Was Einstein an atheist?

[Phil Osophy]

Possibly. Shame he is no longer around to ask.

 

[N00bPwnr]

I would give anything to talk to him for an hour.

 

[Phil Osophy]

Me too!

 

[lilithu]

There seems to be lots of discrepancy on this issue. Many of Einstein's quotes suggest he was a theist, while many other quotes suggest he was an atheist. Can anyone shed some light on this?

It's only confusing if by "theist" you assume an anthropomorphic God. Einstein was an atheist with respect to that concept of God. But he was a theist with respect to his concept of God.

 

[MaddLlama]

I always thought he was a pantheist.

 

[XAAX]

There seems to be lots of discrepancy on this issue. Many of Einstein's quotes suggest he was a theist, while many other quotes suggest he was an atheist. Can anyone shed some light on this?​

I believe Einstein to have been much to intelligent to be an atheist...The following quote sums it up:

About God, I cannot accept any concept based on the authority of the Church. As long as I can remember, I have resented mass indocrination. I do not believe in the fear of life, in the fear of death, in blind faith. I cannot prove to you that there is no personal God, but if I were to speak of him, I would be a liar. I do not believe in the God of theology who rewards good and punishes evil. My God created laws that take care of that. His universe is not ruled by wishful thinking, but by immutable laws.