2006-11-05 05:16:23 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes but that's also why he didn't support quantum physics because he felt God didn't work based on chances. He was Jewish so I'm sure he was very close to God in his heart.
2006-11-05 05:19:25 · answer #1 · answered by Sean 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, he feels God.Please read:
"Still again, in another version of this statement, Einstein said:
Certain it is that a conviction, akin to religious feeling, of the rationality and intelligibility of the world lies behind all scientific work of a higher order. The firm belief, which is bound up with deep feeling, in a superior mind revealing himself in the world of experience, represents my conception of God, which may, therefore be described in common parlance as `pantheistic' (Spinoza). 22
What did Einstein mean, then, when he referred to God as "cosmic intelligence", "the grandeur of reason incarnate in existence", to which he not infrequently referred in a Talmudic expression as "the Old One"? He was not always consistent so that it is not easy to grasp precisely what he meant. But it seems clear that he conceived of God as the ultimate spiritual ground of all rational order which transcends what the scientist works with as natural laws–a point to which we shall return later–but unlike the Jewish-Christian religion he did not think of that in what he called a "personal" or "anthropomorphic" way, that is, as a God conceived in man's image, but in a "superpersonal" (ausserpersönlichen) way freed from the fetters of the "only personal" (Nur-Persönlichen), or people's selfish desires.
Einstein certainly held, as his constant appeal to God showed, that without God nothing can be known, but what did he really mean by his appeal to Spinoza? Once in answer to the question "Do you believe in the God of Spinoza?" Einstein replied as follows:
I can't answer with a simple yes or no. I'm not an atheist and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many different languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see a universe marvellously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand these laws. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that moves the constellations. "
2006-11-05 08:13:36 · answer #2 · answered by mirna 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are many scientists who believe in God. Some will clearly state it is an irrational belief, but they still believe. Some felt that one should hedge their bets in that acting piously does not hurt them if they were wrong.
Personally, I think it is disingenous to act as if you believe when you do not. But, if Einstein believed in God, then so what? Should I believe in God because others do? Such a reasoning is shallow at best.
2006-11-05 05:23:41 · answer #3 · answered by Your Best Fiend 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When someone mentions 'God' today, they are usually describing a personal God. Let's examine what Einstein actually did believe and then come to a conclusion.
"In response to the telegrammed question of New York's Rabbi Herbert S. Goldstein in 1929: "Do you believe in God? Stop. Answer paid 50 words." Einstein replied "I believe in Spinoza's God, Who reveals Himself in the lawful harmony of the world, not in a God Who concerns Himself with the fate and the doings of mankind." Note that Einstein replied in only 25 (German) words. Spinoza was a naturalistic pantheist."
"Naturalistic pantheism is a form of pantheism that holds that the universe, although unconscious and non-sentient as a whole, is a meaningful focus for mystical fulfillment. Accordingly, Nature is seen as being god only in a non-traditional, impersonal sense. Also known as Impersonal pantheism and Impersonal Absolutism."
Therefore, Einstein did not believe in a personal God, so the statement as you posted is vague enough as to allow for misunderstanding and incorrect interpretation.
2006-11-05 05:18:46 · answer #4 · answered by Michael 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Einstein also believed the speed of light was immutable. what a moron, huh?
well, he was okay for the time in which he lived, given the horribly limited instrumentation he had to work with.
someday they'll get that time is not linear and connect the amended theory of relativity with string theory and come up with X, and all this ridiculous crap about "GOD" will be overwith.
2006-11-05 05:27:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Interesting how so many answered with "yes, but not the God you are describing" ... all you said that he did believe in God.
lol see how hard it is to communicate with only the written word? Tone is determined by the reader, and look how so many agree with you then tell you that he didn't believe in the one you described .. just calling Him God determines your description? lol
2006-11-05 05:25:38 · answer #6 · answered by arewethereyet 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Einstien also fought the theory of quantum mechanics, couldn't comb his hair, believed in a cosmological constant, didn't bathe frequently, and didn't believe in the equations that his own theories yielded. So, believing in God was one of his minor mistakes.
2006-11-05 06:13:28 · answer #7 · answered by DjStabMasterArson 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes. In fact he is quoted as saying to another physicist (talking about something to do with quantom physics and its order) "It is too random! God does not play dice"
The other physicist said "how do you know God does not play dice?
2006-11-05 05:32:39 · answer #8 · answered by mike i 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, and the demons knew Jesus and trembled.
But knowing or believing in the existence of God is not enough.
2006-11-05 05:40:14 · answer #9 · answered by Master J 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
So what? Even Einstein could make mistakes. I admire him for his scientific job, not for his personal beliefs. Besides, MANY scientists, and good ones, believe in god. That doesn't mean anything, and it doesn't belittle their work.
2006-11-05 05:19:23 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