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Title: As a scientist I'm certain Stephen Hawking is wrong. You can't explain the universe without God
Source:
Daily Mail
URL Source: [None]
Published: Sep 7, 2010
Author: Professor John Lennox
Post Date: 2010-09-07 22:49:37 by A K A Stone
Keywords: None
Views: 50285
Comments: 71
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. That is a confusion of category. The laws of physics can explain how the jet engine works, but someone had to build the thing, put in the fuel and start it up. The jet could not have been created without the laws of physics on their own - but the task of development and creation needed the genius of Whittle as its agent. Similarly, the laws of physics could never have actually built the universe. Some agency must have been involved. To use a simple analogy, Isaac Newton's laws of motion in themselves never sent a snooker ball racing across the green baize. That can only be done by people using a snooker cue and the actions of their own arms. Hawking's argument appears to me even more illogical when he says the existence of gravity means the creation of the universe was inevitable. But how did gravity exist in the first place? Who put it there? And what was the creative force behind its birth? Similarly, when Hawking argues, in support of his theory of spontaneous creation, that it was only necessary for 'the blue touch paper' to be lit to 'set the universe going', the question must be: where did this blue touch paper come from? And who lit it, if not God? Much of the rationale behind Hawking's argument lies in the idea that there is a deep-seated conflict between science and religion. But this is not a discord I recognise. For me, as a Christian believer, the beauty of the scientific laws only reinforces my faith in an intelligent, divine creative force at work. The more I understand science, the more I believe in God because of my wonder at the breadth, sophistication and integrity of his creation. The very reason science flourished so vigorously in the 16th and 17th centuries was precisely because of the belief that the laws of nature which were then being discovered and defined reflected the influence of a divine law-giver. One of the fundamental themes of Christianity is that the universe was built according to a rational , intelligent design. Far from being at odds with science, the Christian faith actually makes perfect scientific sense. Some years ago, the scientist Joseph Needham made an epic study of technological development in China. He wanted to find out why China, for all its early gifts of innovation, had fallen so far behind Europe in the advancement of science. He reluctantly came to the conclusion that European science had been spurred on by the widespread belief in a rational creative force, known as God, which made all scientific laws comprehensible. Despite this, Hawking, like so many other critics of religion, wants us to believe we are nothing but a random collection of molecules, the end product of a mindless process. This, if true, would undermine the very rationality we need to study science. If the brain were really the result of an unguided process, then there is no reason to believe in its capacity to tell us the truth. We live in an information age. When we see a few letters of the alphabet spelling our name in the sand, our immediate response is to recognise the work of an intelligent agent. How much more likely, then, is an intelligent creator behind the human DNA, the colossal biological database that contains no fewer than 3.5 billion 'letters'? It is fascinating that Hawking, in attacking religion, feels compelled to put so much emphasis on the Big Bang theory. Because, even if the non-believers don't like it, the Big Bang fits in exactly with the Christian narrative of creation. That is why, before the Big Bang gained currency, so many scientists were keen to dismiss it, since it seemed to support the Bible story. Some clung to Aristotle's view of the 'eternal universe' without beginning or end; but this theory, and later variants of it, are now deeply discredited. But support for the existence of God moves far beyond the realm of science. Within the Christian faith, there is also the powerful evidence that God revealed himself to mankind through Jesus Christ two millennia ago. This is well-documented not just in the scriptures and other testimony but also in a wealth of archaeological findings. Moreover, the religious experiences of millions of believers cannot lightly be dismissed. I myself and my own family can testify to the uplifting influence faith has had on our lives, something which defies the idea we are nothing more than a random collection of molecules. Just as strong is the obvious reality that we are moral beings, capable of understanding the difference between right and wrong. There is no scientific route to such ethics. Physics cannot inspire our concern for others, or the spirit of altruism that has existed in human societies since the dawn of time. The existence of a common pool of moral values points to the existence of transcendent force beyond mere scientific laws. Indeed, the message of atheism has always been a curiously depressing one, portraying us as selfish creatures bent on nothing more than survival and self-gratification. Hawking also thinks that the potential existence of other lifeforms in the universe undermines the traditional religious conviction that we are living on a unique, God-created planet. But there is no proof that other lifeforms are out there, and Hawking certainly does not present any. It always amuses me that atheists often argue for the existence of extra-terrestrial intelligence beyond earth. Yet they are only too eager to denounce the possibility that we already have a vast, intelligent being out there: God. Hawking's new fusillade cannot shake the foundations of a faith that is based on evidence. God's Undertaker: Has science Buried God? by John Lennox is out now (Lion Hudson, £8.99).
