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Home : Top Stories : Hawking asserts God didn't create universe

Hawking asserts God didn't create universe

British theoretical physicist Prof. Stephen Hawking lectures on his research, life and times the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario, Sunday, June 20, 2010. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
British theoretical physicist Prof. Stephen Hawking lectures on his research, life and times the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario, Sunday, June 20, 2010. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

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Date: Thursday Sep. 2, 2010 7:35 AM ET

LONDON — Physicist Stephen Hawking says God wasn't necessary for the creation of the universe.

In his new book, "The Grand Design," the British scientist says unraveling a complex series of theories will explain the universe. The book, written with Leonard Mlodinow, is to be published Sept. 9.

In an extract published in The Times on Thursday, Hawking says spontaneous creation is the reason there is something -- as opposed to nothing.

Hawking says "it is not necessary to invoke God to ... get the Universe going."

In his previous book, "A Brief History of Time," Hawking had appeared to accept the possibility of a creator, saying the discovery of a complete theory would allow humans to "know the mind of God."

Comments are now closed for this story

JB in Ontario
said

I have nowhere near the scientific mind of Mr. Hawkings even though we went to the same University. I do however, believe God did create the universe. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.


Based On Facts
said

I have to say, I am more inclined to believe in a man who has spent his life dedicated to the workings of the universe and read thousands of books (as well as written a ton himself) than to believe the theory of millions who have all only read one book.


PBW
said

It's nice to see how, whenever the word "god" appears, there is an immediate rush to denounce or praise the source of the original comment. No doubt, if it were possible, opponents would come to blows on the board - just like in real life. However, no-one addresses the question of WHOSE god . . .


Halton Hills
said

I like Steven Hawking and know he has provided great advancements in Cosmology, however controversial statements do sell books :-)As with left brained scientists some become so involved in their field that they are completely ignorant and devoid of other possibilities.I believe origin of the Universe question will be answered when we first answer the origin of the human being question, which is much more than "star dust pondering star dust". Just look at the number of spiritual people out there, I've heard that 90% of the population believes in a superior being - why?I am not religious but know there is an underlying driving force that comes from somewhere, which I call the Universe. I've sat at my desk trying to create something from nothing but it just won't happen, in my opinion it all started somewhere, some place and by someone! Just ask professor emeritus Dr William Tiller, Dept Physic Stanford University, or William Buhlman. These people are asking the question "what is consciousness" and are invoking quantum theory to help answer that question which is more fascinating than a spontaneous universe. Can you fathom what some are saying, that consciousness exists after death which points to the possibility that we are connected to a higher multi-dimensional being. Check out string theory, 11 dimensions; all matter is made of vibrating strings of energy; invisible dark matter makes up 85% of the universe; or, particles existing in multiple locations simultaneously. We are babies just beginning to learn how to crawl the exciting stuff is yet to come and it includes much more than a dead convulsing universe.


Canadian
said

Well, the greatest mind has said what we all need to hear. Maybe now people will realise that religion is MAN made to control. Its the fear of "what if" that keeps religion going. If there is a God then there is only one. So there should be only one religion, whatever it should be.I still cannot understand how people follow blindly. There are so many contradictions.


Sean B
said

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." (1Co 1:18-31)


Charl3s
said

Hawking is not just "some scientist" but a brilliant genius with one of the biggest brain's that has ever walked the earth. Being "smart" does not mean you know everything or can calculate big figures...it means you have a natural ease of understanding the logic of physics & relativity.What he did not mention is that there is a Universal Cosmic Energy Force...like Einstein called it the "laws of attraction". This could be translated to a form "GOD'S rules" because as the law states; good energy attracts good energy & bad energy attracts bad energy. This should be enough on its' own... but many need a source to reference "good" and "bad" from... A.K.A God, or the "bible". Whether this "belief" was initially implemented as a source of control, we cannot prove. People need to stop obsessing over whether God is real or not. BE YOUR OWN GOD. If you can't live in a world without GOD, then you FEAR a possible reality!!


