{"id":13634,"date":"2018-10-24T10:45:29","date_gmt":"2018-10-24T14:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=13634"},"modified":"2022-04-14T14:50:34","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T18:50:34","slug":"stephen-hawking-may-rejected-god-helped-believers-see-gods-wonder-creation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2018\/10\/stephen-hawking-may-rejected-god-helped-believers-see-gods-wonder-creation.html","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Hawking May Have Rejected God, But He Helped Believers See God\u2019s Wonder in Creation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Koca<\/a>
Koca Vehbi\/Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

British scientist was a known atheist who refused to believe that anything existed beyond the realm of empirical science, even up until his death. However, he did help believers see God\u2019s wonder in creation.<\/p>\n

In Stephen Hawking\u2019s best seller, \u201cA Brief History of Time\u201d he used the metaphor of the \u201cmind of God\u201d when trying to explain the goal of understanding reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of reason \u2013 for then we should know the mind of God,\u201d Hawking said.<\/p>\n

Hawking found the \u201ccase for a Creator\u201d unconvincing \u2013 it was always a metaphor for him. This is likely due to his inability to take his mind and heart beyond physics itself.<\/p>\n

The physicist, cosmologist and author passed away March 14, and was recognized for his research work into black holes and relativity. In spite of being diagnosed with a rare form of ALS at age 22, he went on to become one of the most renowned scientists in history.<\/p>\n

Hawking made a statement that caused many to speculate that he had involuntarily acknowledged the presence of God.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe,\u201d Hawkings said. \u201cBut now science offers a more convincing explanation. What I meant by \u2018we would know the mid of God\u2019 is, we would know everything that God would know, if there was a God, which there isn\u2019t. I\u2019m an atheist.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the most astonishing revelations concerning his views on the existence of God came when journalist Andrew Graystone asked him directly about his beliefs on the presence of a sovereign power. When Hawking passed, Graystone shared the interaction they had on Twitter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked him at length whether he believed there is a God. He refused to answer the question. When I asked him why, he said \u2018If I say I believe in God, everyone will immediately claim that I believe in the same God they believe in. So I won\u2019t say it at all,\u201d Graystone wrote on Twitter.<\/p>\n

Replying to that tweet, Graystone wrote \u201cFor years after, when I heard him speak on TV, I often heard him re-use one of the answers he had programmed that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hawking did insist, however, that it would impossible for any God to intervene in the laws of nature and science.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe the universe is governed by the laws of science. The laws may have been decreed by God, but God does not intervene to break the laws,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cIn my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to the news of Hawking\u2019s death, cosmology expert and Christian Dr. Rodney Holder expressed that he hoped his views on God would change at the end of his life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

British scientist was a known atheist who refused to believe that anything existed beyond the realm of empirical science, even up until his death. However, he did help believers see God\u2019s wonder in creation. In Stephen Hawking\u2019s best seller, \u201cA Brief History of Time\u201d he used the metaphor of the \u201cmind of God\u201d when trying…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":565,"featured_media":13636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3798,3799,3796,3797],"class_list":["post-13634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television","tag-atheist-scientist","tag-case-for-a-creator","tag-stephen-hawkings","tag-stephen-hawkings-beliefs"],"yoast_head":"\nStephen Hawking May Have Rejected God, But He Helped Believers See God\u2019s Wonder in Creation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2018\/10\/stephen-hawking-may-rejected-god-helped-believers-see-gods-wonder-creation.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stephen Hawking May Have Rejected God, But He Helped Believers See God\u2019s Wonder in Creation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"British scientist was a known atheist who refused to believe that anything existed beyond the realm of empirical science, even up until his death. 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