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Old 04-18-2007, 01:07 AM
  # 44 (permalink)  
Ten Chips Down
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Virginia, U.S.A.
Posts: 828
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We literally inherit our religions from family and society. Teachings are passed down from generation to generation. Growing up, the child believes what he receives. Growing into adulthood, he often finds himself questioning those beliefs, placing them under the acid test of scrutiny and sometimes tossing them aside as I did.

I heartily disagree with the sentiment, "A little philosophy inclineth a man to atheism. Depth in philosophy inclineth a man to religion." Most who delve deeply into philosophy cast aside the notion of a benevolent skygod watching over but a lucky few so fortunate as to have been born into that religion.

And yes, the time-worn quote of Dr. Einstein, "God does not play dice [with the universe]" refers only to his difficulty in accepting certain aspects of quantum theory. It is notoriously quoted out of context and has nothing to do with any notion of Higher Power. He does comment explicitly about his personal beliefs, and Blake cited some of this:

From a letter dated March 24, 1954, included in "Albert Einstein: The Human Side" (edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman): 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.

From "Science, Philosophy, and Religion, A Symposium," copyright 1941: To be sure, the doctrine of a personal God interfering with natural events could never be refuted by science, for it can always take refuge in those domains in which scientific knowledge has not yet been able to set foot.

The latter, an observation about miracles and the Christian faith, bears a striking similarity to one of Friedrich Nietzsche's writings:

For all occasions where the Christian awaits the immediate intervention of a God (though in vain, for there is no god) his religion is inventive enough to find subterfuges and reasons for tranquility.

Ten
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