The Universe Marvelously Arranged

"I'm not an atheist, and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn't know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws. Our limited minds grasp the mysterious force that moves the constellations."

-- Albert Einstein

I find Albert Einstein to be very intelligent when it comes to theoretical physics, though he came off as something of a horndog, and he seems wanting when writing his personal thoughts and allowing interpretation by those who would read much into them.  For instance, when he states "our limited minds grasp the mysterious force that moves the constellations," I have to balk.  If we truly "grasp" the mysterious force, it would no longer be mysterious.  In truth, our limited minds constantly attempt to grasp at much we find mysterious and, as he also states, "We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws."  So, which is it?  Do our "limited minds grasp" anything, or do we "dimly understand these laws" through what we see?  Of course, I would never read anything into what Albert says (yeah, right) any more than I would deign to interpret what God really meant to say in the Ten Commandments by egotistically picking and choosing from scripture, written by men, and then combining those chosen into a biblical text we can proclaim as "holy" and the definitive "Word of God."

Pantheism is the view that everything is part of an all-encompassing, immanent God. All forms of reality may then be considered either modes of that Being, or identical with it. Some hold that pantheism is a non-religious philosophical position. To them, pantheism is the view that the Universe (in the sense of the totality of all existence) and God are identical (implying a denial of the personality and transcendence of God).

-- Wikipedia, Pantheism

Scholars would say he admits to being an atheist, yet he denies atheism.  He also states he doesn't think he's a pantheist, but I find this doubtful as his thinking seems to be spot on with pantheism.  He leaves us wondering at where his spirituality truly lies while he admits to seeing "the universe marvelously arranged."  By whom, pray tell?

By way of introduction for the next several paragraphs, I have included an excerpt from Benedictus de Spinoza's "Ethics," a philosophical treatise published in 1677.  This is taken from Part I, "Concerning God," Definition IV, and his Explanation:

IV. By God, I mean a being absolutely infinite-that is, a substance consisting in infinite attributes, of which each expresses eternal and infinite essentiality.

Explanation-I say absolutely infinite, not infinite after its kind: for, of a thing infinite only after its kind, infinite attributes may be denied; but that which is absolutely infinite, contains in its essence whatever expresses reality, and involves no negation.

Written in two letters, twenty-five years apart, we might see a hint of Einstein's thoughts as to God.  In 1929 he writes to the author of a book, "There is No God," this response: "We followers of Spinoza see our God in the wonderful order and lawfulness of all that exists and in its soul as it reveals itself in man and animal."  Then, in 1954, he writes in another letter: "I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly."  Taken at face value, trying to read nothing into it, he is not stating that he doesn't believe in God, but that he doesn't believe in the concept of a "personal" God, while he, at the same time, denies the impersonal God of pantheism.  Well, which is it, Albert?

Personally, I think God can have it both ways and shame on anyone who thinks an omnipotent power can't make that happen.  However, it sounds to me as though Albert is an agnostic, "a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God."  It seems to me Albert takes the cowards way out by sitting on the fence.  Perhaps he should have considered politics.

"If the multiverse turns out to be the best explanation of the fundamental physical constants, it would not be the first time we have been flabbergasted by worlds beyond our noses."

-- Steven Pinker, cognitive psychologist

I have learned one important fact from researching this post:  I am, in all probability, a pantheist.  Like Einstein, I also see the universe as marvelously arranged, so much so that I cannot see it as a toss of the dice, created by chance.  There is too much "ooey-ooey" when we look into stories of near-death experience and the pantheon of belief, of faith, in life after death and multiple planes of existence, part of a theoretical multiverse.

Our theories of God, for all the faith we pour into them, are all still unproven theories which rely on our faith to stay relevant in the lives of humankind.  Personally, I see God every time I consider the universe as a whole.  The universe is, in fact, a marvelously arranged collection of energy which acts as a living organism which inhales and exhales, creates new cells and shed old ones.  

For all the mystery of our reality, we can see in within it a complicated, well-planned design, and ask ourselves, "Designed by whom, or what, and... why?"

“The scripture worshippers put the writings ahead of God. Instead of interpreting God's actions in nature, for example, they interpret nature in the light of the Scripture. Nature says the rock is billions of years old, but the book says different, so even though men wrote the book, and God made the rock and God gave us minds that have found ways to tell how old it is, we still choose to believe the Scripture.”

-- Sheri S. Tepper (1929-2016), science fiction novelist

Editor's Note

Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.