Stephen Hawking's God claims make churchmen laugh.

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Source : Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | UK News :: Stephen Hawking's god claims make churchmen laugh

Stephen Hawking has been denounced by religious groups
Friday September 3,2010 By Nathan Rao

RELIGIOUS groups have angrily refuted claims by scientist Stephen Hawking that God did not create the universe.


Professor Hawking uses the laws of physics to explain the existence of the world in a new book, The Grand Design, to be published on Thursday. But one Christian leader said his theory was “laughable”.

The professor says science and the Big Bang are solely responsible for the universe and the human race and denies the existence of any higher being.

In an extract from the book he states: “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.

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

But the professor’s claims have been disputed by religious groups who say it is another example of atheists clutching at straws to explain the existence of the universe.

Stephen Green, the national director of Christian Voice, said: “Atheists and other people like Hawking use evolutionism as a crutch to stop them having to believe in God.

“When you look at the wonder and grandeur of the universe it is clear that its creation involved a greater power. Atheists just flounder around looking for anything that can keep them from believing in God. I find it laughable.”

Mr Green’s comments were echoed by Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for Muslims4UK (formerly the Muslim Council for Britain). He said: “Islam teaches that it is God who is the ultimate creator.


“Atheists are left in a ridiculous position to argue that the universe brought itself into existence. Hawking is known as a major scientist but in recent years he has come to a dead end and his theory is a source of amusement.”

The Rt Rev Lee Stephen Rayfield, Bishop of Swindon, said: “Professor Hawking is not saying that it is impossible to believe in God because of what he now understands about the physics of the Big Bang.

“His conclusion does not change the remarkable coherence between the nature of our universe and the understanding Christians have about the nature and character of God.”

The book, which was co-written by American physicist Leonard Mlodinow, sets out to contest Sir Isaac Newton’s belief that the universe must have been designed by God as it could not have created out of chaos.

The book also suggests the possibility of life on other planets and entire new universes called “multiverses”.

In a recent television documentary Professor Hawking, 68, said: “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet.”

He added: “I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.”

In his 1998 bestseller A Brief History of Time, Professor Hawking appeared to accept the existence of God. He wrote: “If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we should know the mind of God.”
 
well personally i believe in a higher power, then again, who knows! i guess it's a matter of faith :)
 
i don't think he has actually said that there is no god, higher power etc, just that the universe might have created itself without a higher power.

and as for the churches, they've been getting things wrong for years, i mean come on, they are obviously all praying to the same god, it's just different people have interpreted god's messages differently, and millions have died because we're too pigheaded and stubborn to admit it.
 
course it's much more believable that there is a guy living in the clouds watching and judging us. Think they said the same when science told them the world wasn't flat and Galileo told them the world revolved around the sun and not the other way around.

I know who I think sounds silly I 'll leave others to form there own opinions.

thebigman
 
He added: “I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.”

Independence Day?

thebigman
 
But the professor’s claims have been disputed by religious groups who say it is another example of atheists clutching at straws to explain the existence of the universe.

Surely the creation of s super-entity to explain what is essentially simple physics is the ultimate at clutching straws !!!

Even for the religeous types there's the small question of "who or what created god ?". Saying he just popped into existance or has always existed is simply clutching at even more straws.
 
course it's much more believable that there is a guy living in the clouds watching and judging us.

I think this is a common misconception among people who no interest in 'theism' or, spiritual matters. If you talk about 'God', then people without a spiritual or religious faith might jump to the assumption you are talking about an old bloke with a bread who sits on clouds!

To me, God = a consciousness: genderless, ageless, locationless, beardless, non-judgemental, pure love, a part of everyone and eveyrthing.

This athism vs religion thing has mutated into nothing but point scoring squables. People who love to debate the subject are largly people who don't really have an interest in the truth, but only an interest in arguing and looking down on people to make themselves feel superior to their sparing partners.

If there is a God (or consciousness), then it would also be reigion-less ;)
 
yeah, the main problem is the religions that have been created around the idea of a creator.

Atleast science accepts when it is wrong and that there might be other answers we simply don't know yet - religion doesn't do this. It's right and there's no arguement. end of.
 
I think this is a common misconception

To me, God = a consciousness: genderless, ageless, locationless, beardless, non-judgemental, pure love, a part of everyone and eveyrthing.

;)

Not a misconception, I was brought up a catholic m8. Your view is actualy pretty much the same as mine. As I said I leave others to make up their own mind.The church would consider you a heretic by the church for your views. So would pretty much all the major world religions.

thebigman
 
Surely the creation of s super-entity to explain what is essentially simple physics is the ultimate at clutching straws !!!

Even for the religeous types there's the small question of "who or what created god ?". Saying he just popped into existance or has always existed is simply clutching at even more straws.

aah, but you are using the concept of time you see, which is supposedly a fourth dimensional construct and doesn't exist in the spiritual world. ;)
 
If there was a god i dont think he would be sitting in clouds looking down at us.. I believe if there is a god that he wouldnt be a person or anything physical.. just basikaly something that is mind over matter..

But i'm not a believer so i must be dumb like the priests or whatever say..

People need to move on.. Ive asked god for help in the past and got nowhere.. so i choose not to believe..
 
aah, but you are using the concept of time you see, which is supposedly a fourth dimensional construct and doesn't exist in the spiritual world. ;)

Time really doesn't come into it. You either believe that God popped into existance in a similar way that you think is impossible for the universe or you admit that some higher being still created God.

Or are you perhaps trying to say that we are in effect our own gods, and that in some future time we'll learn to manipulate time and create ourselves in which case we are, of course, simply a paradox !
 
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People can be classed into 3 groups. You either belieive in something, nothing, or are not sure... :proud:

No, lol, I think that the people who either do or don't believe have their brains, souls, personalities, whatever, wired differently and it's just impossible to understand each other's point of view. It just gets nasty when someone from either camp tries to force their views or beliefs onto you by whatever means.

Using guilt, fear, shame etc on someone to believe in a god or religion is wrong, but what people like Richard Dawkins does is the exact same, only he uses the same actions on people who do believe in a god or force.
 
what i am saying is that there is a hypothesis that a supreme being always existed and created time and space to expand its consciousness and that we are all part of this one eternal being, and that everything that is ever done is done to facilitate this being evolving and learning, and that the primary way for human beings to learn is through our emotions. but a lot of us find that far too difficult so we try and ignore them and fill our lives up with crap like tv etc so that we don't have to think about things like why are we really here and what do we really want and how well do we actually know ourselves? :)

so i guess in a way i am saying yes we are part of god and are therefore our own god ;)
 
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All I can say is that if there is a god he is one sick horrible nasty mother fecker what with all the bad that goes on in the world, and I can never win the lottery either even if I ask him nicely lol
 
All I can say is that if there is a god he is one sick horrible nasty mother fecker what with all the bad that goes on in the world, and I can never win the lottery either even if I ask him nicely lol

yes it can look that way sometimes and i can understand why people decide not to believe in god because of suffering etc, but we dont understand how or why the world works the way it does, we either have faith that there is a reason behind things, or we dont
 
but a lot of us find that far too difficult so we try and ignore them and fill our lives up with crap like tv etc so that we don't have to think about things like why are we really here and what do we really want and how well do we actually know ourselves? :)

People don't like to think about it, that's why they put all their trust in either an organised religion or a scientist, so they don't have to think and instead just believe what they're told. It's a cop out.

I prefer to listen to everyone and then at the end of the day, believe in myself and what I beleive what is true to me, I don't being told what I should be believing in. There could have either be nothing, or something, there is something evidendly. Why is there anything when there could be nothing, that is the question (I think it someone else said that better than me "to be, or not, to be?" :))
 
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