bethinking

this resource was printed from bethinking.org

Did Einstein Believe in God?

JohnMarsh
JohnMarshhashadalifelonginterestintheimpactofEnlightenmentthinkingonsociety.Hetaughthistoryandworkedinlawand
commerce,beforesettinguphisownbusiness.Heistheauthorof'TheLiberalDelusion'.

AccordingtoRichardDawkins,thegiftedexponentofevolution,Einsteinwasanatheist:EinsteinsometimesinvokedthenameofGod,
andheisnottheonlyatheisticscientisttodoso,invitingmisunderstandingbysupernaturalistseagertomisunderstandandclaimthe
illustriousthinkerastheirown. [1]Dawkinsgivesadefinitionofatheismasbelievingthatthereisnothingbeyondthenatural,physical
world,nosupernaturalcreativeintelligencelurkingbehindtheobservableuniverse.

[2]

Heexplainsthatsomescientistssoundreligious,butifyoudelvemoredeeplyintotheirthinking,theyareinfactatheists.Hepresents
Einsteinasaprimeexample,anddescribesEinsteinsreligionaspantheism,whichhecallssexedupatheism. [3]Accordingto
Dawkins,Theonethinghistheisticcriticsgotright,wasthatEinsteinwasnotoneofthem.Hewasrepeatedlyindignantatthe
suggestionhewasatheist. [4]ButhasDawkinstotallymisunderstoodEinstein?IsthereclearunequivocalevidencethatEinsteindid
believeinGod?
Itisimportanttogetsomedefinitionsstraightattheoutset,becauseDawkinstellsusthatinhisopiniontodeliberatelyconfusethetwo
understandingsofGodisanactofintellectualhightreason. [5]Strongwordsindeed.IntheOxfordEnglishDictionarywefindthe
followingdefinitions:theismisthebeliefinadeity,ordeities,asopposedtoatheismandthebeliefinoneGod,asopposedto
polytheismorpantheism.Itisimportanttonotethat,firstly,thedefinitionoftheismdoesnotnecessarilyincludethenotionthatGodis
personal.Secondly,atheismisdefinedasadisbeliefin,ordenialof,theexistenceofaGod.Thirdly,pantheismisabeliefor
philosophicaltheorythatGodisnotonlyimmanent(indwellingandsustainingtheuniverse)butalsoidenticalwiththeuniverse.
DawkinsexplainsthatindealingwithEinsteinsreligiousviewshereliedonMaxJammersbookEinsteinandReligion.Dawkinswrote:
TheextractsthatfollowaretakenfromMaxJammersbook(whichisalsomymainsourceofquotationsfromEinsteinhimselfon
religiousmatters). [6]HoweveraverydifferentpictureemergeswhenwestudywhatEinsteinactuallysaid,againasrecordedin
Jammersbook.ItseemsDawkinsneedstoberemindedoftheTenNewCommandmentshelistsinhisownbook.Theseventhreads:
Testallthingsalwayscheckyourideasagainstthefacts,andbereadytodiscardevenacherishedbeliefifitdoesnotconformto
them. [7]ThefollowingquotationsfromEinsteinareallinJammersbook:
Behindallthediscernibleconcatenations,thereremainssomethingsubtle,intangibleandinexplicable.Venerationforthis
forceismyreligion.Tothatextent,Iaminpointoffact,religious. [8]
Everyscientistbecomesconvincedthatthelawsofnaturemanifesttheexistenceofaspiritvastlysuperiortothatofmen.
Everyonewhoisseriouslyinvolvedinthepursuitofsciencebecomesconvincedthataspiritismanifestinthelawsofthe
universeaspiritvastlysuperiortothatofman. [10]
Thedivinerevealsitselfinthephysicalworld.

[11]

MyGodcreatedlawsHisuniverseisnotruledbywishfulthinkingbutbyimmutablelaws.
IwanttoknowhowGodcreatedthisworld.Iwanttoknowhisthoughts.

[12]

[13]

WhatIamreallyinterestedinknowingiswhetherGodcouldhavecreatedtheworldinadifferentway.

[14]

Thisfirmbeliefinasuperiormindthatrevealsitselfintheworldofexperience,representsmyconceptionofGod.