Jamie
said

Theoretical science has become the new religion and Hawking one of its priests, because the only way one can take the doctor at his word is by FAITH (in Hawking's genius, in the theoretical science he espouses, in the 150 year-old before-cars-were-invented theory of darwinian evolution, etc.). One astrophysicist recently penned that we humans maybe know 4% of all there is to know about the "known" universe (funny... the % could actually decrease as more discoveries are made). If that is the case, how can Hawking or anyone else decree with ABSOLUTE authority that there is no God or that God was not necessary? Sounds a lot like FAITH to me. I think I'll stick with Hebrews 11:3.


goldens
said

Just a thought: Where did matter come from and why does it exist has always been a mistery to me. One would logically think that nothing would be the norm. Einstein said "Matter cannot be created or destroyed!" Well where the #@$% did matter, no matter how small, come from? Why does matter exist? John Wilson Bridgetown NS


BMIA
said

Oh for crying out loud! So many people read what Hawking has said and treat it as the "gospel" truth. Hawking isn't the only great mind out there and there are a lot of physicists that have differing theories. that's what a theory is. It isn't proven. Heck, just check up on Penrose - you know, the guy that granted Hawking his PhD in the first place! There have been some interesting debates regarding each other's theories and they don't see eye-to-eye. Penrose has also published some great material. Hawking isn't the only physicist out there. And he is not a "God amongst the scientists." And to lump Dawkins in with Hawking is "blasphemy." Dawkins isn't a scientist and nowhere near the calibre of Hawking. Hopefully people get the references I made to "gospel, God, and blasphemy." Also hopefully people realize I recognize Hawking as a great mind but also hold other great minds of science in high esteeem. And also that I recognize there are differences between great minds and they don't always agree with each other.


Sid in MTL
said

"In the beginning was God".........NOT Stephen Hawking!Once again the Bible speaks the truth, "....that even the wisest of men, God considers foolish."Professor Hawking is in for a real education.


Elaine
said

What does it matter how the universe was created? I do not need a "geat mind" to tell me that useless peice of info. What I would like is for that "great mind" to tell us how we can all get along while we are here!


Michael
said

Hawking does what most people do ..... reject God (because of religion), the very person who loves them more than anyone else and created this world so that He could be with the ones He loves so much, His creation. Unfortunately along the way came an intruder (satan) who twists and distorts God's plan using man made religion so that mankind would see the hypocrisy of religion and reject "religion" and God in the same process not understanding that God isnt into religion. Many have been taken in even the greatest intellectuals. Religion in fact discredits God Himself by bending the truth to suit mans ways and distort the message that there is a way to the Father through His Son if we search for Him, He promises we will find Him. I wish Hawking well and pray (real praying not just a hopeful wish) he will reconsider his understanding so that he wont in the end be counted among the lost.


T in AB
said

I can't help but giggle at this...

The God believers all quote the bible to say God created the Universe, but have no proof the bible has any validity... But there is no proof the bible is nothing more than a fictional book with some historical facts in it. Do you believe *everything* you read? No of course not... so this is different because it's been proven how?

There is - and never will be any definitive proof either way, it's the way it is - so please be accepting of others point of view... the reality is, you may or may not be right in your beliefs!

Hawking has presented a possibility that he believes, the Pope has presented his, Gandhi presented his, and so on... Pick one and live by it - stop shoving your opinion down the throats of others - it's what causes wars.



Kramby
said

For those who believe no proof is necessary, for those who don't believe no amount of proof is enough.


Poppi
said

If the universe was created, who created the Creator?Who created the Creator's creator?And so on.........It is absurd to think that God created all of this for our illustrious existence and then waited several hundreds of millions of years and multiple mass extinctions before creating man.


Tod
said

I don't believe in the god religious bible fairy tale, but I do believe in the concept of god or i call it spirituality. The thought that I'm not the almighty powerful one humbles me & keeps my ego in check. I believe in the basic moral values in the bible, thou show not steal, the commons sense values of not committing crimes against our brother/sisters. The thought of turning things over to someone more powerful than me allows me to drop the subject from my mind. Spirituality should be taught is schools, but leave the religious fairy tale out of the teachings. If spirituality was taut in schools, one day the US would have a department of peace instead of a department of war.


the big gulp
said

Wake up. Man created the adult bogeyman, aka god. Religion is nothing more than a waste of time, money and worst of all lives.


