Is there a name for this belief?

[Xyius]

I have a firm belief that the existence of god is defined by the elegance of the universe. I have once read that Einstein had a similar belief in that he knew the existence of god based upon the perfection of the universe. I have also seen a documentary in which scientists who also believe this consider themselves a religion. Has anyone else heard about this? It would be nice to give people a name for the things I believe instead of explaining each time.

 

[wuliheron]

That god is the ultimate beauty and his creation reflects this is pretty much believed by religious and spiritual people of all stripes. That God is actually defined by the elegance of the universe is a version of Pantheism or Panentheism or some kinds of Mysticism.

 

[JaredJames]

I have a firm belief that the existence of god is defined by the elegance of the universe.

That is the basic reason for belief most religions give. You have a debate with anyone religious and chances are they'll say something about there having to be a god because of how intricate things are and it's impossible for them to develop in such a way (the eye is the general example used).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein#Religious_views

I recommend you read that section to understand what Einstein believed. It may shed some light on what you're talking about.

 

[cronxeh]

Universe is an ugly, cold place. Is that what your god looks like? Perhaps your delusion is that of all other religious people - they simply don't know reality.

 

[G037H3]

is called Naturalistic Deism

 

[dx]

Einstein called his attitude 'cosmic religious feeling', though I don't think he would characterize it as a 'belief', nor did he associate it with a divine being. Here's a quote:

"A person who is religiously enlightened appears to me to be one who has, to the best of his ability, liberated himself from the fetters of his selfish desires and is preoccupied with thoughts, feelings and aspirations to which he clings because of their superpersonal value. It seems to me that what is important is the force of this superpersonal content and the depth of the conviction concerning its overpowering meaningfulness ..."

"Accordingly, a religious person is devout in the sense that he has no doubt of the significance and the loftiness of those superpersonal objects and goals which neither require nor are capable of rational foundation. They exist with the same necessity and matter-of-factness as he himself"

"Whoever has undergone the intense experience of successful advances made in the striving after the rational unification of the manifold of experineces is moved by a profound reverence for the rationality made manifest in existence. By way of the understanding he achieves a far-reaching emancipation from the schackles of personal hopes and desires, and thereby attains that humble attitude of mind toward the grandeur of reason incarnate in existence, and which, in its profoundest depths, is inaccessible to man. This attitude appears to me to be religious, in the highest sense of the word."

- Albert Einstein