Did Albert Einstein believe in God?

[Chriswood8]

as above, does any one know if albert einstein believed in god?

[Clanad]

One site indicates:
Einstein himself stated quite clearly that he did not believe in a personal God:

"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly."

So, the quick answer to the question is that Einstein did not believe in a personal God. However, his work concerning relativity revealed, early on, that the universe must have had a beginning. He could not reconcile this fact without considering a god being involved. Thus, he added a cosmological constant to the equation to attempt to get rid of the beginning. He said this was one of the worst mistakes of his life. He then admitted to deism as found in this quote:

"I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings."
So... take your pick...

[Chriswood8]

awesome answer clanad, cheers

[jake-the-peg]

I don't think Einstein invoked the cosmological constant because he needed to invoke "God"!

When General relativity was devised, the universe was believed static and Einstein introduced the cosmological constant to account for this.

It was his "greatest mistake" because had he not done so he would have predicted the expansion of the Universe.

[dodamaksoud]

i heard that eistein was a strict jew and believed in god but didn't agree with him most of the time

[jake-the-peg]

No there were a lot of these claims running around which Einstein acknowleged in the quote Clanad provided.

There still are people probably deliberately mis-quoting him and taking him out of context. He didn't help matters with little "God does not place dice" sound bites.

He plainly stated that he didn't believe in any sort of immortal soul or any God that had an interest in human affairs which places his belief outside of pretty much any established religon.

[Octavius]

Although he was raised Jewish, he was not a believer in the religious aspect of Judaism, though he still considered himself a Jew. He simply admired the beauty of nature and the universe.

As well as Clanad's reponse above, in summarising his religious beliefs, Einstein once said: "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."

He also expressed admiration for Buddhism, which he said "has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and the spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity."

He is attributed many quotes referring to God, such as "Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish." and "What really interests me is whether God had any choice in the creation of the world."

There is a lot of speculation, but it is likely that Einstein was pantheistic.

[Grunty]

In the televised biography, his nurse asked him this shortly before he died. Although some licence was no doubt used, I thought his reply neatly summed up what I understand his opinion to have been, and simplified Clanad's answer.

I cannot vouch for the exact words, but he said "If you mean a God who sees everything that Albert Einstein does and judges him, then no. If you mean a source of all the order and wonder in the universe, then yes I do".

[Clayhead]

I think he was a humanist.