Comments on: Einstein and Religion http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:32:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Tweets that mention Einstein and Religion | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement -- Topsy.com http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-91786 Tweets that mention Einstein and Religion | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement -- Topsy.com Wed, 24 Nov 2010 02:07:42 +0000 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/#comment-91786 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Home Holidays Family and The Paper Tiger, coffeedog. coffeedog said: RT @chillami Einstein and Religion http://dld.bz/jqWW #Lifehack #useful [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Home Holidays Family and The Paper Tiger, coffeedog. coffeedog said: RT @chillami Einstein and Religion http://dld.bz/jqWW #Lifehack #useful [...]

]]> By: Dawud Miracle http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-2478 Dawud Miracle Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:39:30 +0000 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/#comment-2478 John, I think we are created to live our day-to-day life with the idea that we have complete free will and control over our lives. The questions come in when things out of our control happen to us. Is it cause & effect or is it of Divine Will in nature? Sufism comes from the word tasawwuf (ta-SAW-woof) which literally translates as <em>the science of the self</em>. So Sufism involves itself with the study, knowledge and unveiling to the deepest parts of our selves. John, I think we are created to live our day-to-day life with the idea that we have complete free will and control over our lives. The questions come in when things out of our control happen to us. Is it cause & effect or is it of Divine Will in nature?

Sufism comes from the word tasawwuf (ta-SAW-woof) which literally translates as the science of the self. So Sufism involves itself with the study, knowledge and unveiling to the deepest parts of our selves.

]]> By: John Wesley http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-2472 John Wesley Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:58:04 +0000 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/#comment-2472 The Dilbert Blog just covered the same post. He agrees with Einstein and added a bunch of his own commentary on free will. http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/04/things_that_sho.html It's good to see the article is getting some attention. The Dilbert Blog just covered the same post. He agrees with Einstein and added a bunch of his own commentary on free will.

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/04/things_that_sho.html

It’s good to see the article is getting some attention.

]]> By: Einstein’s Religious Beliefs · neocortex, lovely content since ever http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-2454 Einstein’s Religious Beliefs · neocortex, lovely content since ever Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:47:16 +0000 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/#comment-2454 [...] John Wesley has an excellent article on his blog about Einstein’s religious beliefs and what religion really is these days, a mix of fear and morality.God is a need to believe in someone who guides us and loves us.But there is a higher form of religion, the ‘cosming religious feeling’, how John Wesley calls it, i call it universal enlightenment. Link Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...] [...] John Wesley has an excellent article on his blog about Einstein’s religious beliefs and what religion really is these days, a mix of fear and morality.God is a need to believe in someone who guides us and loves us.But there is a higher form of religion, the ‘cosming religious feeling’, how John Wesley calls it, i call it universal enlightenment. Link Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

]]> By: penny http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-2437 penny Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:35:11 +0000 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/#comment-2437 Dear John, Rumi is a great Sufi poet. Sufi is the mystical side of Islam--though a true Sufi will say it is independent of any particular religion. In particular, it has interesting concepts of psychology, things that western psychology has yet to understand. All of the great mystical eastern trads see free will in the way explained below. It is already in the Uppinshads: Free Will is about the illusion of a Self. But, Self depends on the system interaction--thus, in a certain context there is no Self--in others it certainly exists. It has to do with the concept of non set forming relation in math. Here is a verbal example from Physics: Friction is a "nonconservative force" i.e. When matter moves on a closed path with friction, it doesn't return to its original energy state. Energy has been lost. But, the paradox is that there are five basic forces in nature of which all forces are constructed and they are Conservative: No energy is lost on return to the original position. So friction CANNOT be nonconservative. The explaination is that when you consider the WHOLE system ( including the atoms of the friction bearing surface) Energy IS conserved. But, ignoring the whole system and considering just the mass in motion we clearly see friction--you can make a fire with it. In the same way: from the perspective of the ENTIRE universe, there is no self and no free will. But, of one can't see the whole universe, there is a self and hence free will. Penny Dear John,
Rumi is a great Sufi poet. Sufi is the mystical side of Islam–though a true Sufi will say it is independent of any particular religion.

In particular, it has interesting concepts of psychology, things that western psychology has yet to understand.

All of the great mystical eastern trads see
free will in the way explained below. It is already in the Uppinshads:

Free Will is about the illusion of a Self.
But, Self depends on the system interaction–thus, in a certain context there is no Self–in others it certainly exists.

It has to do with the concept of non set forming relation in math. Here is a verbal example from Physics:

Friction is a “nonconservative force” i.e.
When matter moves on a closed path with friction, it doesn’t return to its original energy state. Energy has been lost.

But, the paradox is that there are five basic forces in nature of which all forces are constructed and they are Conservative: No energy is lost on return to the original position. So friction CANNOT be nonconservative.

The explaination is that when you consider the WHOLE system ( including the atoms of the friction bearing surface) Energy IS conserved. But, ignoring the
whole system and considering just the mass in motion we clearly see friction–you can make a fire with it.

In the same way: from the perspective of the ENTIRE universe, there is no self and no free will. But, of one can’t see the whole universe, there is a self and hence free will.
Penny

]]> By: John Wesley http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-2435 John Wesley Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:04:23 +0000 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/#comment-2435 I never heard of Sufism, but it sounds interesting. I've been trying to sort out the issue of freewill in my mind for about a year. On the one hand, I firmly believe that the workings of our minds, our desires, our will, are all subject to cause and effect. We can't control our disposition or the experiences we receive. On the other hand, how can you live on a day to day basis without believing in free will, at least to some degree? I think that article helped me reach the same conclusions as Einstein. Philosophically, I can't believe in free will, but I still find it necessary to live by it for practical reasons. As you said, it's an interesting paradox. I never heard of Sufism, but it sounds interesting. I’ve been trying to sort out the issue of freewill in my mind for about a year.

On the one hand, I firmly believe that the workings of our minds, our desires, our will, are all subject to cause and effect. We can’t control our disposition or the experiences we receive.

On the other hand, how can you live on a day to day basis without believing in free will, at least to some degree?

I think that article helped me reach the same conclusions as Einstein. Philosophically, I can’t believe in free will, but I still find it necessary to live by it for practical reasons.

As you said, it’s an interesting paradox.

]]> By: Dawud Miracle http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/comment-page-1/#comment-2427 Dawud Miracle Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:56:20 +0000 http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/einstein-and-religion/#comment-2427 Boy does this open up an interesting conversation. I've been studying Sufism for 10 years. Well, more than studying, I've been actively engaged as a student under a teacher in this ancient spiritual science. One of the main teachings is that everything in existence is manifest from our Creator. Nothing, then, truly comes from free will. Yet, from a certain perspective we have the perception that we have free will. Yet, this free will is merely an illusion. It's a paradox which Einstein sounds like he had a grasp of. Boy does this open up an interesting conversation.

I’ve been studying Sufism for 10 years. Well, more than studying, I’ve been actively engaged as a student under a teacher in this ancient spiritual science.

One of the main teachings is that everything in existence is manifest from our Creator. Nothing, then, truly comes from free will. Yet, from a certain perspective we have the perception that we have free will. Yet, this free will is merely an illusion.

It’s a paradox which Einstein sounds like he had a grasp of.

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