RECOMMENDED READINGS

"We Believe in God" -- The Greatest Minds Believed

 Is God Cruel?

DID EINSTEIN CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT GOD'S EXISTENCE? 

Recently a British newspaper announced that a letter by Einstein had been sold which contained “new revelations”  about Einstein’s views on God, the Bible and the Jews. In this letter the famous physicist reportedly wrote to the Jewish philosopher, Eric Gutkind he following: “... The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish).[i]  

The conclusion of some is that this statement unequivocally proves that Einstein concluded his life as an atheist. It is the view of this author that this conclusion is premature.

 In trying to understand Einstein’s statements, we must keep in mind the following:

1. Einstein, for decades had been clear and unequivocal about believing in “Spinoza’s God," and that he did not believe in the “personal” God of the Bible, or that  the Bible was divine in origin.

2. His views were consistent over many years, and there no other evidence of any departure from such views.

3. The context of the letter appears to be Gutkind’s elevation of Jewish "Monotheism," that is a personal God.

4.   It appears reasonable to conclude, therefore, that in using the word “God” Einstein may have simply referred to the concept of a Monotheistic Personal God, which he had already repudiated

5.  Unless something drastic happened in his thinking at the end of his life, it is the view of this author that Einstein’s pantheism may have remained, therefore, intact.

It is conceivable that more material may come forth in the future that might further elucidate if there really was any evolution in Einstein’s theological thinking. Until then, it is the view of this author that the above-mentioned “revelation” may not be a revelation at all, but a confirmation of views that Einstein had asserted and been faithful to for decades.

See the following page for a chronological discussion of Einstein's views on religion:   https://atheismexposed.tripod.com/einstein.htm