http://www.physorg.com/news129885022.html
Belief in God 'childish,' Jews not chosen people: Einstein letter
Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and
said
Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London this
week,
an auctioneer said Tuesday.
The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have
been
more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response
to a philosopher in 1954.
As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people
but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people."
"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.
"No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this," he
wrote
in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind,
cited by The Guardian newspaper.
The German-language letter is being sold Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions
in
Mayfair after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, said
the
auction house's managing director Rupert Powell.
In it the renowned scientist, who declined an invitation to become
Israel's
second president, rejected the idea that the Jews are God's chosen people.
"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most
childish superstitions," he said.
"And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I
have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other
people."
And he added: "As far as my experience goes, although they are protected
from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything
'chosen' about them."
Previously the great scientist's comments on religion -- such as "Science
without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" -- have been
the subject of much debate, used notably to back up arguments in favour of
faith.
Powell said the letter being sold this week gave a clear reflection of
Einstein's real thoughts on the subject. "He's fairly unequivocal as to
what
he's saying. There's no beating about the bush," he told AFP.
--
"Pvt. Assy Mc Chung"
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