Liz in BC
said

God-deniers say that: "First there was nothing....then it exploded"! Others of us believe in the Big Bang Theory: "God spoke....and BANG...it happened!"


MK_Calgary
said

If God exists, how? How was God created? Does he have other friends who are also Gods, and do they have a God of their own? This whole God thing is infinite, isn't it. And ridiculous. Folks, you want to believe there's a God, go ahead, if that's what it takes to make you happy. But, many of us don't believe in such nonsense. Do we have the creationism answers - no, but guess what, that doesn't matter to us. We are here and we live amongst one another. Let's just make the best of it. If someone has the time, ability and motivation to try to scientifically explain our existence, good for him. I sure can't devote myself to that, just as I can't devote myself to believe in religious nonsense - but if you want to, go ahead.


Tara S
said

Here are the ACTUAL facts of this subject:The word "theory" means:1. Abstract reasoning: conjecture, speculation2. A belief used as the basis for action: hypothesis3. Something taken to be true without proof: assumption, premise, presupposition, thesis."An opinion or hypothesis NOT based on ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE" ~ Dental DictionaryThere is no "theory" of God or who created the universe. God is not the fairy tale... this book is. It's not based on fact at all... just someone's opinion that he claims as fact.The same as the "Theory of Evolution". Show me today the proof we came from apes. Where are the mutations living? If that "theory" is true then we should have lots of mutations from every living thing walking around on this planet. The problem is mutants can't reproduce and die off. God made it that way for a reason.


Albertaboy111
said

I wonder what Stephen Hawking thinks of the theory of multiple dimensions? The latest accepted theory I have heard is that their are 12. We live in the 3rd. The higher up you go, things become more dense, until you reach the final 12th dimension, where everything is so dense it becomes one. Ergo, god.


BCDJT
said

It has always been my theory that 'man created God, not God created man.'


Howard in Ontario
said

It seems to me that the mere mention of "God" in any scientific discussion evokes more emotional arguments than rational ones. No one can either prove or disprove the existence of a God or Gods. I think that the reason for such great emotions may be that for those who choose to believe in a deity, the possibility that they held that belief for no really good rational reason would be too embarrassing if it turns out that there is no God. Conversely, for those who beliefs are limited to only in what can be empirically proven by scientific investigation, being wrong may prove to be too embarrassing as well. For me, I don't need to believe in a God, or belong to a religion to be a good person with unassailable morals and ethics, and If it turns out I'm wrong, then I'll just have to wear my embarrassment.


Tara S
said

Oh, and there was spontaneous creation. God said "Let there be..." and it happened!


Mitch again..
said

Please to all those doing it, stop preaching your faith on here. It's actually frightening to see how closed minded you are. Accept the fact that you may be wrong, or in the very least, not everyone else has to believe it. Questioning GOD is the exact things people should do, not questioning the idea would be less than human, and makes you a mindless drone.


Mitch
said

Steven Hawking and Those of the Faith are both reaching for the same thing. It's man's endless battle to try to find meaning to why and how we are here, and also for some, to try to immortalize yourself by believing in an afterlife. Truth is, we will never know for sure how/why we're alive. The real question you should be asking is "What". What can you do with your life, what can you do with the short time you're here. If you want to waste your whole life ARGUING your belief in something MADE UP by man (God, Religion, and theories like the Big Bang), then by all means waste your time. I'm going to enjoy my life, not living it by the what no one can or ever will be able to prove.


Bev
said

I think that God is the universe. It's energy, space, time everything and it's just our word for it God.


Arla
said

Stephen Hawking has his theory, or rather opinion. That is his privilege. That he asserts that there is no God is a makes me wonder about his objectivity. Maybe he is like many people who are angry at God for the state of their bodies. To rule out the possibility of God seems very foolish, because it goes against common sense and logic. My house didn't evolve on it's own, and it is not getting more evolved on its own, it takes a lot of calculated and focused energy to keep it up. How much less complicated is the building of a house to designing and sustaining the conditions needed to sustain life. Hawking should forget his complex postulations and look out the window. Nature is a work of art. Anyone can see that. A worker works with his hands; a craftsman works with his hands and mind; an artist works with his hands, mind, and heart. God is the artist who created us. No other explanation of origins rings true.


