "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."

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Hmm This is hardly controversial.

Controversial would be at what stage do we define something a human being even though they don't exist or haven't been born.

Einstein's just going by what he probably learned in Anthropology 101. Religions are a product of cultural diffusion and myth is a human creation in order for us to live by creating 'morals' or teachings that some people believe to be honourable. Heck, that's not from Anthropology class, that's from a Lutheran University in the states religion class...

I've moved more into religion is not important camp more or less due to the culture I grew up (split family) (bible belt country where theocracy is the ultimate goal, purge society etc.)

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It's funny that some people have religion because it answers the questions "Why are we here?" and "Where did we come from?" and Einstein might be one of the people in the history of humanity best equipped to answer that question without using religion to bridge the gap from known to unknown. He is one of the few people ever who could make a legitimate contention that he didn't need faith to answer some of these fundamental questions.

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Why now? Did they just uncover this letter of his or is it because you only just heard this?

Anyway, it's not really a big story, there are plenty of smart people who don't believe in God.

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Why now? Did they just uncover this letter of his or is it because you only just heard this?

Anyway, it's not really a big story, there are plenty of smart people who don't believe in God.

I think they've discovered a letter that they're going to sell or something. Its shocking to Americans because now the general public will not say :o "I don't want my baby to be an Einstein" because that means :o it will become non-religious. :o;)

Due to his without science religion and without religion science line people down here always assumed the guy was religious.

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bah...I know some real science buffs who actually tell me that their knowledge of science has furthered their belief in a higher power.

Personally, I just think they aren't smart enough... :lol:

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  • 5 weeks later...
bah...I know some real science buffs who actually tell me that their knowledge of science has furthered their belief in a higher power.

Personally, I just think they aren't smart enough... :lol:

Comments like that are exactly why I took a break from this place. You're not religious, that's fine. But don't bash it just because you don't believe in it.

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Comments like that are exactly why I took a break from this place. You're not religious, that's fine. But don't bash it just because you don't believe in it.

Why would it be like that for religion ?

I don't believe in Brian Smolinski on the 5 on 3 pp, his necessity, what it brings to this game. I'll bash it. Will you come at me THAT hard ?

I don't believe in the good taste of peanuts in a pad thai recipe, their necessity, what they bring in the recipe. I'll bash it. Will you come at me THAT hard?

I don't believe in the religion, his necessity, what it brings to this world. I'll bash it. Why do you come at me THAT hard when it comes to religion ?

Why religion should be above other things like Smolinski or peanuts ? That's the question i ask to this world.

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Why would it be like that for religion ?

I don't believe in Brian Smolinski on the 5 on 3 pp, his necessity, what it brings to this game. I'll bash it. Will you come at me THAT hard ?

I don't believe in the good taste of peanuts in a pad thai recipe, their necessity, what they bring in the recipe. I'll bash it. Will you come at me THAT hard?

I don't believe in the religion, his necessity, what it brings to this world. I'll bash it. Why do you come at me THAT hard when it comes to religion ?

Why religion should be above other things like Smolinski or peanuts ? That's the question i ask to this world.

Because people get a lot more uppity when you bash religion rather then peanuts so I always find it's best to just leave it alone. I agree with you though, should be free to bash something if you don't like it. I've always found religion to be pretty useless.

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Just the fact that you try to put religion on the same table as hockey or peanuts is ridiculous. Religion is something that is very personal, at the core of many people. Some people are defined by their religion. You can't say that about hockey or peanuts. Bashing a recipe or a hockey player's value on a 5-on-3 doesn't take a shot at anyone's core beliefs or way of life. Bashing religion does just that. For many people, bashing religion is bashing their whole way of life. Take revvvrob, for example. He is a preacher. He is a man devoted to God and religion. You call religion useless and childish, thus you're calling his whole life useless and childish. How would you respond if someone called your life useless?

I'm not even that religious of a person, but just because I'm not, that doesn't give me the right to tell everyone else they're wrong and I'm right. I can't understand atheists, but I don't bash them. That's their prerogative. What I take issue with is that so many of them feel the need to bash religion. Too many see any semblance of religion and take offense to it and sue. Why? Their belief doesn't offend me, so why does mine offend them?

