Einstein has given more that his two cents to the world on several occasions. In addition to his contributions to science, the maverick was also known to carry strong beliefs about religion and god, some of which he penned down in a document, that is today known as the ‘God Letter’.
Written by the physicist in critical response to philosopher Erik Gutkind’s book titled: ‘Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt,’ the famous letter speaks about Einstein’s agnostic views and his disregard for religion at large. It was hand-written by the legend in German (in 1955) and was first introduced to the public in 2008, at a London Auction. On translation, Einstein’s word in the document read: “The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still purely primitive, legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.’
In a sense of disassociation for his Jewish background, Einstein’s letter further reads, “For me the unadulterated Jewish religion is, like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and in whose mentality, I feel profoundly anchored, still for me does not have any different kind of dignity from all other peoples.” The letter was recently auctioned at a Christie’s sale in New York, where it was sold for $2.9 million or almost double its estimated price of 1.5 million.
[Via:Cnet]