Robert
said

There's a few schools of thought on this. One that I adhere to is that God did not create this Earth out of nothing. Everything is made out of something. As such, I look over Him parting the sea from land and planting life onto it. And when He commands Adam and Eve to "multiply and replenish the the Earth" I think "replenish" is a very interesting choice of words. Under traditional Christian viewing, the Earth got going around 5000 BC with the fall of Adam (and introducing death into the world). But looking at all our fossils, the Earth and inhabitants are much older than that. So... what if this was an inhabited world (even many times over) that fell to calamity and God "reset, repaired, and re-instituted" this world? It would absolutely permit the continued belief in creationism but allow in all the science we have had thus far.


Michael
said

@Prof Pye Chart - "as no evident FACT supports the existence of such a divine presence." With all due respect - you forget the days of Noah, the days of Moses, Sodom & Gomorrah etc and how God came to live with the people in the Ark of the Covenant and interacted with man daily. There were abundant evidences at the time that God lived amongst us His creation. The fact we can't see Him in the physical dimension and in a spiritual dimension in no way negates His existence nor the historical evidences He was on the earth relating to His people. There is abundant factual evidences in history. We have forgotten. Its all there if we want to search it out.


Al in Orillia
said

God is man's inability to explain infinity, where did it start, where will end? Throughout history, gods have dissapeared as we explained storms, fire, mars, water etc. Great minds like Stephen Hawkings will always challenge accepted beliefs and will always be chided for their theories by people who are not intellectually worthy of even having the discussion with him.Religion on the other hand, is man's need to control and have power, this is obvious from the small ministries that crop up everywhere and serve only to give a lively-hood to the people who create them, to the the massive corporate religions that survive only because they aren't held accountable for their indiscretions and corruption.


Wisdom for the 'wise'
said

"The fear (awe/respect) of the Lord (Jehovah/Yeshua) is the beginning of knowledge". Hawking may be a bright intellectual and has lots to contribute to mankind but unless and until he bows down to God almighty in his heart he is lost and how bright is that? That isn't religious furor it's the simple truth of life itself.


Mike
said

Unfortunately, religion will now attempt to discredit the greatest mind this planet ever had. No wonder religion is the at the root of ALL our problems in the world.


James
said

I talk to "God" on a regular basis, but I can't say I have a clear definition of who or what "God" is. In fact, I would suggest that the belief in a "higher power" is as important - if not more so - than the definiton of that higher power. For the record, I believe in God, and I believe in Professor Hawking. The two are not exclusive of each other.


just a thought
said

Where did matter come from to create the universe?


Michael
said

Proverbs 16:25 "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death (spiritual) ". Hawking is free to "assert" whatever notion he likes but in the end of it God will have the final say and that goes for us all.


Laura Polischuik
said

It makes me really happy to see people who actually look at this article from a rational/logical stand point. Yes, there is no way to prove whether there is a 'God' or not, but you can tell by the way people respond to this kind of subject that shows lack of intelligence. By saying Hawking’s in an idiot or crazy for stating his theories (by the way, I agree with Hawking’s and Dawkin's theories) only shows the irrational side to believers. Hawking’s is a brilliant man and is incredibly intelligence and it has been proven time and time again the link between Atheism and religion is I.Q. To me believing in God is equivalent to believing in the Easter Bunny. The bible is a great story, but that is about it. I am a proud Atheist, whatever you believe is to each their own, but too many people out there fight and start wars over religion. Maybe it's time to actually read a book like this and then read the bible and see which side makes more sense to you. Instead of just believing what most were taught before you could even drive a car. Think about it, and create your own opinion.


Dennis L. Krahn
said

island girl: The Bible clearly states that God created heaven and earth and man in His own image. Hawking is relegating God to a minor role; by not questioning his writings, you are in fact agreeing with him. This is not about religion, it is about the root of all human beings and the fact that God is the ultimate driving force in our lives and in the universe.


BF
said

the most brilliant minds in the world 'knew' the world was flat...


