Psychonaut Shaman
Bluelighter
- Joined
- May 3, 2004
- Messages
- 6
This is taken from a book caled "Ideas and Opinions", by Albert Einstien.
To set up the following, he was first talking about how religion was fear based and then how some, particularly those in the Far East, developed into being moral based. Then goes on to say that Budhism was the closest that came to this;
In general, only individuals of exceptional endowments, and exceptionally high-minded communities, rise to any considerable extent above this level. But there is a third stage of religious experience which belongs to all of them, even though it is rarely found in a pure form: I shall call it COSMIC religious feeling. It is very difficult to elucidate this feeling to anyone who is entirely without it. The individual feels the futility of human desires and aims and the sublimity and marvelous order which reveal themselves both in nature and in the world of thought.
Individual existence impresses him as a sort of prision and he wants to experience the Universe as a single significant whole. In my view, it is the most important function of art and science to awaken this feeling and keep it alive for those who are receptive to it. The man who is thoroughly convinced of the universal operation of the law of causation cannot for a moment enertain the idea of a God who interferes in the course of events-provided, of course, that he takes the hypothesis of casaulity really seriously. He has no use for the religion of fear and equally for moral religion.
A God who rewards and punishes is inconcievable to him for the simple reason that a mans actions are determined by necessity, external and internal, so that in Gods eyes he cannot be held in judgment for the motions anymore than an inanimate object is held in judgment for it's motions. (like the growth of a tree). A mans ethical behavior should be based effectually on compassion, education and societies needs: no religious basis is neccesary.
Man would indeed be in a poor way if had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death. Kepler and Newton must have had to enable themselves to spend years of solitary labor in distangling the principles of celestial mechanics.
Such men have shown the way to kindred spirits scattered wide throughout the world and centuries. Only one who has devoted his life to similar ends can have a vivid realization of what inspired these men and given them the strength to remain true to their purpose in spite of countless failures. It is COSMIC religious feeling that gives man such strength.
End of exerpt
To set up the following, he was first talking about how religion was fear based and then how some, particularly those in the Far East, developed into being moral based. Then goes on to say that Budhism was the closest that came to this;
In general, only individuals of exceptional endowments, and exceptionally high-minded communities, rise to any considerable extent above this level. But there is a third stage of religious experience which belongs to all of them, even though it is rarely found in a pure form: I shall call it COSMIC religious feeling. It is very difficult to elucidate this feeling to anyone who is entirely without it. The individual feels the futility of human desires and aims and the sublimity and marvelous order which reveal themselves both in nature and in the world of thought.
Individual existence impresses him as a sort of prision and he wants to experience the Universe as a single significant whole. In my view, it is the most important function of art and science to awaken this feeling and keep it alive for those who are receptive to it. The man who is thoroughly convinced of the universal operation of the law of causation cannot for a moment enertain the idea of a God who interferes in the course of events-provided, of course, that he takes the hypothesis of casaulity really seriously. He has no use for the religion of fear and equally for moral religion.
A God who rewards and punishes is inconcievable to him for the simple reason that a mans actions are determined by necessity, external and internal, so that in Gods eyes he cannot be held in judgment for the motions anymore than an inanimate object is held in judgment for it's motions. (like the growth of a tree). A mans ethical behavior should be based effectually on compassion, education and societies needs: no religious basis is neccesary.
Man would indeed be in a poor way if had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death. Kepler and Newton must have had to enable themselves to spend years of solitary labor in distangling the principles of celestial mechanics.
Such men have shown the way to kindred spirits scattered wide throughout the world and centuries. Only one who has devoted his life to similar ends can have a vivid realization of what inspired these men and given them the strength to remain true to their purpose in spite of countless failures. It is COSMIC religious feeling that gives man such strength.
End of exerpt
