RE: [asa] Einstein = 1 for Dawkins

I wouldn't say Dawkins is a "browbeater." I'd say he's an atheist
evangelist. Putting that in a negative light is like putting Billy
Graham in a negative light, because Billy says you'll burn in hell if
you don't accept Christ. (Is the glass half-empty or half-full?
Positive or negative views towards the same thing.)

If I were Dawkins, I could say "Einstein agrees with me that religion is
childish and nonsense, only I have the courage to say it and Einstein
didn't. Perhaps the culture that Einstein lived in wasn't ready for the
message, but now there is more openness for it and the masses need to be
educated."

As far as Einstein at his peak, I'd argue that his later years would be
more significant as he is older and more mature (more life experiences)-
like Anthony Flew leaving Atheism for Theism in his old age.

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Ted Davis
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 3:56 AM
To: asa@calvin.edu; gmurphy@raex.com
Subject: Re: [asa] Einstein = 1 for Dawkins

I don't disagree with George's comments--Einstein & religion is a
complex
topic--but anyone familiar with "the World as I See it" and similar
writings
by Einstein will not be surprised that he regarded anything bordering on
revealed religion to be puerile. He left his own Jewish faith as an
adolescent, and IMO he continued to regard traditional religion as
adolescent for the rest of his life. That he had in common w/Dawkins,
though (as George notes) he didn't want to browbeat religious people.

Ted

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Received on Wed May 14 12:07:12 2008