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#3. To: All (#2)
The vast majority of people in the world still do not know about the most important issues in the history of our species. Apparently they prefer to remain ignorant. Not only do they not know what’s coming, they don’t want to know. These are interesting times for lightening up. Every bit of news about the industrial economy — shockingly to neoclassical economists — is dire and growing worse. The stimulus money has run out, and Obama’s “recovery summer” is a complete bust. The Greatest Depression is proceeding apace, and even the mainstream media have begun to notice the rapidity with which things are falling apart between never-ending worship of their heroes in the fields of athletics and cinema, occasionally mixed with a story about somebody shooting somebody else on an overshot planet. Our immorality has insulted the living planet nearly to the point of complete environmental collapse and my readers are worried I will insult somebody about to toss yet another Molotov cocktail into the living, breathing web on which we all depend for our existence.
NE Canada whale watching trade is siffering because of ocean temp and current shifts.
No thanks..
At least NW Canada still has whales. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico. Corexit makes oil 35 times more toxic. Thank God man-made global warming was proven to be a hoax. Just imagine what the world might have looked like now if those conspiring scientists had been telling the truth. No doubt Nasa would be telling us that this year is now the hottest since humans began keeping records. The weather satellites would show that even when heat from the sun significantly dipped earlier this year, the world still got hotter. Russia's vast forests would be burning to the ground in the fiercest drought they have ever seen, turning the air black in Moscow, killing 15,000 people, and forcing foreign embassies to evacuate. Because warm air holds more water vapour, the world's storms would be hugely increasing in intensity and violence – drowning one fifth of Pakistan, and causing giant mudslides in China. Summer 2010 Lowest Ice Extent on Record We've left the Holocene. We're in a Death Spiral now.
Thet should be NE...sorry...corrected...
Let's see. You don't want to know: Arctic Ice Extent. Russia Fires, Drought, Wheat Export Ban, Millions in Pakistan starving, while US bombs them. Guatemala, C America worst floods ever. Amazon on brink of collapse Definitely nothing to do with everyone on the Gulf Coast getting blood filled with a combo of air borne anti freeze/an entire oil fractionating column of the most carcinogenic hydrocarbons known. And on and on. But your Great White Cloud Father. You want to believe 24/7.
NW would work as well. Ice free there now as well. ;}
I saw some coverage of that on Democracy Now! this past hour. Dang, I have errands to run and I'll check in later.
I saw some coverage of that on Democracy Now! this past hour. Dang, I have errands to run and I'll check in later. ;} Ukraine stopping grain ships in harbor. UN: "Stop that." ;} # # UKRAINE BUSINESS NEWS - THREE ARTICLES - US-Ukraine Business ... Aug 20, 2010 ... Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA) in Ukrainian, Kyiv, Ukraine, Wed, ... demurrage of ships in Ukrainian ports, unplanned grain storage in port .... However, the measure was nevertheless effective in stopping any grain ... www.usubc.org/site/recent.../ukraine-business-news-three-articles -
unplanned grain storage in port... Along with unplanned drought on farms. 8D
Not wanting to be left behind reports suggest that Morocco too could also be in the market for 1.2 MMT of soft wheat for shipment by the end of the year. Algeria and Morocco have both had poor harvests this year. Uhhhh, so Argentina has maybe 3 MMT left to export?
"It's God punishing us for O'bastard." Goldi-Lox
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
On my satellite dish system - the majority of 'normal' channels are from 105 - 210 or so. Then there are sports, PPV, music, etc. I have to go to channel 9415 to watch Democracy Now! I'll bet half the subscribers don't even know they have it.
It's amazing how many channels they have nothing worthwhile to watch on. Ahhhh, progress, ain't it grand?
Did they televise the GOM evacuation or has that been done in secret!
You don't end a question with an exclamation point unless you're byeltsin ! He adds a space too !
Did they televise the GOM evacuation or has that been done in secret?!
