Stephen Hawking - Universe

Hawking's Godless Universe

Author: Rose

On the one hand, the educational masterminds who insist on teaching Creationism in U.S. schools now have yet another opponent.

On the other hand, would they even listen?

First, the facts: Stephen Hawking, the world-famous and award-winning physicist who has done incredible research on the nature of the universe, has recently posited that God's inclusion in the tale of the creation of the universe is redundant, according to excerpts of his up-coming book that appeared on The Times newspaper this Thursday.

"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," writes the astrophysicist.

"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."

The report has set off conversations around the world that Hawking has somehow turned his back on God and that God is an irrelevant feature in the tale of creation.

This is a highly novel development given Hawking's previous beliefs on God, which were that God was simply not "necessary" in order to understand the universe and that understanding a complete theory would mean that humans would finally know the mind of God.

Now, Hawking has moved on to something altogether revolutionary, not only for his own beliefs but also for what he represents as one of the smartest people in the universe and the "Einstein" of our era.

Will Hawking's latest assertions add more ammunition to the increasingly vocal atheist sects of society in disregarding the role of God in society and culture, or will his claims simply invigorate a religious base that feels increasingly under attack and which is, in some circles, becoming more militant as time passes?

The answer to this question is, of course, uncertain but what should be clear is that regardless of Hawking's brilliance in the realm of science, his understanding of religion is not significant enough to make him an authoritative figure on the subject.

Instead of learning religious theory from Hawking's latest declarations, what we should learn is that matters of religion and religious belief are subjects that people should learn in a family setting and that people should decide on personally and individually.

Brilliant scientists and Southern school boards may have their views on the universe, but the planet may be better off if they both keep those views to themselves and focus on what they know best: Physics and education, respectively.

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/journalism-articles/hawkings-godless-universe-3266449.html

About the Author

Jorge Vargas is the Editor-in-Chief of AllMediaNY.com.