A recent Speaking of Faith program discussed Einstein and his God; what religion meant to him and how he dealt with the idea of a supreme reality in his life. Despite his lack of belief in a personal deity, Einstein's life was still filled with wonder and awe. He even sometimes referenced God in a lighthearted manner. Einstein could not imagine that "God plays dice with the universe." In this, I believe he meant that he didn't believe in a supreme reality that could or would directly manipulate the events of the world to further its own interests. Einstein was technically, however, a Jew. While he did belong to this religion, he was viewed more as a "cultural Jew", not so much one that practiced and held a firm belief in his religion. Einstein believed that "emotions such as longing and pain and fear gave rise to primitive forms of religion." He then went on to describe his religious sense as a "cosmic religious sense." With this sense, one sees the pride and arrogance of human desires and instead wishes to see the universe as a single whole. It can also be described as a sense of wonder at the pure genius of the universe.
It was, in fact, science that captured Einstein's religious and spiritual interest. He had an immense respect for the power of nature and the brilliance of the universe. He believed there was some kind of "universal spirit" that ruled the universe but was beyond our ability to understand. Einstein longed to understand the order of the universe and express it in the language of mathematics. He wanted to "understand what God was thinking." It was this desire that drove him as a scientist. Einstein wanted to find a universe that possessed an objective reality, meaning a universe that he could understand through a set of equations. He believed that it was through science and math that one could see God.
Mystery and wonder were also a large part of Einstein's life. He described the mysterious as the "fairest thing that we can experience." He believed that both science and religion value a human sense of mystery. Music was another thing that captured the interest of Einstein. He played the violin and was very passionate about music and even claimed that he would be a musician if he wasn't a physicist.
While the scientific genius Albert Einstein did not place his faith in a meddling God or common religion, he did display signs of faith and belief in his religion of science. In addition, he had wonder about many things in life, most importantly music and science. While his faith may not be what some call conventional, I find him as a man deeply committed to his beliefs, especially those of science.
Some good Einstein links:
Biography
Einstein: Image and Impact
Contributions, Awards, and more
