Click or Tap Icons to Share! Thank you!

Authored By  :
Published On :
Last Updated :



Today I came across an interesting news article regarding a private letter that was written by world renown theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein. According to the report, the letter is to be auctioned off. After reading the article, I conducted some additional online research, and I discovered some other facts regarding Einstein's personal beliefs. I thought that you, my readers, might find them interesting as well. Thus, I decided to write this short article. Please note that this article is by no means intended to be an in-depth look at Einstein's life or beliefs. It is merely an effort to share a few things which reveal Einstein's thoughts in regard to our Christian faith.

To be honest, I've never thought much about Albert Einstein. After all, I am not a scientist who is involved in cutting edge technology or advanced scientific theories and the like, and I most certainly don't have the mind to understand the complex scientific principles which he, and others like him, understood and espoused. I am aware of his General Theory of Relativity, but I certainly cannot grasp it fully by any means. For some reason -- I don't know how or when I came to such a conclusion -- I did have the impression that Einstein believed in God. However, after today, I am far from certain of this point. You see, in a private letter dated January 3, 1954, and addressed to German philosopher, Eric Gutkind, Albert Einstein wrote the following regarding his views of God and the Bible:

----- Begin Quote -----

[the word "God" is] "nothing but the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of venerable but still primitive legends."

"No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can (for me) change anything about this. These refined interpretations are naturally very diverse, and have virtually nothing to do with the original text. For me the unadulterated Jewish religion is, like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and in whose mentality I feel profoundly anchored, still for me does not have any different kind of dignity from all other peoples. As far as my experience goes, they are in fact no better than other human groups, even if they are protected from the worst excesses by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot perceive anything 'chosen' about them."

----- End Quote -----

So, if I understand Einstein correctly, he is saying that, in his view, we Christians believe in God, simply because we are weak. And, according to Einstein, the Bible is merely a collection of primitive legends and superstitions. How sad. Ironically, it turns out that over two decades earlier, in 1932, in a leatherette-bound Bible, which was a gift from Einstein and his wife, Elsa, to an employee by the name of Harriet Hamilton, Einstein inscribed the following words:

----- Begin Quote -----

"This book is an inexhaustible source of living wisdom and consolation."

----- End Quote -----

I must say that this leaves me rather confused. In the above quote, Einstein seems to hold considerable admiration for the Bible. Yet, twenty-two years later, he appears to have made quite the U-turn in his views. I could be wrong, but perhaps twenty-two years of being so steeped in hard science destroyed what little faith Einstein had left. Either that, or maybe when he used the phrase "inexhaustible source of living wisdom" in the dedication to his employee, he was referring to human wisdom, and not to Divine Wisdom. In other words, perhaps Einstein viewed the Bible as a human inspiration, and not as a Divine Inspiration, even though the Scriptures do plainly state the following:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"


"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."


According to online sources, Einstein did not believe in a personal God who concerns Himself with the fates of men, or with the actions of human beings. One particular New York rabbi sent Einstein a telegram in which he demanded, "Do you believe in God?" Einstein's response was as follows:

----- Begin Quote -----

"I believe in Spinoza's God, who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of all that exists, but not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and the doings of mankind."

----- End Quote -----

In other words, Einstein did not believe that God intervenes in human affairs, even though the Bible makes it very clear that He does. It is evident from the Book of Genesis, to the Book of Revelation. Not only does God see all of our works -- both good and evil -- but the Scriptures inform us that He will reward each of us according to our works in this life, as well as when we get to the Other Side. Furthermore, despite what Einstein thought, the Bible also informs us that God does in fact work in each of our lives to perform His Will. Please consider the following group of verses:

"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."


"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"


"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."


"If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"


"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."


"And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:"


". . . I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."


"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them."


"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."


But as we have seen, Einstein did not believe in this close relationship between God and man. In fact, he described such a view as being naïve. Exactly what he meant by "Spinoza's God" I honestly do not know. I suppose I would have to read the works of Jewish-Dutch philosopher Benedict de Spinoza to find out. If you want to take a shortcut, just look up the word "Spinozism" on Wikipedia, as I did. If you are like me, you certainly won't understand it all. It seems a lot more confusing to me, so impersonal, and so unlike the simplicity of the Bible.

But perhaps Einstein's biggest mistake, is his claim that God is not concerned with the fate of mankind. That one thought alone is just so contrary to the primary message of the Bible. As many of you will already realize, that message is reflected in one particular verse which many of us know and love; and that one verse is John 3:16. Here it is, along with a number of others, which reflect God's great love and concern for the fate of mankind:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."


"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he [Jesus] laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."


"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep . . . As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."


"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."


"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."


"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."


"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."