Puzzled
said

I don't get it: Hawkings has such a great mind, how can he put God in such a small box? Something doesn't add up here...


griffin
said

You can not have an open discussion with those who have replaced reason with faith.


Bud
said

Ath the very core this is a collision of messages affecting our society. Hawking saying 'you are an accident' and Christians saying 'You were created on purpose and for a purpose'. Aside from what I believe and what my mind can comprehend; I'd rather believe that I am here for a purpose. If not, we get into reletavism (or usually selective relativism) that fractures the very moral compass that our society needs to function. We are here for a purpose, otherwise i'm out, cause this ship is going down...


goldens
said

Which universe? In a sea of infinite nothing are there more Universes beyond our telescopes? Which big bang are we on is this the first, the one thousand and first? If the universe eventually collapses only to be reborn there is a distinct possibility that the previous universe's civilization escaped the collapse and we now call that civilization God, who does have a hand in shaping things like a planet called earth. John Wilson Bridgetown NS


Mohammed in Calgary
said

I believe a healthy amount of Atheists in every society is a good thing and I welcome atheistic view points. I do believe in God and I'm not the smartest person in the universe but, I'm intelligent, curious, well read and educated and all of these attributes combined have lead me to believe that nothing comes from nothing. I believe God is an unfathomable in mystery, utterly unknowable but, just because we don't understand Him doesn't mean He doesn't exist or that He didn't create everything. Simply, we don't know. It's the only honest answer because the massive body of science keeps finding unseen miracles like the Atom, Sub-Atomic particles, the "God Particles" etc.


Brent in Calgary
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 writes in "The Grand Design"

Who created the Law of Gravity? God. Period.


questions
said

The ultimately relavent question for those who believe that a God created the Universe is how was God created in the first place? Please could you address this most crucial point.


John (Edm)
said

Trying to prove to others god created the universe is just as insecure as trying to convince people god had nothing to do with it.


Brent
said

The fool has said in his heart there is no God. God created the universe whethere or not you want to believe it. It is an undeniable fact.


island girl
said

Notice he never said there is no God. In fact, he said there was. What he said (in an edited sentence that left out the crucial middle) was that it wasn't necessary to invoke God. You can't invoke what doesn't exist, so he's saying God exists. What he is asserting, is once God created the matter necessary (the ingredients) that it was not necessary for Him to do further action for the creation....just make the raw ingredients. I'm not agreeing, just reading what he actually said.


Lunt
said

Serenity now......I get an extra long weekend.....I care more about who created my beer......


montrose
said

There is no God, plain and simple. There are many gods, as all societies have used some mystical diety to try to explain things or to keep order. That's all.


Mike Macdonald - Winnipeg
said

Man created god, so how could god create the universe?


Freddychini
said

Wow, it's funny how people will bash Hawking without any justification, just because he said god wasn't "needed" to create the universe. Meanwhile, they believe the fairy tales in the bible, without giving the stories any rational thought.If all people thought like Hawking, maybe we wouldn't have unjustified wars over religious beleifs. And those who do believe in a god, are you right, and the other 18 religions completely wrong? Because I am sure if you say "yes, I'm right" there are just as many with different beliefs saying the same thing.If god does exist, I am sure we wouldn't even be able to begin to comprehend what god is, let alone put it into words in a book.


think!
said

the battle between science and religion has been going on for ages... and always will continue. my question is how can some so BLINDLY ignore the facts? I have faith just as much as the next guy, but come on! you can only explain away so much. when there's proof right in front of your eyes regarding evolution and creation etc, you can only play the God card so many times... I'm sure some of you are in the process of quoting the bible right now, but perhaps you should pickup a science magazine and broaden your horizons just a tad..


Dennis L. Krahn
said

Nancy: I love your comment!


Marty
said

That's well said, Stu.I have to agree with others and disagree with Hawkings. I think Hawkings has a brilliant mind and contributed greatly to the discovery and theory of astronomy and physics. But, it's my personal belief that there is a master creator. I don't believe that "God" snapped his fingers and the Earth, solar system, etc appeared, but, I believe "God" designed the laws of physics that has created everything before our eyes and the natural cycles of these "things".


Roger
said

Who made God?


