They have eyes but they do not see...

I was sad when I read this as I enjoyed his book on the subject of time…

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Stephen Hawking: “God was not needed to create the Universe”

The Big Bang was the result of the inevitable laws of physics and did not need God to spark the creation of the Universe, Stephen Hawking has concluded.

By Laura Roberts

Published: 6:15AM BST 02 Sep 2010

“The scientist has claimed that no divine force was needed to explain why the Universe was formed.

In his latest book, The Grand Design, an extract of which is published in Eureka magazine in The Times, Hawking said: “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.”

 He added: “It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the Universe going.”

In A Brief History of Time, Prof Hawking's most famous work, he did not dismiss the possibility that God had a hand in the creation of the world.

He wrote in the 1988 book: "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason — for then we should know the mind of God.”

In his new book he rejects Sir Isaac Newton's theory that the Universe did not spontaneously begin to form but was set in motion by God.

In June this year Prof Hawking told a Channel 4 series that he didn't believe that a "personal" God existed. He told Genius of Britain: "The question is: is the way the universe began chosen by God for reasons we can't understand, or was it determined by a law of science? I believe the second. If you like, you can call the laws of science 'God', but it wouldn't be a personal God that you could meet, and ask questions."

Until his retirement last year Prof Hawking was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, a post previously held by Newton.

The book, co-written by American physicist Leonard Mlodinow, is published on September 9.

SEE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7976594/Stephen-Hawking-God-was-not-needed-to-create-the-Universe.html

Comments

[Tony]

Who created the laws of physics?

[James M Essig]

IMHO, The creation of our universe from a Big Bang resulting from purely natural processes seems to be on good philosophical footing.

The Big Bang was not created by some abstract set of eternal laws but instead was likely created by a quantum fluctuation that grew to enormous proportions.

The net positive energy that exists in our universe added to the net negative energy bound up in the force of gravity for the expanding universe almost perfectly cancel so that the net total energy of the universe is nearly zero.

Now, I believe firmly that the cosmos including our universe is maintained in existence by an eternal act of GOD's will and that if GOD did not actively sustain the entire cosmos in existence including all creatures both spiritual and/or physical therefore including: all of physical creation; all human persons; any and all extraterrestrial persons; all angels, devils, all Priests, Bishops Cardinals, Popes, Religious, and Saints, creation would simply lapse into nothing.

I believe that what we refer to as mass and energy, the four known physical forces, zero point energy fields, space and time, are simply stable, or meta-stable accidental properties that subsist in a more primitive substrate or substrates. Perhaps this more primitive substrate subsists in a yet more primitive substrate and so on, prehaps including an infinite number of levels.

Regardless, IMHO, there is or are an ultimate physical substrates or substances in which all levels of accidental reality subsists that is directly and immediately created by GOD and thus which are first created principles that are created ex nihilo or directly by GOD and which are maintained in being directly by GOD. The existence of all levels of accidental physical reality are accordingly dependent on the next more primitive level with the most primitive level of accidental physical reality depending on or subsisting in the directly created substantial underpinnings of all of physical reality.

Now, since our Big Bang happened once, there is no reason why any infinite number of other Big Bangs may not have occurred or which must not exist. Hawking refers to a set of such Big Bangs as a Multiverse.

Now if one considers that all of present creation that is casually coupled, and/or topologically coupled, and/or thermodynamically coupled, and/or ontologically coupled, and/or existentially coupled, and/or substantially coupled is to be considered the Cosmos for which the Cosmos may include an infinite number of multiverses, or universes, angels, ETs, souls both human souls and ET souls, etc., there is no reason why GOD could not create; another, a multiple, an ensemble, an infinity scraper, and arbitrarily great infinite or transfinite number of, or even a super infinite number of such individual cosmoses where each additional Cosmos would be similar or dissimilar to our Cosmos and where each Cosmos would have its own analogues to universes, multiverses, angels, ETs, Humans,animals and the like.

Note that by super-infinite, I mean a quantitative value that in essence cannot be expressed symbolically, mathematically, or by set theory except by the above axiomatic definition of the term.

Any such unseen or hidden cosmoses would still be creations and would depend directly on GOD to create them and maintain them in being.

Thus, the existence of more than one Big Bang Universe, more than one Multiverse, even more than one intradependent unity refered to as a Cosmos, would not and could not imply that GOD has not created such realms. Everything not GOD is a creature. I will put it more directly, everything not the DIVINE BEING, THE HOLY TRINITY, and ANY ONE OR COMBINATIONS OF THE DIVINE NATURE OF THE THREE DIVINE PERSONS is by definition a created reality.

So if our universe or Big Bang did arise out of natural evolutionary processes from another created portion of physical mass-energy-space-time, or as an evolution of a more primitive accidental physical reality, such accidental realities IMHO subsist ultimately in and depend for their existence on a substantial created material which can only exist by GOD's creative might and sustaining act of will, even if such an act is eternal.

The human soul as the substantial form of the human body is even more profound as the new Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions that the human soul has a special relation to its creator and requires a special act of GOD to create.

In summary, one need not worry about the possibility that a scientific proof that our universe or Big Bang arose from a mere quantum field vacuum fluctuation which bootstrapped itself into having a huge amount of positive energy and mass and space and time and a huge amount of negative energy in the form of our universes self attractive gravitational potential energy. It all still depends on GOD's creative might to exist and to be maintained in existence.

In a most real, sense, creation in all of its Glory, Size, and Variety is GOD's Pride and Joy in the sense that it is by definition a product of GOD's work outside of HIMSELF. Since GOD is ALL POWERFULL, who are we to state the existence of any limits to GOD's CREATIVE MIGHT. GOD is truly ALL POWERFULL in HIS ability to create yet GOD is unimaginably and inexpressibly greater and exulted over all creation, including all creation that is possible to exist but which does not exist.

We know for sure that the size of spiritual creation or the set of spiritual creatures continues to grow. I can state a very simple proof of this proposition. The argument has just one premise. With each act of human procreation, a brand new beautiful human spiritual and immortal soul is directly and immediately created by GOD thereby unalterably increasing the number of human souls created by GOD.

GOD BLESS!

Jim

[MQ]

Good to know there are no real "laws of physics", inevitably happenstance occurs, good bad or indifferent. Kind of like luck.

[Bob the Chef]

The Universe has no need of Hawking either.

Hawking is a mere physicist, and his intellectual feeble-mindedness when it comes to philosophical questions is par for the course. If the law of gravity "is" then what is its origin? "Nothing" is not empty space, it is the lack of anything! And besides, he seems to fail to demonstrate a good feeling of what the limits of science are.

Furthermore, you can count on a physicist to fail to grasp that even in a "timeless" universe, with no beginning in time that is, creation is not dismissed because "outside" time, existence still requires a cause.

[melogos]

Since God is far superior to humans, he is in no way threatened by our sincere questions. Regardless of how deep or profound our questions may seem to us, our deepest questions must seem like simple 2+2=4 arithmetic to God. There are many who deny his existence, but God is in no way threatened by their lack of faith in him. A century ago, most people would have said that man could never fly, travel to the moon, nor perform a heart transplant. Though they were sincere in their beliefs, they were sincerely wrong. Many who deny the existence of God are sincere. God still loves and reaches out to them. However, to paraphrase the song from the 70s, they have been "Looking for God in all the wrong places." God exists and seeks to have a relationship with all people. He has no need to prove his existence. That proof exists in the lives of hundreds of millions of people whose lives he has changed. However, to find God, one must be open to finding him and exercise the God-given faith he grants to all who honestly seek him. A darkened room may be filled with unseen treasure. Though obscured by darkness, the treasure is real and exists within that room. God is a reality, unfortunately, some have simply not discovered him. Check the quote from http://www.christianretirement.com in the tab "Heaven" by the Rev. Billy Graham.

[Dominic.]

I however,am sorely offended by the open,seething arrogance of the likes of Hawking,Dawkins,and Hitchens.
They use their so-called''brilliance'' to cause others to doubt their Faith,and to lead others of weak faith astray and into error.

Unfortunately,we cannot have these individuals gagged or silenced permanently for their offenses against Christianity,or for spreading the errors of materialism and atheism .

Our cultures have become far too welcoming and ''inclusive'' of secularist ideologies and mindsets,that make Man the decider of his own fate,instead of God Almighty.
we would be beter off spiritually if many of these ideas and indeed their authors were disallowed existence in the society.

Vanity,all is vanity.

Dominic.
+++

[Kain]

I guess i could some what agree with u Dominic.
But i really dont dislike the aforementioned people above.Althou i agree they would wide up causing alot of weak of faith to dessert their traditions and theologly (and etc). However this also helps us strong of faith take up more indepth scholarly practices.
Im sure they might goad alot of people into commiting themselves into materalism etc.
But its interesting Discourse.

[marco]

I recently watched "The Creation of the Universe" on DVD - which features a segment on Hawking in which he expresses his sadness at not being able to understand the "why" of the universe although he was pretty satisfied with his understanding of the "how". There is some detail in the program given to the physicists who believed in God and some interesting theories that involve a belief in God (prime mover and all that) - this show came out before the debate in the last 10 years or so but it's really good (i thought):http://www.amazon.com/Creation-Universe-Timothy-Ferris/dp/B000BITUCK

[Dominic]

Yes.
But Marco,don't you see that this man Hawking,and others like him,have given themselves this explanation which by it's definition is SELF-satisfied,not relying on or finding it's origin in God?
It's a man-made conceit,taking God out of the equation in a deliberate and dismissive fashion.
Ask some of these so-called ''scientists'' their views on God and Faith sometime,and you'll find very quckly that they have made ''Science'' their god,and themselves the priests.
They have no more proof to their beliefs than they say we have.
Just theories they take on what amounts to faith.
Quite ironic actually.

