Way to go, Einstein!

[kon_el333]

I hardly ever post entries in LJ, but this caught my attention and I thought it was worthy of posting.  One of the greatest minds in history, totally speaking my language on the topic of religion.

I know one of my LJ Friends is not going to like this because of what Einstein says about (his own people) the Jews, so I apologize in advance, "

Comments

As you know...

[braz_king]

... we disagree on this topic. But more importantly to me, that letter is not Einstein's full thoughts on the matter of religion. I don't think it took decades for this idea to come out - he stated many times that he didn't believe in a 'personal God' the way it was described by many 'religious' people, and was critical of small-minded superstition. But he also wrote and spoke a lot about the mystical and spiritual aspects of life and the universe, even referring to 'God' at times, such as wanting to know the mind of God.

Here is an example that I feel is more considered than what he expressed in the letter:

The most beautiful and most profound experience is the sensation of the mystical. It is the sower of all true science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms - this knowledge, this feeling is at the center of true religiousness.
( Albert Einstein - The Merging of Spirit and Science)

I know that you believe religion is childish and that people cling to notions of 'God' out of weakness, whereas I believe that the spiritual impulses behind most religion is a thread that runs through human history, that impulse to connect to the creative power in the universe, to experience community at a deep level, to explain our existence, our consciousness, to understand a level of meaning in human life that science can not explain, etc.

I could agree that organized religion has a lot of negative, destructive, restrictive, unhealthy qualities, but to dismiss all religion as weakness is... well, I don't agree. :^)

I'm also curious why you feel comfortable calling the millions of religious people in the world 'childish' but are uneasy with the assertion that Jews are just like everybody else? I find the former statement more alarming and the latter a statement of fact.

Nice to see you posting! I hope all is well.

As you SHOULD know...

[kon_el333]

I am not anti-mystical nor anti-spiritual. When I use the word "religion", I do tend to mean "organized religion" and (as you know) I do not support organized religion. I also strongly feel (due to personal observation) that many people who claim to be religious do not have those feelings for (what I consider to be) the right reasons (i.e. they belong to a certain religion because it's all they know, or their family belongs to that religion, or they can't deal with a universe where their religion isn't true, or they fear eternal punishment, or they are desperate for eternal reward, or worst of all they just never really thought about it at all, etc.).

(If you feel the need for me to explain further, I can. But I don't think you really posted a reply so you could hear me talk about my views. If I'm wrong, I have a lengthy speech I can post.)

But I do feel the need to address your question about the Jews. I never said I was "uneasy with the assertion that Jews are just like everybody else". Indeed, with all due respect to my Jewish friends, especially Lightning Rider, I *do* agree that they are, as a race, no better nor worse than everybody else. My only statements above were that (1) I knew one of my LJ Friends (Lightning Rider) wouldn't like what Einstein says about the Jews and (2) that it felt like Einstein was reading my mind, except for the comments on the Jews which I've just never thought about (as opposed to "being uneasy about"). Usually, Braz, you are very literal about what people do or do not say, so I would have figured you to be the last person to misinterpret such a statement.

Btw, I actually post all the time. Just not to LJ. And I don't really expect to start posting to LJ regularly. It's just not my thing. And yes, all is very well. Thanks for asking... or, um, "hoping". :) Likewise, I hope things are looking better for you than they have been in the recent past! :)