Brilliance does not always translate into truth
said

Remember that many of the most brilliant people in the history world have been proven to be incorrect and/or flawed.

True science and religion can be compatible but the critical thought necessary for that understanding is not possible in this 'tolerant' modern society.


Brian in Nanaimo
said

The Mandelbrot set is the very thumbprint of God and we are just beginning to scratch the surface. The set explains everything, God, heaven, life after death, you name it and it's there; forever. Truly infinite. Wake up Mr. Hawking. This is obviously above even your mind. A sad man scratching for some controversy. Stick with what you know Stephen.Sheesh.


Prof. Pye Chartt
said

"Creation" doesn't require ANYTHING, for, there is no such thing as "nothing." (For example, an empty glass is not truly empty, for it contains air, and that which comprises air.) Where there seems to be "nothing," there is always "something." You can't EVER have "nothing." This basic and fundamental scientific understanding, however, doesn't void the concept of God. We still don't know...but, what we do know, is that a belief in God requires faith, as no evident FACT supports the existence of such a divine presence.


Tron
said

What a bunch of religious nuts in this world. Condemn hawking for saying there is no God, the rest of you prove that there is one then...


Karl Gough
said

Only A FOOL Says There Is NO God, It is the Humble & Meek who will inherit The KINGDOM OF GOD!!! God has blessed you with a great mind & knowledge far beyond what anyone can ever dream, just remeber for every Creation, there must be a Creator!


art
said

I am always amazed by the lack of understanding of science in the general population. Our school systems continue to fail us.


Joanne C.
said

The Dalai Lama said in his book The Universe is a Single Atom, about the intersection between science and faith that, "If when we investigate something, we find there is reason and proof for it, we must acknowledge that as reality - even if it is in contradiction with a literal scriptual explanation that has held sway for many centuries or with a deeply held opinion or view." I tend to agree with this.


Jablonski
said

These things can not be debated in the natural mind. However, "God has put eternity in our hearts" and soon enough we shall all see. "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world."


Kayak Homer
said

Go to You Tube and search for the Pale Blue Dot from Pale Blue Films for a take on the Earth and the Universe by Dr. Carl Sagan. I think the greatest message being delivered by these great minds of science is that humanity better not wait for devine intervention to rescue us from our own failings. Like all other forms of life on this planet we are NOT immune to extinction through either our own excesses, environmental change or forces beyond Earth ( asteroids, comets, deep space gamma sources etc. )


Mike on PEI
said

When any of you make the statement "creation requires a creator", why don't you just be honest about what your saying.We know what you really mean."Creation requires the creator of MY religion" is what you really mean. How much investigation have YOU done into the processes that make up the physical systems of the universe? What have you done to prove that your gods are either real or superior to the gods of others? Whatever the first cause of the universe, be it a quantum event, an algorithm in a vast simulation, or a spark of thought in a time creatures mind, the small gods of men and their petty doctrinal obsessions with sex, genitalia, misogyny, and property have nothing to do with creation and everything to do with manipulation.


mario
said

From personal experience counselling people with chronic diseases, they often tend to blame God or revert to the fact that no God can exist and allow suffering and.Mr.Hawking if u show me a watch I will show you a watch maker, if you show me a universe there must be a maker. What it is and how it came is a far larger issue and considering the human bias in each of us, I don't think it's a question that can be answered.To use physics to counter this idea, something cannot come of nothing, if there is an action there is a reaction. These are dumbed down statements, but these are the axioms that current science is based on and we have seen the tangible results from the use of these theories. Mr.Hawkings theories sound just as resonable as some extreme cleric sermon admonishing a specific group.Any form of extremism is inherently imperfect, since there is no balance


Nancy
said

Some of the comments here confuse religion and God. God does not condone blowing up piazzas. That's religion, a man-made ideology.And here's the joke: the scientists come to God and say: You're irrelevant, God. We've figured out how to create life from dirt, just like you! God: Great, let's see you do it! Scientist: First you take a handful of dirt--- God: No no no, you gotta make your own dirt.


Dave
said

Educated people are less likely to believe in god, it's because when they get educated, they drop all the fairy tales. God & santa claus are the same thing.


Stu
said

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I personally think it was the easter bunny that created the universe, then we multiplied like rabbits.