In the 1980s and 1990s Hawking was the closest thing there is to being a "celebrity" physicist. (Carl Sagan was that guy in the 1970s and Michio Kaku is that guy today.) A couple of years ago the world's physicists were polled on who is the most influential physicist of our life time. Hawking didn't make the top 20. Hawking is a bright guy, who has been very frustrated in searching for the grand unifying theory of everything (that unifies relativity and quantum mechanics). About a decade ago he claimed that black holes destroy information (the notion that information can disappear is not supported by current physics). Hawking was eventually proven wrong and he finally admitted that he was wrong. Hawking is a smart guy, but he doesn't have all the answers.
How about Neil deGrasse Tyson or Brian Greene
Yep, or even Brian Cox. Do average people know who they are? I dunno but I hope so.
I think he is an idiot. Every thing he has said has turned out to be wrong. Terrible track record.
Well...that's just wrong. He has said a lot of things the time for which them to be true or not is not here. I like his prediction on aliens...that they will not come in peace. I've been saying that since I was 5.
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
His opinions about the origins of the universe are nothing more than his opinions. There is pretty strong evidence for the big bang. What caused the big bang? "And God said let their be light". That's as good an explanation as anyone has, including Hawking.
Did your mom let you watch too many Star Trek episodes as a child??? 20 years ago, most "scientists" thought that aliens would be more "advanced" and therefore more peaceful. They would also be vegetarians, etc. Now, there is a growing fear that they might be hostile invaders looking to harm us in one way or another. (I call this the "Hollywood Effect".) There isn't any evidence for either belief. If there are aliens they aren't likely going to behave in a way that we can understand. We can't even understand how a bunch of Muslims in a tent in the middle of Saudi Arabia behave. How in the world can we expect to predict how someone from "Gliese 581 c" will behave???
Left wing cia claptrap ! figures ! Is that where you watch alex jones too !
funny cartoon I saw in a physics book years ago ! God in a lab - smoked up frock coat holding a half blown up flask asking ... big bang theory --- what's that !
I was 10 when the greatest program in the history of TV was on.
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
God in a lab - smoked up frock coat holding a half blown up flask asking ... big bang theory --- what's that ! The sheer hubris of the people who came of age in the 50s, 60s, and 70s is breadth taking. Almost everything they believed turned out to be wrong. Yet, so many of them cling to the fallacies of their youth. Fortunately, we are witnessing their last stand in the White House and Congress today.
I like Star Trek too. I also liked TNG and Deep Space 9. Voyager sucked though. Never really watched enterprise.
The new Star Trek movie was phenomenal.
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
I saw it and liked it.
I think I remember tv more as a teen, and the heart throbs then...gawd, we were soooo fickle... The High Chaparral (western series) was my all time love, and Monolito was my pick out of bunch.
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion"~ Albert Camus
Tag lines ! whattzzah a tag line !
If you ... don't use exclamation points --- you should't be typeing ! Commas - semicolons are for girlie boys !
Never heard of it. Just cheked netflix and they don't seem to have it either. Recently got netflix and I like it. Lots of instant streaming TV shows and movies. Worth the 13.88 a month.
Now that's really saying something when Nexflix doesn't have it, they're famous for having almost any film you're looking for, especially classics, but if I can get what I'm looking for for free, that save me a bundle. Do you download to any torrent software from torrent sites, it's peer to peer, the more seeds there are, the faster your download, that is one of my favorites ways to find very old, silent films. The best torrent to use is uTorrent, it's free and it's safe, and easy to use. I usually convert from avi to DVD now and build a collection, that way if they dissapear, I have my copies. The best media to watch any torrent or file movie is VLC, it is free and safe, it's the best because it repairs any damnaged audio or video files before playing ...I love it.
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion"~ Albert Camus
I liked Next Generation (starting in the 3rd year -- the first two years were horrible) and Enterprise (the Vulcan with the large assets was great). Deep Space 9 was boring to me. My opinion is that the movies were very mixed. The last movie was completely unrealistic. You can't go from some loser renegade to being the Captain of a ship on one mission. It takes about 20 years to be a Captain, if you are good and willing to suck it up and be a team player. It's the way the world has always worked. Even though I like science fiction, the human situation has to be realistic for me to buy in. I hated "A Few Good Men" for the same reason. Some flunky Lieutenant cannot disrespect a Colonel in that manner without getting Court Martialed for insubordination. It just doesn't work that way.
