Einstein's God

The Laughing Man · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject: Einstein's God

Who, or What, is Einstein's God?

danlo · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:42 pm Post subject:

Nature, Einstien's a deist. (sorry I'll delete this if you're trying to merge)

iQuestor · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject:

based on the link I found, I would agree that Einstein's God was nature (the universe).
_________________
Becoming Elijah has been released from Calderwood Books!
Korik's Fate
It cannot now be set aside, nor passed on...

Harbinger · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:35 pm Post subject:

I didn't see this thread when I posted in The God Fuse.

Einstein wrote:
"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly."

"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

"I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings."

Albert Einstein credited Spinoza as the philosopher that most greatly influenced his world view. Spinoza believed that god=nature, that there were two names for one reality that he called "substance".

<edit to note addition>

Spinoza was a pantheist, so it would be reasonable to assume that Einstein was also a pantheist, if we insist on labeling him. Pantheism basically asserts that god is everything and everything is god. So to Spinoza or Einstein it would be substance is everything and everything is substance. Deism is different from pantheism in that it assumes the existence of a god based on reason from observing "design" of the natural world. The design presupposes a designer.
_________________
Never underestimate the power of denial. - Ricky Fitts

The Laughing Man · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:50 pm Post subject:

Harbinger · Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:08 pm Post subject:

I may have jumped to conclusions.

Einstein said:

"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

Clearly, Einstein recognized a "harmony" which presupposed a designer. That would make him a deist. Spinoza's view of god=nature was influential to the early European deists.
_________________
Never underestimate the power of denial. - Ricky Fitts

danlo · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:24 am Post subject:

The Laughing Man · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:12 am Post subject:

Dromond · Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:41 am Post subject: