Freethought & Rationalism Archive

CX · 06-27-2002, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pseudonym:
<strong>I'm getting tired and sick of these retards quoting Einstein out of context and concluding he's a theist, or even worse, "deeply" religious.

From a letter:

"I am, of course, and have always been an Atheist.... I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal God is a childlike one. You may call me an Agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional Atheist whose fervour is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our being."</strong>

If I'm not mistaken this too is taken out of context. I believe this passage begins with the qualification "...to a Jesuit priest...". Einstein never claimed to be an atheist per se he just rejected a personal god. He was a monist like Spinoza and possibly a sort of Platonist. The universe and the "Laws of Nature" were his god. Ultimately though what difference does it make? Lot's of brilliant people have believed in god. That has no bearing on it's truth value or coherence as a proposition. Tkaing quotes out of context to support either side of the question is just an argument from authority and as such ahs no validity. So maybe Einstein wasn't a Xian. So what? Newton was. Darwin was. Many of the great thinkers of the Enlightenment were Deists. Who gives a flying fornicate? It has no bearing whatsoever on the proposition that god exists.

IvanK · 06-27-2002, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Synaesthesia:
<strong>Then, quite frankly, your conception of Deism is identical to atheism.</strong>

Pragmatically speaking that's so. But there is at least some capital-P Philosophical difference between "the universe operates according to natural laws established by a Creator, however distant" and "the uncreated universe operates in a certain way that human beings choose to describe as natural laws." I'd maintain that Einstein's personal beliefs were closer to the former than to the latter.

Sephiroth · 06-27-2002, 09:14 AM

Why do people keep saying Darwin was a Christian? If you read his autobiography it's clear he died as an agnostic.

Prince Ashitaka · 06-29-2002, 04:11 PM

Since we're quoting Einstein:

"Buddism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids degmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity"

--Einstein

This guy just can't make up his mind.

- Prince Ashitaka-

Sephiroth · 06-30-2002, 05:28 AM

Actually, I think he was just giving a neutral observation on Buddhism.

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06-27-2002, 09:14 AM	#33
Sephiroth Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 625	Why do people keep saying Darwin was a Christian? If you read his autobiography it's clear he died as an agnostic.

06-29-2002, 04:11 PM	#34
Prince Ashitaka Regular Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: USA Posts: 498	Since we're quoting Einstein: "Buddism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids degmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity" --Einstein This guy just can't make up his mind. - Prince Ashitaka-

06-30-2002, 05:28 AM	#35
Sephiroth Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Georgia, USA Posts: 625	Actually, I think he was just giving a neutral observation on Buddhism.

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