I haven't downloaded any torrents lately. My favorite site for finding them was isohunt.com I always liked bitcomet. I put my downloads on a hard drive. Then I use a program called TVersity. It works with Xbox360, PS3 and the wii. It allows you to watch streaming movies on your TV, controlled by your PS3 or whatever. That way you don't have to have hundreds of of discs that get scratched up (if you have kids). It is a free program.
I had an econ professor who said eye eee a lot ! Quick definitions (ie) Å6; adverb: that is to say; in other words also ... i.e. abbreviation of "id est" (Latin); that is.
If you ... don't use exclamation points --- you should't be typeing ! Commas - semicolons are for girlie boys !
VUZE is the safest thing to use for torrents. Even still, I use my older computer to do that sort of downloading. I had too much headaches with Limewire and the viruses you can get on that site to use one of my better machines.
Nope, no kids here anymore, but they all did call this evening, it's their g- pa's birthday....
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion"~ Albert Camus
It also makes it easier to find them. Instead of shuffling through lots and lots of discs.
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#4. To: mcgowanjm (#2)
(Edited)
#5. To: mcgowanjm (#2)
You can follow Johann Hari on Twitter at twitter.com/johannhari101
#6. To: war (#4)
NW Canada whale watching trade is siffering because of ocean temp and current shifts.
#7. To: mcgowanjm (#6)
#8. To: A K A Stone (#5)
#9. To: war (#7)
Thet should be NE...sorry...corrected...
#10. To: mcgowanjm (#8)
Russia Fires, Drought, Wheat Export Ban
#11. To: Fred Mertz (#10)
#12. To: All (#11)
#13. To: All (#12)
#14. To: mcgowanjm (#12)
Along with unplanned drought on farms.
#15. To: mcgowanjm (#11)
(Edited)
#16. To: Fred Mertz (#15)
#17. To: Fred Mertz, mcgowanjm (#15)
I have to go to channel 9415 to watch Democracy Now! I'll bet half the subscribers don't even know they have it.
#18. To: Ibluafartsky (#17)
Did they televise the GOM evacuation or has that been done in secret!
#19. To: Fred Mertz, mcclown (#18)
#20. To: A K A Stone (#0)
(Edited)
the era of big government is over -- Bill Clinton
#21. To: jwpegler (#20)
In the 1980s and 1990s Hawking was the closest thing there is to being a "celebrity" physicist. (Carl Sagan was that guy in the 1970s and Michio Kaku is that guy today.)
And the Conservative plan to create jobs is......?????
#22. To: go65 (#21)
(Edited)
How about Neil deGrasse Tyson or Brian Greene
the era of big government is over -- Bill Clinton
#23. To: jwpegler (#20)
#24. To: A K A Stone (#23)
Every thing he has said has turned out to be wrong.
#25. To: A K A Stone (#23)
the era of big government is over -- Bill Clinton
#26. To: war (#24)
(Edited)
I like his prediction on aliens...that they will not come in peace. I've been saying that since I was 5.
the era of big government is over -- Bill Clinton
#27. To: Fred Mertz (#15)
I have to go to channel 9415 to watch Democracy Now!
#28. To: A K A Stone (#0)
That is why, before the Big Bang gained currency, so many scientists were keen to dismiss it, since it seemed to support the Bible story. Some clung to Aristotle's view of the 'eternal universe' without beginning or end; but this theory, and later variants of it, are now deeply discredited.
#29. To: jwpegler (#26)
Did your mom let you watch too many Star Trek episodes as a child???
#30. To: BorisY (#28)
funny cartoon I saw in a physics book years ago !
the era of big government is over -- Bill Clinton
#31. To: war (#29)
I was 10 when the greatest program in the history of TV was on.
#32. To: A K A Stone (#31)
#33. To: war (#32)
#34. To: A K A Stone (#31)
#35. To: All (#28)
#36. To: Murron (#34)
High Chaparral
#37. To: A K A Stone (#36)
Recently got netflix and I like it. Lots of instant streaming TV shows and movies. Worth the 13.88 a month.
#38. To: A K A Stone, war (#31)
(Edited)
the era of big government is over -- Bill Clinton
#39. To: Murron (#37)
#40. To: All (#35)
#41. To: A K A Stone (#39)
#42. To: A K A Stone (#39)
That way you don't have to have hundreds of of discs that get scratched up (if you have kids). It is a free program.
#43. To: Murron (#42)
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