If the previous verses -- and many others like them -- don't reflect the acts of a loving God who cares deeply for His creations, then I honestly don't know what does. However, at the same time, seeming to want to add a degree of balance to his position, Einstein also made it a point to state "I am not an atheist". Instead, he preferred to refer to himself as an agnostic; or in his own words, a "deeply religious nonbeliever."

My friends, I honestly don't know what to think of such a confusing phrase as "deeply religious nonbeliever." How can one be deeply religious, and yet still be a nonbeliever? It seems rather contradictory to me. Given his thoughts about God and the Bible, it should come as no surprise to us that the man also doubted the existence of a Spirit Realm. On one particular occasion, when Einstein was asked if he believed in the existence of an afterlife, the world renown scientist replied, "No. And one life is enough for me." Again, there are so many verses in the Bible which speak of the life to come, and which expose the deception of Einstein's view. I will list just a few of my favorites for you here:

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"


"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."


"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle [our body of flesh] were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."


"Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."


"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."


"There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."


Leaving aside the spiritual aspects -- or lack thereof -- of Albert Einstein's beliefs, let us consider a few other ideas which the man embraced. What is also of interest is the fact that Einstein was both a humanist as well as a socialist who strongly advocated the concept of some form of democratic global government that would keep in check the power of each nation-state, in the framework of a world federation. In other words, it certainly seems like Albert Einstein was in support of a One World Government.

On a lesser note, there is also some evidence that Albert Einstein viewed the vegetarian lifestyle with considerable favor. In fact, he may have been a vegetarian for the final year of his life. In the year before his death, in a March 30, 1954 letter addressed to Hans Muehsam, Einstein wrote the following:

----- Begin Quote -----

"So I am living without fats, without meat, without fish, but am feeling quite well this way. It always seems to me that man was not born to be a carnivore."

----- End Quote -----

Not quite eight months earlier, in a letter addressed to Max Kariel, and dated August 3, 1953, Einstein likewise wrote the following:

----- Begin Quote -----

"I have always eaten animal flesh with a somewhat guilty conscience."

----- End Quote -----

Going back even further, in a letter to the "Vegetarian Watch-Tower", and dated December 27, 1930, Einstein also wrote the following:

----- Begin Quote -----

"Although I have been prevented by outward circumstances from observing a strictly vegetarian diet, I have long been an adherent to the cause in principle. Besides agreeing with the aims of vegetarianism for aesthetic and moral reasons, it is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."

----- End Quote -----

In conclusion, it seems that despite how intelligent Albert Einstein was in a scientific sense -- insomuch that the mere mention of his name is equated with "genius" -- sadly, in a spiritual sense, and similar to Stephen Hawking -- who I discuss quite extensively in the series entitled "Is Science Better Than the Bible?" -- he was quite the fool. After all, if I understand him correctly, Einstein didn't really seem to believe in an omnipotent God in the manner that people of the Christian faith do, or in an Afterlife. Furthermore, as we have seen, Einstein viewed the Bible as a book filled with primitive legends and superstitions. Finally, he was convinced that God is not concerned with the fate of mankind.

It is just so sad. These men are, or have been, so brilliant in a worldly sense; but when it comes to the truth of the Holy Scriptures, and the realities of God and the Spiritual Realm, they fall flat on their faces, and are in denial. In fact, some of them become quite haughty and lifted up in their pride. They become blinded to the truth by their own science. One thing is for certain. When their life comes to an end in this physical realm, the truth immediately smacks them in the face, and there is no denying it. Regarding these kinds of men, I am reminded of verses such as the following:

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."


"Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil."


"Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"


"And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."


"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:"


"[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.] The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."


"Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."


"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."


"Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."


"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."


"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence."


So, we may not all be geniuses like Albert Einstein, but if we believe God's Word, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we are truly wise in God's eyes. And as a result, we shall shine in His Kingdom forever. After all, as it is written:

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."


With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

Our Expanding Universe: Einstein, Hubble, Dark Energy and God
Is Science Better Than the Bible?
Keeping Things in Proper Perspective: ET, Where Are You?
Science and Technology: The Forbidden Knowledge?
Adaptation, EVILution and the Six Days of Genesis
Alien Intervention, Raelians, Pyramids and Nazca Geoglyphs
Alien Life, Extrasolar Planets and Universal Atonement
Comet Elenin, Hercolubus, Nibiru, and Planet X
Comet Hale-Bopp, Chernobyl and the Death Star Wormwood
The Dinosaur Dilemma and Modern Science
The Nibiru Planet X Wormwood Controversy
Beholding the Evil and the Good

Click or Tap Icons to Share! Thank you!

---

---

Please avail yourself of other areas of the Bill's Bible Basics website. There are many treasures for you to discover.