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[MT]

Only someone who has no knowledge of those texts would suggest that they offer no justification for killing.

Well I don't know much about the old testament sure but the new testament is about as non murderous as it is possible to be. Never heard the ones about turning the other cheek, do unto others, blessed are the peacemakers ? All JC.

[Mark]

For those who are not aware, Einstein's use of the word God was as an alias for the Universe.

Stephen Hawkins is another atheist scientist who has used the word in this way.

[Mark]

I'm just pointing out Einstein is an atheist because those quotes could be misinterpreted to mean otherwise.

[Mark]

He was a very open atheist actually and many people didn't like it.

A lawyer working on behalf of an ecumenical coalition wrote this to Einstein:

We deeply regret that you made your statement in which you ridicule the idea of a personal God. In the past ten years nothing has been so calculated to make people think that Hitler had some reason to expel the Jews from Germany as your statement. Conceding your right to free speech, I still say that your statement constitutes you as one of the greatest sources of discord in America.

The president of a historical society in New Jersey wrote this:

We respect your learning, Dr Einstein; but there is one thing you do not seem to have learned: that God is a spirit and cannot be found through the telescope or microscope, no more than human thought or emotion can be found by analyzing the brain. As everyone knows, religion is based on Faith, not knowledge. Every thinking person, perhaps, is assailed at times with religious doubt. My own faith has wavered many a time. But I never told anyone of my spiritual aberrations for two reasons: (1) I feared that I might, by mere suggestion, disturb and damage the life and hopes of some fellow being; (2) because I agree with the writer who said, "There is a mean streak in anyone who will destroy another's faith." ... I hope, Dr Einstein, that you were misquoted and that you will yet say something more pleasing to the vast number of the American people who delight to do you honor.

And here's a letter from the Founder of the Calvary Tabernacle Association in Oklahoma:

Professor Einstein, I believe that every Christian in America will answer you, "We will not give up our belief in our God and his son Jesus Christ, but we invite you, if you do not believe in the God of the people of this nation, to go back where you came from." I have done everything in my power to be a blessing to Israel, and then you come along and with one statement from your blasphemous tongue, do more to hurt the cause of your people than all the efforts of the Christians who love Israel can do to stamp out anti-Semitism in our land. Professor Einstein, every Christian in America will immediately reply to you, "Take your crazy, fallacious theory of evolution and go back to Germany where you came from, or stop trying to break down the faith of a people who gave you a welcome when you were forced to flee your native land."

[Mark]

You can debate about the types of God that might exist but it doesn't change the fact Einstein was an atheist. The vast majority of scientists today are atheist as well so it shouldn't come as a surprise to you.

I think it would really upset Einstein to create this speculation - his non-belief seems to be important to him.

[Clydey]

I believe that the real problem with all those letters is that, they are more or less from Christians and it does not explore any other religion. I am not sure how Bible describes God but in our religion, God is timeless, shapeless, non-material intelligent being and it specifically tells you to believe only one being, that created the whole Universe through evolution. There’s also no mention of a personal God. So Einstein is very right on that, there can’t be any personal God; however there is such a thing called a higher self and it’s your very own. So it’s quite foolish to think that only one religion speaks for all others; quite the contrary, Hinduism for example, is probably the most advanced one though it’s one of the oldest ones, but not too many people explore that.

But Religion, IMO, was laid out on us in layman’s term because we weren’t as advanced as we are now back then – let’s say when we first came into this world, so if you, Mark, somehow to go back in time and explain that there’s such a thing as smartphones, you know very well that you will only confuse those poor people. Therefore, it was a much better approach to tell them that there was more to this physical experience in the way they’d understand and embrace the most. Now it’s not needed as we’ve advanced and evolved quite a bit since then and can now seek our own truth.

This is a Universe of free will and it was created with that intention in mind, so nothing can intervene us or else it will defeat the purpose; however, there are karmas as well so you are not completely free to do anything you want. In other words, if you do something terrible, you will have to suffer its consequences as well, but once you become aware of your choices, you are more than likely to do the right thing. Most people aren’t aware, unfortunately because we live in a world of productions and consumptions and we almost always fall into these traps more often than not.

Why do you think this is a universe of free will? Determinism destroys the traditional notion of free will.

And don't even get me started on your signature. Materialism is a dying paradigm? Do me a favour.

[Clydey]

I assume you're just talking in context of the scientific community? As in you can of course have genuine agnostics due to ignorance and lack of interest in the subject.

I think it's the same thing. If you don't hold a belief in god, for whatever reason, you're functionally an atheist.

Agnosticism is a term that lots of people get confused about.