of albert einstein letter: belief in god 'childish

Childish superstition: Einstein's letter makes view of religion relatively clear. A little known letter written by Albert Einstein indicated that the theoretical physicist was no supporter of religious beliefs, which he regarded as "childish superstitions". Einstein wrote the letter on 3 January 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind who had sent him a copy of his book Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt. The letter has remained in private hands ever since and now it will be auctioned this week in London.

In the letter,

Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind. 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. For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions. 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. 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.

The letter will go on sale at Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair on Thursday and is expected to fetch up to £8,000. The handwritten piece, in German, is not listed in the source material of the most authoritative academic text on the subject, Max Jammer's book Einstein and Religion.

Also read Belief in God 'childish,' Jews not chosen people: Einstein letter