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I'm not even that religious of a person, but just because I'm not, that doesn't give me the right to tell everyone else they're wrong and I'm right. I can't understand atheists, but I don't bash them. That's their prerogative. What I take issue with is that so many of them feel the need to bash religion. Too many see any semblance of religion and take offense to it and sue. Why? Their belief doesn't offend me, so why does mine offend them?

I'm totally with you on the fact that religion beliefs( or non beliefs) should be kept personal.

what I have against is people trying to convince you that you need religion, that their religion is better than all the others. I'm an atheist but I'm not there trying to convince that I'm right and religious people aren't.

there are many great things to be taken from every religion. sometimes its how people interpret them in their favor that rubs me the wrong way.

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I'm totally with you on the fact that religion beliefs( or non beliefs) should be kept personal.

what I have against is people trying to convince you that you need religion, that their religion is better than all the others. I'm an atheist but I'm not there trying to convince that I'm right and religious people aren't.

there are many great things to be taken from every religion. sometimes its how people interpret them in their favor that rubs me the wrong way.

I agree with everything you say there. That was something I loved about my education in Catholic schools. No condemnation of other religions, instead teaching respect for other religions and non-believers. Obviously we were taught that our way was the most correct way, but not at the expense of anyone else. Also they weren't afraid to admit that when taken to extremes, religion could be a bad thing.

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Just the fact that you try to put religion on the same table as hockey or peanuts is ridiculous. Religion is something that is very personal, at the core of many people. Some people are defined by their religion. You can't say that about hockey or peanuts. Bashing a recipe or a hockey player's value on a 5-on-3 doesn't take a shot at anyone's core beliefs or way of life. Bashing religion does just that. For many people, bashing religion is bashing their whole way of life. Take revvvrob, for example. He is a preacher. He is a man devoted to God and religion. You call religion useless and childish, thus you're calling his whole life useless and childish. How would you respond if someone called your life useless?

I'm not even that religious of a person, but just because I'm not, that doesn't give me the right to tell everyone else they're wrong and I'm right. I can't understand atheists, but I don't bash them. That's their prerogative. What I take issue with is that so many of them feel the need to bash religion. Too many see any semblance of religion and take offense to it and sue. Why? Their belief doesn't offend me, so why does mine offend them?

my point exactly, why i'll always bash religion. A think any man should define himself. Too many people think via some 1000+ years old written commandments that represented reality of that time.

Morale and personal values are good things, religion is just an old political tool wich includes good morale and personal values and that sticks in our minds for whatever reasons, creating fences, wars and problems.

Like you say : something THAT important should bring the world to live in peace and head in the same way. Something that important should let the men define themselves.

Again, this is just MHO, I apologize for offending anyone about religion ANYONE (my grand-parents are ULTRA religious), but no one will ever manage to make me think that bashing religion should not be put on the same table as peanuts or Brian Smolinski on a 5-on-3.

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Again, this is just MHO, I apologize for offending anyone about religion ANYONE (my grand-parents are ULTRA religious), but no one will ever manage to make me think that bashing religion should not be put on the same table as peanuts or Brian Smolinski on a 5-on-3.

Answer my question.

Take revvvrob, for example. He is a preacher. He is a man devoted to God and religion. You call religion useless and childish, thus you're calling his whole life useless and childish. How would you respond if someone called your life useless?
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I believe in inner peace of oneself reaching a higher level of peace within myself with self reflection. I'm not religious then again isn't seeking something religious.

I'm more anti-right wing crazy Christianity who use the pulpit to condemn people. This is not what Jesus according to the stories meant people to do. To me the Gospel is "(I) am a screwed up person, I have my own issues to live with I can't tell someone they can't marry someone of the same gender, I can't say I need religion taught in public schools, I can't tell someone they're 'fakes'. I can't condemn people to hell."

look in at yourself and not outward condemning the masses.

This right wing fanatical Christianity is no worse then extreme Islam or extreme orthodox Judaism.

I can't believe that there is a God because of what this view of God is. Religious school told me there's only one God. Well I look around the world and there's more people who aren't labelled as 'Christians' then 'Christians'. Then, I remember the pastors saying if you aren't this this this this you are doomed to hell.

