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I cannot understand most of what Enistein was talking about but I do agree with what he wrote about religion:
"That which is impenetrable to us really exisits. Behind the secrets of nature remains something subtle, intangible, and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comphrehend is my religion."
And:
"The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It will transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology".
I totally agree with both of these thoughts. Can it be that I am able to be on the same page of one of history's great geniuses? Holy moses!
Last edited by mortisha; 02-20-2010 at 03:58 PM..
Reason: correction
Here are a few more that add to his view of religion.
"The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action."
"I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, or has a will of the type of which we are conscious in ourselves. An individual who should survive his physical death is also beyond my comprehension, nor do I wish it otherwise; such notions are for the fears or absurd egoism of feeble souls."
"The further the spiritual evolution of mankind advances, the more certain it seems to me that the path to genuine religiosity does not lie through the fear of life, and the fear of death, and blind faith, but through striving after rational knowledge."
"I came-- though the child of entirely irreligious (Jewish) parents -- to a deep religiousness, which, however, reached an abrupt end at the age of twelve."
Is this the same Einstein, the deeply religious non-believer, that was told to go back to Germany by some good Christian folks in America for his non-belief?
Perhaps it begins with the assumption - made by most - that whatever GOD is, is somehow "human-like." What Einstein is getting at is the idea that GOD is not a "person" in any way.
Perhaps it begins with the assumption - made by most - that whatever GOD is, is somehow "human-like." What Einstein is getting at is the idea that GOD is not a "person" in any way.
One appreciates that. What is difficult to envisage is a being who- or rather, which- is superior to a person.
One appreciates that. What is difficult to envisage is a being who- or rather, which- is superior to a person.
That is the issue identified, for example, by Zen practitioners centuries ago. As soon as someone conceptualizes a "god" they immediately begin to ascribe traits to the concept, ultimately coming to believe they think they "know" the Straw Man they've created in their own minds. It is the natural process of the mind: It seeks to create, categorize, label and judge.
That's why Zen (along with several other modes of thought) avoids those pigeon-holes by confounding the mind and referring to something in the negative sense. For example, the question "what is enlightenment?" is never answered directly because such an answer would immediately cause the questioner to think they understand the concept, which then tends to limit any further exploration of the answer.
Often it seems that the incessant debate between believers and atheists is a battle among straw men on both sides, which is why I try to avoid any definition of "god." I often do purposely criticize Believers because they are the ones who seem to know exactly who or what god is, then condemn to an imaginary hell anyone who disagrees with them. Atheists and agnostics seem far more fluid in their concepts, although I suspect many atheists are generally reacting most strongly against the straw gods depicted by specific religions.
I know I'll get some flack for this, but I think most extreme fundamentalists - the ones who really are convinced they "know god" - are practicing idol worship.
What is the quote of Einstein's offered by the OP? "The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It will transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology".
Zen is one example of that.
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