[15]

[9]

Myreligiosityconsistsofahumbleadmirationoftheinfinitelysuperiorspirit,Thatsuperiorreasoningpowerformsmyidea
ofGod. [16]
WhatgivesthelietoDawkinsclaimthatEinsteinwasanatheistisEinsteinsrepeatedreferencestoasuperiorspirit,asuperior
mind,"aspiritvastlysuperiortomen,avenerationforthisforceetc.etc.Thisisnotatheism.ItisclearEinsteinbelievedthatthereis
somethingbeyondthenatural,physicalworldasupernaturalcreativeintelligence.FurtherconfirmationthatEinsteinbelievedina
transcendentGodcomesfromhisconversationswithhisfriends.DavidBenGurion,theformerPrimeMinisterofIsrael,recordsEinstein
sayingTheremustbesomethingbehindtheenergy. [17]AndthedistinguishedphysicistMaxBorncommented,Hedidnotthink
religiousbeliefasignofstupidity,notunbeliefasignofintelligence. [18]ThereforeonDawkinsowndefinition,Einsteinisnotan
atheist.OnonepointhoweverDawkinsiscorrect:EinsteindidnotbelieveinapersonalGod,whoanswersprayersandinterferesinthe
universe.Buthedidbelieveinanintelligentmindorspirit,whichcreatedtheuniversewithitsimmutablelaws.
AccordingtoDawkins,Einsteinwasrepeatedlyindignantatthesuggestionhewasatheist.
theexactopposite.WhatEinsteinactuallysaidis:
Iamnotanatheist,andIdontthinkIcancallmyselfapantheist.

[19] TheevidencefromJammersbookis

[20]

Thentherearethefanaticalatheistswhoseintoleranceisofthesamekindastheintoleranceofthereligiousfanaticsand
comesfromthesamesource.

[21]

"ThereisharmonyinthecosmoswhichI,withmylimitedhumanmind,amabletorecognise,yettherearepeoplewhosay
thereisnoGod.Butwhatreallymakesmeangryisthattheyquotemetosupportsuchviews." [22]
AccordingtoJammer,Einsteinalwaysprotestedagainstbeingregardedasanatheist.

[23] WhatevidencethendoesDawkinshave

thatEinsteinwasindignantatbeingcalledatheist?Dawkinsneedstoexplainthisverypeculiardiscrepancy.LastlyDawkinsargues
thatscienceandreligionareincompatible.AgainEinsteintakestheoppositepointofview:Alegitimateconflictbetweenscienceand
religioncannotexist.Sciencewithoutreligionislamereligionwithoutscienceisblind. [24]
MaxJammerwasapersonalfriendofEinsteinandProfessorofPhysicsatBarIlanUniversityinIsrael.Hisbookisacomprehensive
surveyofEinsteinswriting,conversationsandspeechesonGodandreligion.Inhisbook,Jammerwrote,Einsteinwasneitheran
atheistnoranagnostic [25]andheadded,EinsteinrenouncedatheismbecauseheneverconsideredhisdenialofapersonalGodas
adenialofGod.Thissubtlebutdecisivedistinctionhaslongbeenignored.

[26] HisconclusionisthatEinsteinbelievedinGod,albeit

notaGodwhoanswersprayers.EduardBschingsentacopyofhisbookEsgibtkeinenGott(ThereisnoGod)toEinstein,who
suggestedadifferenttitle:EsgibtkeinenpersnlichenGott(ThereisnopersonalGod). [27]HoweverinhislettertoBsching,Einstein
commented,AbeliefinapersonalGodispreferabletothelackofanytranscendentaloutlook.

[28] AccordingtoJammer,Notonly

wasEinsteinnotanatheist,buthiswritingshaveturnedmanyawayfromatheism,althoughhedidnotsetouttoconvertanyone. [29]
Einsteinwasveryreligioushewrote,ThusIcamedespitethefactthatIwasthesonofentirelyirreligious(Jewish)parentstoa
deepreligiosity.

[30]