Dominic.
+++

[marco]

Yes, Dominic - I agree - having once worked for an atheist scientist whose field was astrophysics (who converted to Catholicism - whoa - was that a kick in the pants!)- I got some of that first hand. It annoyed the hell out of me sometimes, actually, that he had such a blind faith in the truth being arrived at through mutual, self-regulating, consensus among the scientific community. History shows that scientists can be as narrow minded as anyone else in the face of evidence that shows the contrary of accepted truth.

Carl Sagan said in his last book that he saw no inquisition at work among scientists. They don't burn their heretics (yet).

[Dominic]

Well,in a way, yes they do Marco.
They exclude from their community of self-assure3d arrogance those who hve searched out and found God,instead of relying on their own corrupt mortal reasoning.
A form of secular excommunication in a way.

Dominic.
+++

[Rosie Davis]

Hooray for physicists, imagine what kind of primitive rubbish we would be thinking and believing but for them. Every theory has a counter theory, a relevant equal or opposite etc; and the more they fossick around and the more controversy and argument,the more refined the findings they will find.
Psychic ability is actually not a fortune teller with a tambourine or a witch/wizard, but mind over matter; mind over quantum matter; and the list goes on.{We still do not know what exactly and how this is}.
I am looking forward to the day they find the address of God in heaven, and they will eventually

[Dominic]

''And thou saidst in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit in the mountain of the covenant, in the sides of the north. ''

Sounds very much like the Pride of a certain rebel archangel whose alias we all know too well.
Think about it.
Then you can tell me that there isnt monumentally demonic hubris behind what most so-called science promotes with it's Godless agendas.

Dominic.
+++

[Jan]

Don't take this as attack. Mr. Hawking just saind it was not nescessary, he didn't say it (creation) didn't happen, did he? And more importantly IF this little part of space which we call an universe was "born" spontainly...does it mean there is no god over it? I don't think so. Doesn't mean anything for me.

[Kenneth O.]

Good thing I turn to theologians (Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, Saint Thomas Aquinas, etc...) for my theology, instead of physicists.

It is one thing to say that physics supports the concept that the universe might have originated itself. By itself, this is not good physics, but that's a separate subject. However, it is quite another thing to infer from this the non-existence of God; a being who can never be measured or disproven by any feat of science.

You might as well say that the theory of relativity disproves the existence of ghosts.

[Rosie Davis]

According to a documentary I watched, The Big Bang took 3 minutes & gas disbursed through the universe evenly; only that if one knows about gas it does not behave this way/disburse evenly & the universe is a big, big space, how much gas & where did such an enormous amount of gas come from & what pressure helped/caused it to disburse ?
It's just a THEORY, in other words a story/idea/speculation & unproven & unprovable for now...
Nice try & you know, most of "US" could come up with an even better theory, I have a great imagination myself.....
In my opinion, RELIGION has BENT OVER in a very big way to almost anyone with some alternative or other to GOD....
It's up to us to keep the faith especially in the face of sci-fi speculation ; for that is what all this stuff is until we can prove it to be true.....
What puzzles me is this:- are "WE" (the religious) not EDUCATED/SMART enough to at least think it through & to at least question some of the scientific gobbledygook...
It is being taught as TRUTH in the Western Education System. We are brainwashing our kids with "stuff" before we even know if it is true. The rest of the world is skeptical....They think we're nut I bet...

[Rosie Davis]

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!
EVOLUTION :- Intelligent design in our universe is merely apparent design ie., unintelligent design caused by unguided, purposeless, natural forces of physics & chemistry alone.......
There is no way that the evolution theory can be proven as truth, not by any stretch of the imagination & this goes for much of science = SCI-FI.
There are just as many, if not more, who believe that Intelligent Design, not necessarily God, was & is at work in the universe.
The Big Bang could have been "US" spat out into space ie,. Noah's Ark, a space vessel with (seeds) "US" which eventually landed on this planet.
Therefore The Scientologists would be correct in their beliefs.
It's all very well to say that it all began 3.7 billion years ago, but did it. ???
Quantum Entanglement/ESP....
2 protons met, then were separated, 1 proton was altered & ever so far away the other proton also changed all by it's self...proof of ESP....
Science does not know how but it did happen, we are getting there slowly considering it (ESP) was not believed possible just a short time ago.....
Darwin & many others could have been on a quest to separate/loosen the grip of religion/the church on the state ie,. a separation of state & religion & that is why/how The Evolution Theory came about....
Equally there could have been an element of Occultism which/who wished to pave the way for Lord Satan & eventually The Anti-Christ....
Like in the movie The Devils Advocate.....
Be Happy