EINSTEIN SAYS BELIEF IN GOD "CHILDISH SUPERSTITION"
Nicol says, "So what."Atheists around the world took great comfort in this and revealed themselves as little more than faith based followers of another kind for it.
The most childish notion that the Einstein quote brings with it is the notion that all atheists are defacto "smart" and all theists defacto not. This is simple, facile and juvenile reasoning.
Remember, belief in God is a philosophical and theological question. Not a question of science. Einstein was a brilliant scientist, but neither a philosopher nor theologian.
Do atheists really believe that only an atheist can be a scientist? That scientists are not also swayed by the culture of the day or political correctness? That notion is laughably unsophisticated.
Also remember that Einstein was writing at a time when we did not know that atheists under the guise of Marxists would create the greatest genocides in human history.
Perhaps had he lived in the modern era Einstein would realize whose views were truly "childish".
posted by Nicol DuMoulin @ 11:38 AM
8 Comments:
A great post.
I don't know if you posted this because of my entry on the subject, or if you were motivated to do so on your own.
Let me pick on some of your points though.
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"Also remember that Einstein was writing at a time when we did not know that atheists under the guise of Marxists would create the greatest genocides in human history."
Atheism wasn't the driving force of this. It was more subtle. We could say that since Stalin had a mustache that all mustached men wish to commit genocide. It's a silly argument. I think it's more valid to say that the Human Animal is capable of great atrocity.
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"Do atheists really believe that only an atheist can be a scientist? That scientists are not also swayed by the culture of the day or political correctness? That notion is laughably unsophisticated."
I commented on this specifically. To become an reasoned Atheist, you must be smart enough to understand a few things about reality. This is not a condition on Theism. That's not to say that smart people can't believe in God, it's just that they must choose to. But your point is nearly truth anyway. A large majority of Scientists are atheists.
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"Perhaps had he lived in the modern era Einstein would realize whose views were truly "childish"."
I'm not sure what you're saying here. Are you arguing that there's a larger case now for God's existence than there was then?
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This whole thing is comical, because Einstein was one of the main Theist arguments. "Here's one of the smartest people ever to have lived, and he believed in God, therefore, you are stupid." I've heard this argument so many times. It's so painful to go into, because usually the person on the other end is thick, and arguing with thick people isn't fun. So at least now, I can say, "Uhh no, Einstein was an Atheist and here's direct, not-taken-out-of-context-even-you-can-understand-this proof that he didn't believe in God."
Hopefully, it'll be enough to set the layman believe off their track to some other argument. Until, at least, the go back to Isaac Newton.
Ah well, they'll be fun times while they last!
*giggles*
Roy,
Thank you. I always appreciate your posts too.
Lore,
Actually yes, I did read your post. I was going to post there and did one of my own instead. Hope you do not mind.
"Atheism wasn't the driving force of this. It was more subtle. We could say that since Stalin had a mustache that all mustached men wish to commit genocide. It's a silly argument."
Actually your debunking is what is silly. Atheism is a - key - component to the philosophy of Marxism. Have you read any of the most basic of Marxist philosophers? There is a reason why one of the first things a Marxist country does is restrict the expression of religion. Marxism demands a belief in the worship of the state and state inspired notions of "equality". This comes directly from atheism. This belief in a Marxist-atheist notion of "equality" is what eventually leads to the "liquidation" of those who do not conform. This is the dirty little secret that atheists do not want to deal with. Merely calling people "silly" who say this is the font of not having an intellectual argument.
"To become an reasoned Atheist, you must be smart enough to understand a few things about reality. This is not a condition on Theism."
You need to explain more explicitly what you mean here. Just saying you need to understand some things does not make it so. What things? The notion that every atheist believes "certain things" about reality (you never say what things) is not true. I know plenty of atheists who also believe in everything they are sold on man-made global warming and gender identity politics.
"But your point is nearly truth anyway. A large majority of Scientists are atheists."
Can you prove this? Do you think if a doctor believes in God they are less of a doctor? What is your point? I'll take a scientist who believes in God any day over a scientist in academia who cow-tows to political correctness. Do you really believe all scientists are neutral? That idea is absurd. If it were true we would only ever need one scientist in the world and they would be the prime authority. Clearly not the case.
"Uhh no, Einstein was an Atheist and here's direct, not-taken-out-of-context-even-you-can-understand-this proof that he didn't believe in God."
The best we can say about Einstein now is that both sides have quotes to support what they want. What he really believed when he died...who knows. One quote does not a definitive argument make. People are more complex than that. I remember once saying "Mushrooms suck." I learned to love them. People change and evolve.
Atheists are becoming the new progressives. They have the culture on their side so they do not do the intellectual rigor that would make their arguments worth adhearing to. They think they can merely say "You're dumb. I am smart" and we will all buy it.
Not as simple as that.
Thank you for your comment,however. I do appreciate it.
If you want another quote:
"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."
24 March 1954, Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, "Albert Einstein, The Human Side", Princeton New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1981
Boo hoo, one more point taken away from the fundies.
Einstein was smarter than you, and he didn't believe in God. Stop saying he did. It's an outright lie.
Eappen, you haven't even told me what it is about evolution that you 'disagree with'. I'd be curious to here about what aspects of evolution you don't like, and why. So might some of your patients.
I really don't give a rat's ass what Einstein's personal religious beliefs were. They don't affect mine. I'll make up my own mind.
Toward's the end the old boy had no more discoveries left in him and he was doing what many successful scientists (oddly in particular - physicists) do in the thier old age. They become "personalities" and cruise along on on fame & momentum of past glories.
Einstien, just about wasn't the official originator of the theory of relativity. Many scientists were working along those lines at the time. One french mathematician was only weeks away from publishing basically the same theory in mathematics form but Einstien beat him by a nose.
Personally, there were many physicists that were the equal or better than Einstein. Take Niels Bohr for example.
Einstien was some pissed when he tried to stump Bohr with that whole "photon-in-a-box-with-a-recoil" thought experiment and it didn't work.
Bohr intellectually bitch slapped little Albert like he was a kindergarten kid.
Boo hoo, one more point taken away from the fundies.
Einstein was smarter than you, and he didn't believe in God. Stop saying he did. It's an outright lie.
I think another Einstein quote might be relevant here:
“There are people who say there is no God, but what makes me really angry is that they quote me for support of such views.”
I'm glad I found you;)
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