As I said in the OP, I don't think Einstein believed in God at all. I think he just used God as a metaphor for the laws of the universe, which for him evoked a spiritual response.
I agree with your assessment.
But I cannot help but wonder why it actually matters what Einstein thought.
Einstein is considered by many to be the very definition of scientfic genius. However nobody, least of all the man himself, has ever made any claim that he was somehow any more privy to knowledge regarding the existence or absence of God than the rest of us.
I have no quotes with which to back this up and can claim little knowledge of the man himself - But it seems to me that whatever his views on God the one thing Einstein would not have appreciated or considered valid is the weight and importance others place on his views with regard to this matter.
If Einstein did declare himself an atheist what would it change?
Likewise if he had declared himself a true believer what would that change?
It seems too much to place such emphasis on the views of one man.
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