Belief in God 'childish,' Jews not chosen people: Einstein letter (1 Viewer)

[chicky_pie]

LONDON (AFP) - Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this week, an auctioneer said Tuesday.
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The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

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 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 change this," he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.

The German-language letter is being sold Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, said the auction house's managing director Rupert Powell.

In it, the renowned scientist, who declined an invitation to become Israel's second president, rejected the idea that the Jews are God's chosen people.

"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."

Previously the great scientist's comments on religion -- such as "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" -- have been the subject of much debate, used notably to back up arguments in favour of faith.

Powell said the letter being sold this week gave a clear reflection of Einstein's real thoughts on the subject. "He's fairly unequivocal as to what he's saying. There's no beating about the bush," he told AFP.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080513/wl_uk_afp/britainreligionsciencejewseinstein

I'm the chosen one.

 

[Enteebee]

Of course, that's with regard to a deterministic influential god which most religions hold... Glad this sort of thing has come up though as it becomes much harder to explain the intricacies of such differences.

 

[JaredR]

There are lots of intelligent people that don't believe in G-d. That doesn't make them right, or their opinions completly infaliable.

 

[jumb]

There are lots of intelligent people that don't believe in G-d. That doesn't make them right, or their opinions completly infaliable.

Yes it does.

 

[kaz1]

Saying a group of people has a higher priority with god is stupid.

 

[zstar]

Einstein was partly right.

You can't be chosen because you're Khazars not Hebrew people. And even if you were Jews most of you are Atheists who care nothing about the faith.

 

[PrinceHarry]

As a Christian, I still believe Jews are the chosen people because the infallible, inerrant and Holy spirit's verbally inspired Holy Bible says so.
BUT that title had been taken away from them as Jews turned their back to God. My Pastor told me that since the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon and jews lost the Arc of the Covenant, they lost that God's chosen title.