
Albert Einstein On: Religion and Science - tw1010
http://www.sacred-texts.com/aor/einstein/einsci.htm
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jhbadger
Einstein's problem was that he used "religion" in a very different sense than
what is understood by the term. He was very clear that he didn't believe in
literal god(s) or mystical ideas such as reincarnation which are part of non-
theistic religions like Buddhism, which are central to the normal idea of
religion.

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beaconstudios
It's sad that the idea of God as a literal entity is prevalent in modern
Christianity. Reading Jordan Peterson's book has shown me that there's a lot
of valuable cultural and social knowledge embedded in Christianity but I think
level-headed people tend to be discouraged in investigating religion when the
outside image is that of people believing in a literal "man in the sky". Not
to say that outside image is necessarily correct for most believers but it's
the conception I used to get when looking at religion.

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xupybd
I’ve listened to a lot of Jordan’s content and he appears to be open to the
idea of a “man in the sky”. Open but very unwilling to give his opinion.

As a religious person my self I often find people have a very limited
understanding of what I believe. It’s easy to let your preconceptions stand
and never dig deeper but you might find it interesting if you dig a little
deeper. If for nothing other than understanding your fellow man.

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beaconstudios
I was always interested in Buddhism partly because it doesn't have a God
figure, and it's been a good decade since I passed through my arrogant teen
atheist phase and realised that other religions are not irrational fables, but
the book helped me to see some specific instances of valuable Christian
teachings that I hadn't known about. I'd like to have a crack at reading the
bible and other religious texts but I'm concerned about trying to piece
together the lessons through the presentation and getting the wrong message
given religious texts are supposedly very metaphorical and occasionally
cryptic.

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jkoschei
Have you considered trying a Bible with a built-in commentary? That might be
more accessible if you’re looking for an overview with explanation/cross-
references in the margins.

I recommend this one, for the English Standard Version, which does a good job
of capturing the initial meaning of the language: ESV Study Bible (Indexed)
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433544032/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_t.aj...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433544032/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_t.ajBbW8MSCAG)

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beaconstudios
Thanks! I'll check it out.

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robotkdick
One of the most advanced thinkers of our time had much to say about religion.
On a related note, here's a quote from him about Buddhism:

 _“If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it
would be Buddhism. "_

For further reading on BBC: [http://www.bbncommunity.com/einstein-on-
buddhism/](http://www.bbncommunity.com/einstein-on-buddhism/)

I knew of the quote, so I was looking for a deeper insight into how he arrived
at such a simple conclusion, but there's little to no correlation between the
quote and the linked article.

I suspect he wanted to throw the Buddha a bone, but not throw his influence
behind the movement given the predominance of Christianity at the time and his
Jewish heritage, but hard to say in retrospect.

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incadenza
I’d argue that genuine curiousity about how the world works is more than
sufficient to drive rational inquiry. I didn’t start tinkering as a kid in
search of a religious feeling, I did it because I, as most primates are, was
curious about how things worked. I just don’t see it.