OnSpinoza,Einsteinsaid,"IbelieveinSpinoza'sGod,whorevealshimselfintheorderlyharmonyofwhatexists,notinaGodwho
concernshimselfwiththefatesandactionsofhumanbeings." [31]SomelikeDawkinsthinkSpinozaequatedGodwiththematerial
universe(pantheism),butSpinozahimselfmadeclearthisismistaken.Spinozawrote,"TheviewofcertainpeoplethatIidentifyGod
withnatureisquitemistaken." [32]TheFrenchphilosopherMartialGuroult(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martial_Gu%C3%A9roult)
suggestedthetermpanentheism(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism),ratherthanpantheism
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheism),todescribeSpinozasviewoftherelationbetweenGodandtheuniverse.TheOxfordEnglish
DictionarydefinespanentheismasthetheoryorbeliefthatGodencompassesandinterpenetratestheuniverse,butatthesametime
isgreaterthan,andindependentofit.Sopanentheismissimilartopantheism,butcruciallyinadditionbelievesthatGodexistsasa
mindoraspirit.TheideathatGodisbothtranscendentandimmanentisalsoamajortenetofbothChristianityandJudaism.
RichardDawkinsdescribesfaithasevil:Ithinkacasecanbemadethatfaithisoneoftheworld'sgreatevils,comparabletothe
smallpoxvirusbuthardertoeradicate.Faith,beingbeliefthatisn'tbasedonevidence,istheprincipalviceofanyreligion. [33]However
someofEinsteinstheorieswerenotdemonstratedscientificallyuntilyearsafterpublication.YetEinsteinhadfaithinthem.Norwereall
Newtonstheoriesestablishedatthetime.Newton,DarwinandEinsteinallhadfaithintheirtheories,beforetheywereshowntobe
true.Weallhavemanyintuitivebeliefsthatwearejustifiedinholding,evenifwecannotdemonstratetheirvalidity,suchasbeliefinthe
past,beliefinrationalityandbeliefthatwearenotdreaming.Itisimpossibletolivelifewithoutfaith.IndeedEinsteinlikemanyother
scientistsbelievedthatscienceisbasedonafaithintherationalityoftheuniverse.Inhisownwords,Ultimatelythebeliefinthe
existenceoffundamentalallembracinglawsrestsonasortoffaith.
franklyabsurd.

[34] Thereforetodescribefaithasbeingasevilassmallpoxis

ButisntEinsteinsunderstandingofanimpersonalGodtotallyremovedfromChristian,JewishandMuslimthinking?MaxJammer
refersinhisbooktotheleadingtheologianHansKng,whopointedoutthattheBibleneverreferstoGodasaperson.Kngexplains,
OfcourseinmyyouthIhadasimple,nave,anthropomorphicunderstandingofGod.Atthebeginningoflifethatisnormal.Itisless
normalforagrownmanorwomantopreservehisorherchildlikeunderstanding. [35]ForKng,Godisnotapersonasmanisa
person.Godtranscendstheconceptofperson. [36]OrasC.S.Lewisputit,Godisnotlessthanpersonalbutisbeyondpersonality.
[37] KngexplainsthatpartoftheproblemhereliesinthemeaningofthewordpersonderivedfromtheLatinpersonawhichhas
changedovertime.Itoriginallymeantamaskusedbyanactoronthestage. [38]Sooneactorcouldplayseveralparts,usingdifferent
personae.InthiswayJesusmaybeseenaboveallasthepersonaofGodenteringthehumanstage.Thisoriginalmeaningofthe
wordhasbeenalmostcompletelylost.
Tosumup:EinsteinwaslikeNewtonbeforehimdeeplyreligiousandafirmbelieverinatranscendentGod.HoweverEinstein
rejectedanthropomorphicandpersonalunderstandingsofthewordGod.HisbeliefsmaybeseenasaformofDeism:"thebeliefinthe
existenceofaSupremeBeingasthesourceoffiniteexistence,withrejectionofrevelationandthesupernaturaldoctrinesof
Christianity"(TheOxfordEnglishDictionary).Ifanyintellectualhightreasonhasbeencommitted,ithasbeencommittedbyDawkins
himself,whohasfailedtodealcarefullywithwhatEinsteinactuallysaid,therebyconfusingtwoverydifferentunderstandingsofGod.
HeshouldhavepaidmoreattentiontoMaxJammersbook,andtotheconclusionsJammerreachedafterstudyingalltheevidence.
Thereisanotherconclusiontobedrawnfromthis:DawkinshaspointedouttheattemptinAmericatorebrandatheistsasbrights,
implyingatheistsarecleverandtheistsstupid.IfEinsteinwasclearlyatheist,likeNewton,thisisarrantnonsense.Thisshouldhelpto
stopthebullyingofChristianchildren,whoaretoldtheyarestupidtobelieveinGod.Onegirlpersonallyknowntotheauthorwas
bulliedsomuchforbeingaChristianthatshehadtomoveschools.So,afterallofDawkinsrhetoricalblusterandverbalswagger,we
areleftwithfallaciousreasoningandfactualerrorsacaseofargumentweak,shoutlouder.

