New Einstein Letter Credits Church

A recent Antiques Roadshow episode uncovered a letter from Einstein that affirms the authenticity of a quote attributed to Einstein. The quote appeared in Time Magazine in 1940. The letter was appraised in August 2007. Einstein was quoted as saying:

"Being a lover of freedom, when the revolution came in Germany, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but, no, the universities immediately were silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of the newspapers whose flaming editorials in days gone by had proclaimed their love of freedom; but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks... Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual truth and moral freedom. I am forced thus to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly."

The exact wording of Einstein's response when questioned about the quote, as it appears in his letter in this video is:
"It's true that I made a statement which corresponds approximately with the text you quoted. I made this statement during the first years of the Nazi regime-- much earlier than 1940-- and my expressions were a little more moderate."

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