EINSTEIN ON BELIEF IN GOD:

RESPONSE TO EINSTEIN LETTER: BELIEF IN GOD A 'PRODUCT OF HUMAN WEAKNESS'

by Chris Wright
CBC, May 15, 2008

That Einstein did not believe in God is perfectly fair. With that, an unbiased perspective would also acknowledge that many others considered great minds throughout history were believers in and followers of the God of the Bible. An extremely abbreviated list could include: Soren Kierkegaard; Blaise Pascal; J.S. Bach; John Donne; Fyodor Dostoyevsky; Gerard Manley Hopkins; Dr. David Livingstone; Augustine; Francis Schaeffer; C.S. Lewis; George Washington Carver and Martin Luther King, Jr.

A similar contemporary list of scientists and scholars would only begin with such noted living doctors, philosophers and teachers as: Dr. Ben Carson; Dr. Gregory Boyd; Dr. John McRay; Dr. Bruce Metzger; Dr. Alexander Metherell; Dr. J.I. Packer, and many others.

An interesting point raised by Einstein's comment though, is that it is accurate to say that human weakness is connected to the belief in God, though perhaps for different reasons than he suggests. All through history it has been those men and women who have looked honestly at themselves and recognized their moral failings and inherent limitations - their weaknesses, despite whatever their own gifts, intellect and abilities may have been – who have agreed that their own self-righteousness was insufficient. Brilliant thinkers or not, it has been those who have adopted that posture of humility who have found peace, purpose, and meaning; it has always been those not too proud to acknowledge they have failed who have found forgiveness.

Chris Wright

Vancouver, BC