Einstein: god is a "childish superstition"

[LadiesMan217]

I don't know how you conclude from this letter that Einstein was an atheist Zhavric. I have read the same article elsewhere on the web and just because Einstein did not believe in Judaism of Christianity it was pretty clear that he believed there was some undefinable force at work in the universe that we simply call god for lack of a better word. Einstein may not have been religious but he was certainly somewhat spiritual, perhaps agnostic is the best way to describe his beliefs, but it is definitely not atheist.

[Jack]

It would suggest any belief not based on knowledge.

That's not entirely what "superstition" suggests:

# an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

# A superstition is the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition

The common elements are irrationality and a belief that future events are influenced by actions that are not directly causal.
For example:
Step on a crack, break your mother's back.
Break a mirror and get 7 years bad luck.
Believe in Jesus and your sins will be forgiven and you'll go to heaven.
Open an umbrella indoors and you'll have bad luck.

[Piscean]

"The flag is a symbol of the fact that man [sic] is still a herd animal."

Amen

[another day]

Quote by: LadiesMan217 I don't know how you conclude from this letter that Einstein was an atheist Zhavric. I have read the same article elsewhere on the web and just because Einstein did not believe in Judaism of Christianity it was pretty clear that he believed there was some undefinable force at work in the universe that we simply call god for lack of a better word. Einstein may not have been religious but he was certainly somewhat spiritual, perhaps agnostic is the best way to describe his beliefs, but it is definitely not atheist.

Huh? Are you confused about what atheism is? Atheism is a lack of theism... or a lack of believe in god. Of course he thought there was some unknown or undefinable force at work in the universe... all atheists think that. That doesn't mean you can slap the label "god" on this concept and say that this person believes in god. The idea of God is very well laid out and it is most definitely not an "undefinable force"... It is a sentient creator-being, basically a human archetype, with thoughts and emotions etc - a supreme father figure, who, while often clouded with contrived mystery in cases where it suits the believers, is actually quite well constructed and defined in holy texts . This idea of God is exactly what this letter is calling childish. We don't call an abstract, undefinable force "god" for lack of a better word, God is a completely different idea, and calling the abstract force (that can best be defined as
"nature") "God" is a completely misleading misnomer that pollutes the real definition of what a god is.

I'm so tired of this strange outlandish opinion that atheists somehow "believe in nothing" or that they believe everything comes from random, unchecked nothingness, and that anyone who says anything about a force or a power in the universe is automatically talking about god... Of course there are forces at work, all atheists know and understand this. We don't call them god because they are completely different concepts.

And spiritual? Why does spirituality define one as a theist? Belief in god does that.

[LadiesMan217]

I don't really see the point to this thread. It is just going to cause a war between theists and atheists because everyone wants to claim Einstein for their side. As if it will somehow validate their side or invalidate the other, when it comes down to it Einstein was just a man who knew no more about the existence or non-existence of god then the homeless man who lives on my street corner.

[GHook93]

Quote by: wyoguy I think if the situation is looked at honestly, if the document pans out to be legit, that it is neither a feather in the cap for the atheists nor a slam against the theists, but rather a glimpse at the flakiness of Einstein himself on matters of a metaphysical nature.

Or I will present another theory. When a person learns more and more about the interworkings of science and nature, he decides to put his beliefs and faith in science rather than superstitions and folklore.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: Jack That's not entirely what "superstition" suggests: # an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn # A superstition is the irrational belief that future events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superstition The common elements are irrationality and a belief that future events are influenced by actions that are not directly causal. For example: Step on a crack, break your mother's back. Break a mirror and get 7 years bad luck. Believe in Jesus and your sins will be forgiven and you'll go to heaven. Open an umbrella indoors and you'll have bad luck.

Ignorance is not a lack of edcation and knowledge?

Interesting is that three of your examples noted that a bad thing would happen and one noted that something good would happen.

None the less I get your point, the power of suggestion can cause irrational beliefs.

Belief in Santa. If you are good you will be rewarded on Chirstmas morning, now if you wake up and see all those toys and gifts under the Christmas tree, then you could hardly call that belief that is based on physical evidence totally irrational. Only when you become knowledgable to the fact your parents and relatives put the gifts there would you change your mind. If you wake up and find money under your pillow and your tooth that you put there is gone, would it be irrational to believe in the tooth farie based on only those limited facts?

So lets say you break a mirror and then (due to that suggestion) you start to notice all the wrong things happening, no luck getting a date with the girl of your dreams, no luck getting a job you really like, no luck winning the super lotto. Well, if you are preconditioned to look for bad luck then the chances are that is what you will notice the most, while not noticing all the good stuff happening to you.

The truth is you will get bad luck and good luck and so it is just what you were directed to focus on becomes the dominate deduction. In the theory of evolution good luck was more productive then bad luck relative to random destiny.

"win a war in Iraq and you will attain honor and pride in yourself"

"work hard and you will be rewarded for your efforts".

Fact or fiction?

What ever you believe you will find evidence to support the belief.

Gee, my mom grew old and her bones got weak and she could not sit up stright anymore, guess walking on unavoidable cracks caused it? The evidence is there but not the knowledge that weak bones are caused by something else.

Finding a phoney excuse for bad luck would damage our ability to understand that our behavor (in other aspects) is responsible for the outcome of our actions and thoughts. So I would agree on that point.

Likewise, finding a phoney belief to insure a lucky break and getting the super lotto is also unwise because it could result in great disapointment and a rude "let down". But at least you could learn that it did not work out and you could drop that belief and move on with a more knowledgable attitude due to that learned experience. If you got laid off after working for 30 years at a company you might rethink the supersition that hard work is a user friendly suggestion, as the bill collectors grab back you car and TV set and your house.

These so called supersitions are for a logical reason, they mainly are saying that you should pay attention to what you are doing, every action is a cause that has a momentum that effect later on. It is just training people to be aware of what the heck you are doing. If you plant cotton seeds you will have a cotton crop. Bad luck suggestions will hoax your chance of living a more positive and happy life. Good luck suggestions will motivate you to think in a more positive way, with more self confidence, courage, virture, and will factor in a sense of trust the notion that good will result in good and bad will result in bad - the effect will imitate the cause.

A life that is overshadowed as being hell on earth or some heavenly pattern of wonder and joy. Depending on what evidence you wish to gather up in this experience of living and as a conscous awakening.

So just plant the right seeds and keep the bad seeds out of your mind by disbelief.