MMM Mail 4: Dear Einstein, Do Scientists Pray?

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by Seattle Jon:

Phyllis, a sixth-grade Sunday school class member at The Riverside Church, wondered if scientists pray. Who better to write to and ask than Einstein.

January 19, 1936

My dear Dr. Einstein,

We have brought up the question: Do scientists pray? in our Sunday school class. It began by asking whether we could believe in both science and religion. We are writing to scientists and other important men to try and have our own question answered.

We will feel greatly honored if you will answer our question: Do scientists pray, and what do they pray for?

We are in the sixth grade, Miss Ellis's class.

Respectfully yours,

Phyllis

Einstein replied a mere five days later, sharing with her his thoughts on faith and science:

January 24, 1936

Dear Phyllis,

I will attempt to reply to your question as simply as I can. Here is my answer:

Scientists believe that every occurrence, including the affairs of human beings, is due to the laws of nature. Therefore a scientist cannot be inclined to believe that the course of events can be influenced by prayer, that is, by a supernaturally manifested wish.

However, we must concede that our actual knowledge of these forces is imperfect, so that in the end the belief in the existence of a final, ultimate spirit rests on a kind of faith. Such belief remains widespread even with the current achievements in science.

But also, everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that some spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, one that is vastly superior to that of man. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is surely quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive.

With cordial greetings,

your A. Einstein

I like the way Einstein manages to capture the sublime sense of wonder that science can evoke in a way that is possible to describe as "religious." What do you think?


Seattle Jon is a family man, little league coach, urban farmer and businessman living in Seattle. He currently gets up early with the markets to trade bonds for a living. In his spare time he enjoys movies, thrifting and is an avid reader. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and the Japan Fukuoka mission field. He has one wife, four kids and five chickens.
Image credit: Getty Images.

MMM Mail 3: Today's Young Men

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We received the following question from Whitney, author of the blog The Life of a Mormon Teen.

Q: What do you think today’s young men need to know?

A: Ben Johnson

No one likes a preachy old man so I am going to deviate a bit from the original request. Instead of telling young men what they need to know, I'll tell the young men what I wish I would have known when I was their age.

1 - High school doesn’t matter as much as you think it does, despite 40000 clichéd movies that say otherwise.

2 - Girls in high school don’t matter as much as you think they do. I don't say that to demean the girls. I mean that if you don't go to every dance or get every date it doesn't matter. You'll live. Older girls are better anyway. They have more money …

3 - A mission can affect you for the rest of your life. Prepare for it and use the service you give for a foundation to build your life on. The people you serve with might be doofuses but that doesn't mean the gospel isn't true.

4 - Your parents are wiser than you think they are. Sure, they're old and they wear socks and sandals (at the same time), but that doesn't mean they can't give good advice.

5 - Learn to save money while you are young. It will make it that much easier when you get older and money is more important.

There are about a thousand other things I wish I would have done differently but those are the top five. Look, have fun while you are young and enjoy life. Pretty soon you will look back and wonder where all the time went. But if you lay a foundation while you are young you will be much better off later on down the road.

A: Scott Heffernan

1 - Be kind to people.

2 - If you make a mistake, repent and move on. Don't get wrapped up in shame. You are good and godly, even if you don't feel like it or act like it all the time. Choose to focus on your deep goodness, rather than your superficial imperfections.

MMM Mail 2: Chivalrous Or Chauvinistic - Who Pays?

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Q: As a single lady in the dating game, I feel really awkward having my date pay for me. Not necessarily for one date, that's nice and normal and polite to do when you ask someone out. However, once I'm in a relationship it gets iffy. You have to work out who's going to keep paying for dates and/or hangouts and I don't feel comfortable with the idea of my guy always footing the bill. The transition from traditional first date (where the guy pays) to the relationship arena (where we go dutch or equally split) is awkward, but in a good relationship you can work through that with communication. So imagine a scenario where a guy asks me out and I say, "Sure! I'd really like that. This may sound strange, but how would you feel about going dutch?" Is this too much for a first date? To me, if we both pay our own way, we'd be more relaxed and our expectations would be more realistic. But I realize that in the past I've unwittingly stomped all over a guy's need to feel manly when I've ignored "social constructs" that to me don't make sense, so I'd like to be more sensitive in respecting my dates' ideas of their roles as men. Is my interest in paying my own way too much? Should I let it wait until the second or third, or even the seventh date?

A: Call it old-fashioned, but most men feel they should pay on the first date. A few of our contributors give their two cents below and we hope many more of our readers will open their opinion wallets as well.

brettmerritt
I think you hit it on the head with "in a good relationship you can work through that with communication." Because, really, the goal of dating isn't to see who pays or if his manliness or your feminism will stay intact, but to begin the discovery process of what could be a solid relationship. My suggestion would be to just enjoy the dates and if you go on more than two or three and you're really getting along, then bring up the possibility of you paying for the next one or something. If he's cool and you really are compatible, he'll be open to it. Asking to pay on the first date (of before it) can be weird for the guy even if he is totally on board with your feminist tendencies.

Apparent Parent
As a man, I want to be able to pay for the first date. It's not so much a manly thing or a hunter-gatherer thing, like "I'll take care of you and provide for you, because I'm a man." My cro-magnon self has evolved beyond that. It's more like, "I invited you out here and I don't want you to incur unnecessary expenses on my behalf. After all, it's my fault you're stuck with me for an evening." Maybe after a successful first date a woman who would like to pay her own way could say something like, "Next time I'll pay." That shows an interest, expresses a desire to get back together and shows a willingness to chip in on the dating experience. But on a first date, if the guy asks you out, let the poor dude pay. It'll make him feel like you haven't fully accepted his offer for a date otherwise. It's almost like saying, "I'll go, but as a friend. You can't pay for me or it'll be too much of an (eeewww) date."

Seattle Jon
Here is my definition of the kind of guy you should look for. He will plan on paying, but won't be too overbearing. He will realize that some women find it disempowering, old fashioned or chauvinistic when men insist on paying for everything. On the other hand, he will recognize that some women find it chivalrous. Most importantly, he will get a feel for what you prefer and then do what makes you most comfortable.

MMM Mail 1: Baby Blessings

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image via LDS Talk

Q: My husband is a convert and our baby's blessing is coming up in two weeks. He's very nervous to do it in front of the congregation, and even more nervous that the baby will start crying uncontrollably during the process. Could someone write a post about how you are actually supposed to hold a baby during the blessing and give tips for how to successfully keep a baby from crying?

A: Impending baby blessings have been known to keep modern mormon men up all night. We hope thoughts from Ken Craig, Max Power, Pete Codella and Saint Mark (all after the jump) help your husband rest soundly this week! Or, you can head here or here to see what Bishop Higgins has to say on baby blessings.