Did Einstein believe in God?

Time magazine has an enlightening article by Walter Isaacson about Albert Einstein and faith. It was published in early April but I just discovered it today (thanks to Preaching Today).

Einstein DID believe in God, and he came to his belief not through religious texts or traditions, but by peering into the mystery of nature. Of atheists, he wrote: “They are creatures who–in their grudge against traditional religion as the ‘opium of the masses’– cannot hear the music of the spheres.” As for Jesus, Einstein said “I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene.” Yet Einstein did not believe in a personal God, immortality for humans, or even free-will.

For more fascinating reading on this man whose name is synonymous with genius, check out the Time article, which is an excerpt from Isaacson’s new book on Einstein.

May 7, 2007 · Filed Under Books, Christ

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Sunday Seven

  1. Journey through a dark valley.  Here are my Dad’s own thoughts on his struggle with cancer, grief and peace.  Thanks to any of you who might be praying for him.
  2. Forget the other six today…

May 6, 2007 · Filed Under Friends, Sunday 7

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Sermon: Luxury, poverty and Proverbs

Series: Luxury, Poverty and the Kingdom of God

Sermon 3 of 8 - 5.6.7: Luxury, poverty and Proverbs. Listen (stream) MP3 (right-click)

May 6, 2007 · Filed Under Poverty, Sermons

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Death to America brought to you by the BBC

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is promoting Death to America - not ACTUAL death, but a podcast series as part of their Documentary Archive, which I’ve blogged about before. I just listened to the first episode, which investigates anti-American sentiments in Latin America.

Why would you want to listen to this? Because it’s healthy to understand why people in other parts of the world hate us, whether you decide their reasons make sense or not. It’s especially healthy as this new presidential election cycle begins spinning.

Here’s the RSS feed for the BBC Documentary Archive, where you can find a list of all the current episodes.

May 5, 2007 · Filed Under Tough Issues, Web

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When hard work isn’t enough

I just finished reading Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich, and let me tell you, it is THE MOST amazing, damning, interesting, entertaining and convicting thing I’ve read in years. Ehrenreich went undercover with “the working poor” in 1999 and 2000 by relocating to new communitites and finding affordable (i. e., substandard) housing and an unskilled job in each. She’s such a great writer (with a razor-sharp sense of humor) that her experiences scandalize and entertain all at once.

The main scandal is that, in spite of our fantasies about how America works, we are increasingly dependent on an underclass for whom hard work isn’t enough to pay the essential bills.

“When someone works for less pay than she can live on - when for example, she goes hungry so you can eat more cheaply and conveniently - then she has made a great sacrifice for you, she has made you a gift of some part of her abilities, her health, and her life. The ‘working poor,’ as they are approvingly termed, are in fact the major philanthropists of our society. They neglect their own children so that the children of others will be cared for; they live in substandard housing so that other homes will be shiny and perfect; they endure privation so that inflation will be low and stock prices high. To be a member of the working poor is to be an anonymous donor, a nameless benefactor, to everyone else.” (p. 221)

You should read this book, and in the spirit of its subject matter, you can get it used through Amazon for less than $5 including shipping.

May 3, 2007 · Filed Under Books, Poverty

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