References
[1] RichardDawkins,TheGodDelusion(LondonTransworld2006),p.34.
[2] Dawkins,p.35.
[3] Dawkins,p.40.
[4] Dawkins,p.39.
[5] Dawkins,p.41.
[6] Dawkins,p.37.
[7] Dawkins,p.299.
[8] H.G.Kessler,TheDiaryofaCosmopolitan(London:WeidenfeldandNicolson,1971),p.322,quotedinMaxJammer,Einsteinand

Religion(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress.1999),p.40.
[9] A.EinsteintoP.Wright24January1936,EinsteinArchivereel52337Jammer,p.93.
[10] QuotedinH.DukasandB.Hoffman,AlbertEinsteinTheHumanSide(USAPrincetonUniversityPress1981)Jammer,p.144.
[11] Z.Rosenkranz,AlbertthroughtheLookingGlass(JewishNationalLibraryJerusalem,1998),pp.xi,80Jammer,p.151.
[12] EinsteininconversationwithW.HermanninHermannsbookEinsteinandthePoet(USABrandenPress,1983),p.132Jammer,

p.123.
[13] E.Salaman,ATalkwithEinsteinTheListener54(1955):370371Jammer,p.123.
[14] E.Strauss,AssistantbeiAlbertEinsteininC.Seelig,HelleZeitDunkleZeit(EuropaVerlag,Zurich,1956),p.72Jammer,p.124.
[15] AlbertEinstein,IdeasandOpinions(NewYork:RandomHouse1954),p.255Jammer,p.132.
[16] AlbertEinstein,TheQuotableEinstein,ed.AliceCalaprice(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,2005),pp.1956.
[17] Jammer,p.96.
[18] Jammer,p.96.
[19] Jammer,p.39.
[20] G.S.Viereck,GlimpsesoftheGreat(Macaulay,NewYork1936)p.186Jammer,p.48.
[21] Einsteintoanunidentifiedaddresseedated7 thAugust1941.Einsteinarchivereel54927Jammerp.97.
[22] EinsteininaconversationwithHubertuszuLwenstein(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubertus,_Prince_of_L%C3%B6wenstein

WertheimFreudenberg),inLwensteinsbookTowardstheFurtherShore(LondonVictorGollancz1968),p.156Jammer,p.97.
[23] MaxJammer,EinsteinandReligion(Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress,1999),p.150.
[24] AlbertEinstein,ScienceandReligion,printedinA.EinsteinIdeasandOpinions(Crown,NewYork1954,)pp.4449quoteonp.46

Jammerp.31.
[25] Jammer,p.96.
[26] Jammer,p.150.

[27]Jammer,p.50.
[28] A.EinsteinlettertoBschingJammer,p.149.
[29] Jammer,p.151.
[30] Jammer,p.19.
[31] In1929,EinsteinwasaskedbyRabbiHerbertS.Goldstein(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_S._Goldstein)whetherhebelieved

inGod.Einsteinrespondedbytelegram.Jammer,p.49.
[32] B.Spinoza,CorrespondenceofBenedictdeSpinoza,WilderPublications(March26,2009),letter73.
[33] RichardDawkins,'IsScienceaReligion?(http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/articles/dawkins.html)',TheHumanist

(January/February1997,AmericanHumanistAssociation).
[34] EinsteintoP.Wright,24January1936.Einsteinarchivereel52337Jammer,p.93.
[35] HansKng,WhatIBelieve(LondonContinuum2010),p.102.
[36] HansKng,DoesGodExist?(LondonSCM1984),pp.631633.
[37] C.S.Lewis,MereChristianity(LondonFontana1955),p.136.
[38] HansKng,DoesGodExist?,pp.631633.

2011JohnMarsh
Thisarticleispublishedonbethinking.orgbythekindpermissionoftheauthor.
Aslightlyrevisedversionofthisarticleformspartof'Chapter7:LiberalDelusions:ReligionisUntrueandHarmful'intheauthor'sbook
TheLiberalDelusion(http://www.amazon.co.uk/TheLiberalDelusionJohnMarsh/dp/1906791996)(ArenaBooks,2012).

2015UCCF:TheChristianUnions,RegisteredCharitynumber306137.
Thisresourcewasprintedfrombethinking.organdisavailablefromthisURL:http://www.bethinking.org/god/did
einsteinbelieveingod