Posted on 09/07/2010 7:22:42 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
There's no denying that Stephen Hawking is intellectually bold as well as physically heroic. And in his latest book, the renowned physicist mounts an audacious challenge to the traditional religious belief in the divine creation of the universe.
According to Hawking, the laws of physics, not the will of God, provide the real explanation as to how life on Earth came into being. The Big Bang, he argues, was the inevitable consequence of these laws 'because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.'
Unfortunately, while Hawking's argument is being hailed as controversial and ground-breaking, it is hardly new.
For years, other scientists have made similar claims, maintaining that the awesome, sophisticated creativity of the world around us can be interpreted solely by reference to physical laws such as gravity.
It is a simplistic approach, yet in our secular age it is one that seems to have resonance with a sceptical public.
But, as both a scientist and a Christian, I would say that Hawking's claim is misguided. He asks us to choose between God and the laws of physics, as if they were necessarily in mutual conflict.
But contrary to what Hawking claims, physical laws can never provide a complete explanation of the universe. Laws themselves do not create anything, they are merely a description of what happens under certain conditions.
What Hawking appears to have done is to confuse law with agency. His call on us to choose between God and physics is a bit like someone demanding that we choose between aeronautical engineer Sir Frank Whittle and the laws of physics to explain the jet engine.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Heh, when they come up with a better explanation of how life began, I will listen. Otherwise, it is all just a hope fest... Scientists will be scientists until they confront the facts... Life is unexplainable regardless of their theories.
You might enjoy this book: Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Myths about Science and Religion
I don't agree with all of its conclusions, but it is a good read and pops some very popular myths.
I don't know if they were God loving, more God aware. In my study of scientist and their belief in God, I find that the only one, in a historical context, to ever Acknowledge Jesus was Newton. As for Einstein, his only acknowledgement in a supreme being was a short statement about God "God does not play dice with the Universe." Other than that he had little to say about God, and nothing about Jesus.
As a layman, I can’t look at the universe without seeing evidence of God.
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Agreed. It can be hard to spot in a city, but is impossible to miss in nature.
And could we ever?
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Not from this rock. But one day, face to face . . .
Who created God?
No one created God. That’s why he’s, you know, God.
RE: Who created God?
Here’s the dictionary definition of God I picked up :
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe. One who always exists, eternal, without beginning and without end; the object of worship in monotheistic religions.
Based on that definition, the question is like — who created the one who always exists, is eternal, without beginning and without end.
You mean gravity can’t create out of nothing the celestial bodies necessary for gravity to exist in the first place? I guess there really is no free lunch.
“Why are these people so afraid of God?”
They don’t want to be held accountable for their actions. So they try to make their problem go away by pretending that He does not exist.
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