<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">"Einstein was a Spinozist, a pantheist. He did not believe in personal God, and he did not accept the divine command theory -- the view that God defined what is right and what is wrong."---<VAR id=yui-ie-cursor></VAR> Joe</SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"><STRONG style="RIGHT: auto">"Spinozism</STRONG> (also spelt Spinoza-ism or Spinozaism) is the <A style="RIGHT: auto" title=Monism href="http://us.mg5.mail.yahoo.com/wiki/Monism"><FONT style="RIGHT: auto" color=#0066cc>monist</FONT></A> <A title=Philosophy href="http://us.mg5.mail.yahoo.com/wiki/Philosophy"><FONT color=#0066cc>philosophical</FONT></A> system of <A title="Baruch Spinoza" href="http://us.mg5.mail.yahoo.com/wiki/Baruch_Spinoza"><FONT color=#0066cc>Baruch Spinoza</FONT></A> which defines "<A title=God href="http://us.mg5.mail.yahoo.com/wiki/God"><FONT color=#0066cc>God</FONT></A>" as a singular self-subsistent substance, and both matter and thought as attributes of such."</SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Sounds like a nonatheist to me. If Einstien never met God, it is logical he wouldn't believe in a personal one. But he certainly did understand God's creations better than anyone. I think his beliefs are better explained in this story he tells;</SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">"Your question [about God] is the most difficult in the world. It is not a question I can answer simply with yes or no. I am not an Atheist. I do not know if I can define myself as a Pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. May I not reply with a parable? The human mind, no matter how highly trained, cannot grasp the universe. We are in the position of a little child, entering a huge library whose walls are covered to the ceiling with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written those books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books, a mysterious order, which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the human mind, even the greatest and most cultured, toward God. We see a universe
marvelously arranged, obeying certain laws, but we understand the laws only dimly. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that sways the constellations. I am fascinated by Spinoza's Pantheism. I admire even more his contributions to modern thought. Spinoza is the greatest of modern philosophers, because he is the first philosopher who deals with the soul and the body as one, not as two separate things.<SUP style="RIGHT: auto" id=cite_ref-13 class=reference><A style="RIGHT: auto" href="http://us.mg5.mail.yahoo.com/neo/#cite_note-13"><FONT style="RIGHT: auto" color=#0066cc><SPAN>[</SPAN>14<SPAN>]</SPAN></FONT></A>""</SUP></SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"><SUP style="RIGHT: auto"><FONT size=3>Donovan J. Arnold</FONT></SUP></div></SPAN>
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<DIV style="RIGHT: auto">Einstein was a Spinozist, a pantheist. He did not believe in personal God, and he did not accept the divine command theory -- the view that God defined what is right and what is wrong. Joe<BR><BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR>On Jul 18, 2012, at 4:17 AM, Donovan Arnold <<A href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com</A>> wrote:<BR><BR></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN>By definition, it is not possible to live a moral life and denounce God. There is no absolute definition of right or wrong in any situation without a God to define it or regard it as such. All actions would be <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-0><SPAN>amoral</SPAN></SPAN> with positive or negative <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-1><SPAN>consequences</SPAN></SPAN> depending on the person and their individual perspective. At best, right and wrong would be defined by the majority or people. Since most people consider denouncing the <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-2><SPAN>existence</SPAN></SPAN> of God, and preaching against him as immoral, an <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-3><SPAN>atheist</SPAN></SPAN> would not be moral or living a moral life. An <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-4><SPAN>atheist</SPAN></SPAN> could live a life which they had more of a <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-5><SPAN>positive</SPAN></SPAN> impact on people
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<DIV><SPAN>Regarding <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-0><SPAN>Einstein</SPAN></SPAN>, he believed in God. He belonged to the Jewish <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-1><SPAN>religion</SPAN></SPAN>. If he did not, he along with many other notable and talented <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-2><SPAN>scientists</SPAN></SPAN> would have remained in Germany. If that <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-3><SPAN>occurred</SPAN></SPAN>, Germany would have developed the nuclear bomb along with their rocket instead of the US. That is an example of where the world is better off because of religion. </SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN>Donovan J. Arnold</SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 0; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-TOP: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 0px" class=yiv1929488605hr></DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Chasuk <<A href="mailto:chasuk@gmail.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:chasuk@gmail.com">chasuk@gmail.com</A>><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> Donovan Arnold <<A href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com</A>> <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Cc:</SPAN></B> lfalen <<A href="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com">lfalen@turbonet.com</A>>; viz <<A href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" rel=nofollow
target=_blank ymailto="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>> <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tuesday, July 17, 2012 11:06 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [Vision2020] About Evidence<BR></FONT></DIV><BR>Speaking as an atheist, I don't need belief in God or gods to live a moral life.<BR><BR>Atheism is the lack of belief in deity, nothing more, nothing less.<BR><BR>As for the Einstein quote, Einstein also wrote this:<BR><BR>"The word god is for me nothing more than the expression and product<BR>of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-2 class=yiv1929488605mark>honourable</SPAN>, but still<BR>primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No<BR>interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."<BR><BR>And of his own Jewishness he wrote:<BR><BR>"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the<BR>most
childish superstitions. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly<BR>belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no<BR>different quality for me than all other people. As far as my<BR>experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although<BR>they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power.<BR>Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."<BR><BR>Chas<BR><BR>On Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 9:51 PM, Donovan Arnold<BR><<A href="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com">donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com</A>> wrote:<BR>> "Some beliefs provide motivation to fly jets into tall buildings, and some<BR>> convince parents to withhold medication to sick children. Some beliefs<BR>> promote misogyny, racism, and homophobia."<BR>><BR>> And atheism teaches us none of it is wrong, as there is no God, just<BR>> science.<BR>><BR>> "Science
without religion is lame"--Albert Einstein.<BR>><BR>> Donovan J. Arnold<BR>><BR>> From: Chasuk <<A href="mailto:chasuk@gmail.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:chasuk@gmail.com">chasuk@gmail.com</A>><BR>> To: lfalen <<A href="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:lfalen@turbonet.com">lfalen@turbonet.com</A>><BR>> Cc: viz <<A href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>><BR>> Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2012 10:28 PM<BR>><BR>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] About Evidence<BR>><BR>> There are not 7 billion different belief systems, or anywhere near<BR>> that number. At best, there are a half dozen, regurgitated and<BR>> recapitulated into a fistful of semi-unique varieties. And some<BR>> beliefs are harmful. Some beliefs provide motivation to fly jets into<BR>> tall
buildings, and some convince parents to withhold medication to<BR>> sick children. Some beliefs promote misogyny, racism, and homophobia.<BR>> Not all beliefs are equal.<BR>><BR>> =======================================================<BR>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<BR>> serving the communities of the <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-5 class=yiv1929488605mark>Palouse</SPAN> since 1994.<BR>> http://www.fsr.net<BR>> <SPAN id=yiv1929488605misspell-6 class=yiv1929488605mark>mailto</SPAN>:<A href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</A><BR>> =======================================================<BR>><BR>><BR><BR><BR></DIV></DIV><VAR id=yiv1929488605yui-ie-cursor></VAR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
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<DIV><SPAN>=======================================================</SPAN><BR><SPAN>List services made available by First Step Internet,</SPAN><BR><SPAN>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.</SPAN><BR><SPAN> <A href="http://www.fsr.net/" rel=nofollow target=_blank>http://www.fsr.net/</A></SPAN><BR><SPAN> <A href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" rel=nofollow target=_blank ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</A></SPAN><BR><SPAN>=======================================================</SPAN></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></DIV><BR><BR></DIV></DIV></div></body></html>