A Word from Albert Einstein

In my Facebook inbox I have this forwarded video that recounts the young Einstein’s rebuttal of a professor who does not believe that God exists.  You can check from the video posted on my wall.  Hence, I was inspired to post this few lines from Einstein from a book on my shelf entitled Albert Einstein, The Human Side: New Glimpses from His Archives.  This little book is a collection of Einstein’s letters.  It was known that Einstein, because he was famous, received many letters; and that he answered these letters.  So we can find from this book glimpses of those letters.  I will share one short letter in this post.  I recommend you also to watch the video posted on my Facebook profile.

Einstein writes, thus:

“Our time is distinguished by wonderful achievements in the fields of scientific understanding and the technical application of those insights.  Who would not be cheered by this?  But let us not forget that knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life.  Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the discoverers of objective truth.  What humanity owes to personalities like Buddha, Moses, and Jesus ranks for me higher than all the achievements of the enquiring and constructive mind.

What these blessed men have given us we must guard and try to keep alive with all our strength if humanity is not to lose its dignity, the security of its existence, and its joy in living” (pp. 70-71).