Atheists, why did Einstein dislike you?
“The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who—in their grudge against traditional religion as the "opium of the masses"—cannot hear the music of the spheres.”
— Aug.7, 1941. Einstein Archive, reel 54-927, quoted in Jammer, p. 97
Do you agree with this quote?
Answers & Comments
On 22 March 1954 Einstein received a letter from Joseph Dispentiere, an Italian immigrant who had worked as an experimental machinist in New Jersey. Dispentiere had declared himself an atheist and was disappointed by a news report which had cast Einstein as conventionally religious. Einstein replied on 24 March 1954:
It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.
I agree with the Einstein quote but your way of introducing it was rude and disrespectful. Einstein was speaking of the fanatical atheist, not atheists.
I'm not even sure if he said it, but if he did I don't care.
That's not the definition of Atheist, so its a strawman. Most Atheists don't even care about religion or politics and live their life without ever thinking about it.
The Atheists on here are different than most, otherwise they wouldn't be here.
Your FIRST mistake was trying to find a representative of Atheists when the definition doesn't contain any moral or political preferences.
In case some were wondering that actually IS a real quote from Einstein. But in case you missed it, notice that he said "fanatical atheists"...... Not atheists in general. Thanks for generalizing. "Fanatical" anything is bad. Regardless, while I certainly respect Einstein's scientific views (backed up with observation and evidence). I honestly don't give a flip about his unsubstantiated philosophical views.
Einstein didn't dislike me. I never even met him
Yeah, Big Al had his flaws. God ain`t there.
God, in any religion`s description, does not exist. Did the Universe need a creator. I don`t know
I don`t think kneeling and mumbling is what any god would have made us for.
I am figuring that anyone who is fanatical is faulty. No matter what his cause is.
Einstein's point was towards the fanatical though. It says nothing of his attitude about atheists.
More christian dishonesty.
Because he viewed Atheists in the same manor as he did fanatical Christians/Jews/Muslims.
He leaned towards Buddism.
Einstein also had a problem with "believing" quantum physics because he found the reality of it scary. Just because you believe something doesn't make it true.
He disliked any group trying to claim ownership of him - theists or atheists.