Einstein and Ajativada

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LONDON (AFP) - 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, they are no better than

other human groups, 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.