Will
said

Ah yes, the creationists and fundamentalists are in a state of shrieking shock. Next, we'll debate the theory of evolution.


scm
said

It's sad to see so many mindless fools posting on this article. Leave it up to the "religious" to feel sorry for those who believe in Hawkings theories. I don't need your pity. Your blind faith in nothing more than ancient voodo is hilarious.


Billy Bob
said

Hawkings and Dawkins, the two best Brits around


vic
said

And God asserts Stephen Hawking didn't create the universe. Okay, now they're even.


DennisCalgary
said

God would have to exist first, before creating a universe.


Joe
said

This argument has gone on since the dawn of time. I doubt we are going to all agree here.All we can do is keep an open mind to all ideas, and believe what is in our heart.


Bob Jones
said

Slow down there "fund-ies". This story was written to trap you into exposing your craziness, don't get caught!Remember that science is the "HOW" and religion is the "WHY". Only when scientific and religious leaders forget this do we have problems.Hawking didn't say there wasn't a God, only that he made the conditions for creation so he doesn't have to babysit it for 15 Billion years. The man has better things to do than micro-manage us: 'free will' remember!


SB
said

Simply put, at the end of the day, we do not know. We cannot know. Why is that so hard for some folks to swallow?


Stu
said

Creation requires a creator, otherwise it is not created at all...


cinc
said

I agree with the first comment - and I feel so sorry for him. He sure has a lot of faith - it's tragic that it is so misplaced.


KJ in Kingston Ontario
said

The biggest failure of science has been to not confront religion, superstition of mysticism head on. As a result we developed an endless tolerance for myths and acceptance of equality between proven understanding and muddled belief systems and therefore we have a segment of the population thinking we can pray our way out of climate change and committing completely horrific and irrational actions like blowing themselves up in crowded market square to get into paradise.


The Man
said

Just goes to show that even the smartest man in the world isn't right about everything.


Paul B
said

"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth" that is the only book I'm putting my money on.


Steven Dickie
said

nice to see a man of science willing to speak up and not let himself be intimated by religious furor...


Pam
said

If it has taken a super brain this long to figure that out then there isn't much hope for those of us who haven't had the opportunity to go to university and get a degree.


Dee
said

God, please give us the wisdom to understand that just because we can figure out how something works doesn't mean that you don't exist and that you have not creaetd how something works. Interestingly, I am sitting here drinking my coffee, and I decided to look at how my coffee machine works. Turns out I just figured it out. Now I am putting together theories on how my coffee machine got in my house. It is not necessary that someone actually brought it into my house right?! Especially now that I have figured out its complex design. Makes sense right!


JPinPhilly
said

"To let understanding stop at what cannot be understood is a high attainment. Those who cannot do it will be destroyed on the lathe of heaven." To assert that the end of our understanding is the end of the question is blindness, not genius.


Mike on PEI
said

Nice quote mining job by the reporter.If they had actually read Hawking, they would know that the statement "know the mind of god" simply refers to understanding the processes that constitute what we see as the universe.The 'god' of Einstein and Hawking is not an anthropomorphic old man who demands sacrifice, genocide, and other religious nonsense. It's merely a verbal shortcut meant to encompass the intricacies of space, time, and reality.


steve
said

Nobody on our planet can prove without a doubt that god created or didn't creat the universe. Steven Hawking might be the greatest mind in our time, but it's all relative. What he really knows about the universe is next to nothing. His theory of spontaneous creation is baseless and biased.


Ron Blank
said

He only figured this out now? Wow. I knew this when I was 12.


Canadian Pill in Japan
said

Make that a big big big surprise. Just ask Christopher Hitchens


fizah
said

Universe created from nothing? If such a massive thing can be created by nothingness, why can't we exist the same way? Hawking.. your physics theories will eat you up man! I now wish Albert Einstein is alive! I bet he has more sense.


Rick T
said

Stephen Hawking is the greatest mind of the known universe. Unbelievable that his last book was the astonishing "brief..." that I had read when I was 12 years old after finding it in my parents basement.Consider this sold as a day one pickup!


Paul D
said

Hawking is in for a big surprise!


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