Einstein comments on Jesus

**Ó Cathasaigh** · November 05, 2006, 03:11 PM

"To what extent are you influenced by Christianity?"
"As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene."

"Have you read Emil Ludwig's book on Jesus?"

"Emil Ludwig's Jesus is shallow. Jesus is too colossal for the pen of phrasemongers, however artful. No man can dispose of Christianity with a bon mot."

"You accept the historical Jesus?"

"Unquestionably! No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life."

What on earth was Einstein trying to say here. He is known to have stated he didn't beleive in any "personal God", but then he says this during an interview with the Saterday Evening Post

**~~Miraj~~** · November 05, 2006, 03:17 PM

Where are the sources for this? Einstein tends to be a major victim of people attributing statements to him that he never said.

**Ó Cathasaigh** · November 05, 2006, 03:18 PM

I actualy saw the interview on the television, then I looked up the exact words he stated, which can be found on this page... http://www.ctinquiry.org/publication...1/torrance.htm

**rez** · November 05, 2006, 03:21 PM

Nowhere in that exerpt does Einstein ever imply that he is enthralled with the supernatural jesus.

Its just as easy to be amazed by the MAN and disregard the divine.

**Ó Cathasaigh** · November 05, 2006, 03:30 PM

So, he is enthralled by a man who claims the exact opposite of what he is said to have beleived? In essence, he is enthralled with a lier?

**rez** · November 05, 2006, 03:33 PM

He is entralled with a man who brought an incredible message of peace. Just as I am enthralled by him.

Whether or not he uses the medium of religion to get that across hardly detracts from the glory of his message.

**Ó Cathasaigh** · November 05, 2006, 03:34 PM

Indeed, but to say that "he was no myth" are we to assume that his "miracles" are also no myth?

**rez** · November 05, 2006, 03:39 PM

Not in the least.

He was asked if he Believed a man named jesus walked the earth. And he very reasonably said yes.

**Bovril** · November 06, 2006, 01:49 PM

Einstein was an phenomenal physicist, but a distinctly average philosopher.

As regards the debate that has develloped here (i.e. is it logically consistent to be a secular fan of Jesus) it is important to note the Jesus didn't write the gospels. His followers did, and there are plenty of clear indications that they aranged their works in order to align with their own view of what Jesus should have been rather than what he was. However, it does seem most likely that Jesus believed all sorts of things about himself and the world which a secular reader would have to dismiss. For example, it is far from clear that Jesus believed himself divine, but it is clear that he believed the end time would come within a generation after his death. Obviously no one but the fundementalist can agree with the Bible over texts which sugest this interpretation (and fundementalists can only accept them by a process of sophistry). Still, the message of the worth and dignity of each individual human which Jesus advocated can be acepted by many non-christians.
However, I do feel that in order to understand Jesus properly, you must be prepared to accept the idea that only through abandonning worldly socio-economic institutions and adopting an absolutist and radical form of comunal ownership of possesions can you be morally acceptable. Nearly every Chrristian ever after the very earliest christian communities has ignorred this aspect of Jesus' message, even though it is clearly stated many times over in the gospels.

**Idwayreth** · November 06, 2006, 05:40 PM

Nearly every Chrristian ever after the very earliest christian communities has ignorred this aspect of Jesus' message, even though it is clearly stated many times over in the gospels.

Because the great majority of christians are only christians as long as it's comfortable and convenient.

**Bovril** · November 06, 2006, 05:56 PM

Well, to a certain extent, yeah. It's very easy for the lazy majority to embrace their own version of christianity -whilst those of us who actually engage with what christ was on about reject or accept his message- and ignore the vast majority of Christ's teaching. The number of Christians who actually abide by the parable of the rich man, or take heed of the warning that it is easier for a dromedary to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven, is miniscule.

**harm** · November 07, 2006, 02:03 AM

Agnostics and Athiests belief in jesus's teachings whole heartedly. Wether he is the son of a god is the question. Einstein thought Jesus was awesome, you don't need to be christian to agree.

Who cares what Einstein thinks of Jesus? does someone need some reassurance from a scientist? buahahahhahahaha funny.