I'm sorry if this is what religion wants to do, we as humans have developed a better religion i.e. Human Rights. Anthropology tells me religion is myth developed by humans in order to bridge the gap between the known and unknown and find answers to things we cannot explain. We use myth as a guide to say "this is how we should live our lives, this is the correct way" etc. Just as grouping of political beliefs we all are different. Others believe in this code others do not.

In the end religion isn't religion but a way to live a life. We developed the concept of God in order to comfort ourselves. And truth behold it's hard to tell somebody that 'life is an accident, we have no purpose'. The best we can do is make this world the best we can make it. Leave it better then we found it under our own principles of human rights and social justice so when we leave this world, we can feel happy and content, at peace with ourselves.

This is my personal view, spiritual.

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Answer my question.

ok. I would ask this person to explain his point, why he thinks my life is useless.

Take Revvv again for example. I don't really know that well what is a preacher, and what is a preacher's role. But i'm sure his main goal is to build a better world and try to make everyday the best as everyday can be.

I do it too on my side, helping my 3 cousins with their homework once a week, being active in protecting our environment, giving a few dollars to homeless when i can (sometimes knowing it's gonna be for beer...), etc, etc, etc.

I'm sure Revvv do it too.

I'm just asking why the hell people do this in the name of any God ?

I'm not bashing people's actions and thinking, i'm bashing people's actions and thinking in the name of someone ! Religion inside of us in the form of values and morale is a great thing. Religion in the society is political, devides people on this Earth and IMO will ALWAYS be a brake for the development of the humanity.

And THAT is childish and useless.

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Comments like that are exactly why I took a break from this place. You're not religious, that's fine. But don't bash it just because you don't believe in it.

If you want to be this touchy over something that was said in jest then you have no one to blame but yourself.

I never bashed religion. I made fun of a friend.

I am agnostic but I have a full respect for people who practice religion at a personal level. I have my own set of personal values which, not surprisingly in Canada, mirrors much of what has been preached by most major christian religions. I was raised Roman Catholic, went to Catholic schools, the whole nine yards. In the past number of years I have come to the realisation that I have absolutely no use for organized religion. In my opinion organized religion is largely about control...and I believe this is true of all the organized religions. If one isn't allowed to state their opinion for fear of injured feelings then freedom really is dead in this country.

Are you going to run away from the board because someone has an opinion you disagree with?

I consider this type of thread about friendly public debate. Why wouldn't you want to discuss something that is clearly deep seated in your values and spirituality? Obviously you recognize that others have their own religions and beliefs...why does an athiests, or agnostics, belief suddenly seem to be "bashing" yours?

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One of my all-time favourite movie quotes:

Dr. Ian Malcolm: God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs...

Dr. Ellie Sattler: Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth...

Jurassic Park

On a more serious note (although I still think the above quote is both funny and meaningful despite the fact that it's from a fictional movie probably made for mostly resaons of entertainment), I feel pretty much the same way as Marky&Komi.

Edited by Doktor Kosmos
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You basically said that people who are religious are stupid. How is that not bashing religion?

What I said was: I know some real science buffs who actually tell me that their knowledge of science has furthered their belief in a higher power.

Personally, I just think they aren't smart enough... " and it ended with a nice laughing emoticon.

1) I reference people I know

2) the "they" in my second sentence clearly refers to the people "I know" from my first sentence.

3) the :lol: clearly also implies that my comment was in jest.

You took the implication that I was saying your stupid. However, that was clearly not the implication based on standard reading comprehension.

This type of politically correct crap is a major problem in Canada. We have human rights commissions trying people for inane things, preachers who won't be able to preach the teachings of their religion, media people who can't write factual statements because they might offend someone. The National Post recently referred to Orwell's 1984...frankly, I think it's closer to Bradbury's Farenheit 451 (a brilliant book if you haven't read it). A world where ALL books are banned because people find offense to them...people are offended to easily.

So what if you don't like someone's opinion. In this instance, the least you could have done was read the sentences as they were written...noticing the laughing icon might have allowed you some understanding that it was typed with levity.

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Well no crap you're referencing your friends and that you were joking. That doesn't change anything. If I were to put a laughing icon next to a racist or sexist comment, does that make it alright? Of course not. Also, by implying your friends are too dumb to move past religion, you are expressly implying that other people who follow religion are stupid as well.

P.S. If you are going to criticize my reading comprehension, you should learn the difference between "your" and "you're" while you are at it.

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