Einstein an athiest

We already knew that, right? Or at least if we grew up in the group, we heard it.

I'm reading "Ideas and Opinions" by Einstein, actually, I've been reading it for 2 years now and am on page 37, yet! It's one of this year's goals, to finish the book, at least the Ideas part, the theories may take longer.

An essay Einstein wrote is titled
"Religion and Science" and it's a great essay. I am not completely convinced Einstein was an athiest, he says,
"I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures..."

But anyway, in this essay he discusses primitive and moral religions, primitive being a religion built out of fear such as the Africaan religions, and moral built out of conscience, such as the Eastern religions. He says that "The Jewish scriptures admirably illustrate the development from the religion of fear to moral religion, a development continued in the New Testament." But he cautions to guard against the prejudice that primitive religions are based entirely on fear and the religions of civilized peoples purely on morality. That "the truth is that all religions are a varying blend of both types..."

OK, the quote that really stood out to me is this:

"Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."

And I have to agree with him on that point. It is sad if people's actions are being determined by these fears and hopes, rather than being a good person just because it's the right thing to do.

When I left the group I had to find my own boundaries. I suddenly had no rules other than what I personally believed right or wrong. I could drink, smoke, do drugs, pot, spend a day in bed doing nothing, waste money, cuss, all those things that were restricted to me in the group.

So I slowly determined my own rules and why I had them, I don't drink cause it makes me physically ill, I don't smoke cause I believe it harms my body and lowers my energy, I don't do drugs cause, like Shebuah said, I'm a control freak, I don't cuss on a normal basis just because I'm uncomfortable with it and find it degrading to speak in such a manner to others.

But, I don't mind spending a day in bed reading a novel, spending money on myself when I feel like it (if I have it), and the list goes on. My rules and life are no longer dictated by the future, (well, except for good eating habits and investing for retirement) and I try to live life for the here and now, when I get to Heaven I'll live that life then.

Anyways, those are my thoughts for today.