Albert Einstein, one of the most brilliant minds humanity has ever known, not only dedicated his time to the study of physics, but also to topics as diverse as the role of religion and its relationship to science. In an article he wrote for The New York Times magazine in November 1930, entitled «Religion and Science,» he stated the following:

What are the needs that have led men to think and believe in something? For primitive man, it was above all the fear of hunger, wild beasts, disease, and death. At that stage of humanity, the human mind imagined beings with superior powers, whose will was the one that decided whether these fearful events would occur or not. Therefore, man tried to secure the favor of these beings with actions and sacrifices that, according to the tradition of each group, would make them favorable to him. It was a religion of fear.

But in more advanced societies, the desire for guidance, love, and support led men to believe in a social or moral God. This is the God of Providence, who protects, eliminates, rewards, and punishes. The God who, from the believer’s perspective, loves and cares for the life of the tribe or, in this case, of humanity. The one who comforts when there is pain or unfulfilled longing. The one who preserves the souls of the dead. This is the social or moral conception of God.

The Jewish Bible admirably illustrates the transition from the religion of fear to the religion of morality. The religions of civilized peoples, in principle, are moral religions. Although truthfully speaking, all religions are a varied mixture of both types, with this distinction: that, at the higher levels of social life, the religion of morality predominates.

Einstein continues: There is a third stage of religious experience which I call the cosmic religious feeling. The individual realizes the futility of waiting for the favor of a Providential God and appreciates the sublime and marvelous order revealed both in nature and in the world of thought. The beginnings of cosmic religious sentiment already appear in many of the Psalms of David and in some of the sayings of the Prophets.

Religious geniuses of all times have distinguished themselves by their cosmic religious sentiment, which does not accept any dogma or a God conceived in the image of man. For Einstein, religion is the feeling of awe caused by contemplating the marvelous order of the universe and believing in a Creator of that order. For him, science and religion are not polar opposites, as many religions preach, but rather complementary. Science explains how the world works, and religion tells us where we should direct it. Science gave us nuclear energy, and the ethical values ​​of religion guide us to use it for peaceful and non-destructive purposes. As Einstein said: Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.

Compiled by: Marcos Gojman.

Bibliography: Albert Einstein, The World as I See It.