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A Childish G‑d

Dr. Albert Einstein thought belief in G‑d childish
Dr. Albert Einstein thought belief in G‑d childish

A letter attributed to Time magazine's Man of the Century espouses the centuries-old argument that anything can happen with time. In the correspondence, Albert Einstein maintains that belief in G‑d is childish.

I totally agree.

Intelligent people make the best of the intelligible, subjecting reality to their reality of things. Ask a believing adult to prove G‑d's existence and he will point to everything that exists in his own existence. Ask a child and he will tell you that "proofs" are immaterial: it says, "In the beginning G‑d created heaven and earth."

When praying, grown men tend to paint He who created man in His image, in their own. To the immature child, however, G‑d simply exists and he prays to Him simply. In his responsa, the great Talmudic authority Rabbi Isaac ben Sheshet (the "Rivash") proudly publicizes that he prays from a child's perspective.

Theologians and philosophers can discuss G‑d's immanence, transcendence, and perhaps His essence. Yet, it takes an innocent child to appreciate G‑d's essential simplicity. It was Einstein himself who said, "God always takes the simplest way." A child knows that way.

A proverbial statement says, "The naive believe everything," and our sages go so far as to attribute that naiveté to Moses himself. He who had seen the Almighty face to face could have also believed at face value.

At the most mature level, one serves G‑d with the innocent immaturity of a child. Ignorance can truly be bliss.


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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:
Posted: May 31, 2008
A response to Cynic
I'm not a cynic. I firmly believe in G-d, but I have to agree with you. I'm not quite sure what this article accomplished.
Posted By Anonymous, New York, NY

Posted: May 28, 2008
Just suppose...
An atheist could use all these comments to show how delusional believers are. You guys are all saying the belief is great, but the fact that a belief is great does not prove that the belief is correct.
Posted By Cynic

Posted: May 28, 2008
writen very well.
Posted By moshe

Posted: May 28, 2008
In a Child's Eyes
My child reminds me daily of just how Wonderful God is. She always sees His Splendor in everything around us while believing in Him blindly......
Posted By Yvette, Pikesville, MD

Posted: May 27, 2008
Hashem is so wonderful !
It is such a terrible, terrible loss not to believe in G-d's existence.
G-d's love, understanding & response is absolutely wonderful.
Sincerely endeavour to communicate with Hashem because the response will always be most beautifully rewarding.
Posted By Oscar L. Navra, Cape Town, South Africa

Posted: May 26, 2008
Another thing most interesting about little children, they forgive, forget and give others another chance almost automatically. Seldom, if ever is a grudge held for longer than 30 mins as their little minds just either seem to forget or let it pass!
Posted By Anonymous

Posted: May 26, 2008
Why do we need to
Many years ago, three decades ago in fact, one of my relatives informed me that I was too smart to believe in G-d. Huh?? I never thought that I only stupid people believed in G-d. I remember a professor at Gratz College told my class that we humans are able to distinguish between what we believe and what we know. I don;t think it a contradiction to believe that the world was created in seven days, yet know that it took millions of years to evolve. I know G-d exists as surely as I know my eyes are green. He does, and they are. To insist that there is no G-d, no heaven, is the height of arrogance.
Posted By Rachel Garber, Phila, PA USA

Posted: May 26, 2008
"Theologians and philosophers can discuss G‑d's immanence, transcendence, and perhaps His essence. Yet, it takes an innocent child to appreciate G‑d's essential simplicity."

In other words, it takes a child to appreciate G-d, just as G-d. As He is. We adults, we seem to have this desperate need to be amazed, flashy signs and all. We go for the distraction (philosophizing ad infinitum), convincing ourselves thats the essence. A vicious cycle...

Well explained, with perfect simplicity.
Posted By Mimi Notik

Posted: May 25, 2008
A funny picture
a child will lead the Messiah in you. I like this article, sometimes things are concealed so that G-d can reveal what is truly in your heart.
Posted By Patricia
via chabadpasadena.com

Posted: May 25, 2008
Actually Getzy did point out that belief in G-d on the purest level is 'childish'.

A brilliant piece of writing. Bright idea. Looking forward to more from Getzy
Posted By Anthony, Hong Kong, China


 



By Getzy Markowitz   More by this authors...  |   RSS Listing of Newest Articles by this Author
Getzy Markowitz received his rabbinical ordination at the Institute for Talmudic Study and Scholarship in Midtown Manhattan. He has served Jewish communities and lectured to audiences on five continents.

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