Is Stephen Hawking atheist

Answer 1

Dr. Hawking has indicated in his writing that he is non-theist. Answer "We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special. "

Answer

In his latest book, The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking says that because there are laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. There was no role for God. AnswerStephen Hawking I think does believe in God but in his writings he separates God from science and therefore quite a few people get the wrong idea about his beliefs.

Answer 2

No he says he is an atheist. He is said to use phrases like "the mind of god" in his books to sell more. Hes not only a smart scientist, also a smart marketing man.

In Stephen Hawking's own words.

His answer? "I don't claim that God doesn't exist. God is the name people give to the reason we are here. But I think the reason is the laws of physics rather than someone with whom we can have a personal relationship. An impersonal God."

Sounds like a Deist to me.

Answer 3

Stephen Hawking has recently argued that there is 'no place for a creator', that God does not exist. In his quantum cosmology

"there would be no singularities at which the laws of science broke down and no edge of space-time at which one would have to appeal to God or some new law to set the boundary conditions for space-time . . . The universe would be completely self-contained and not affected by anything outside itself. It would neither be created nor destroyed. It would just BE . . . What place, then, for a creator? "

Hawking says that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began. This doesn't prove that there is no God, only that God is not necessary.

AnswerAs someone who once corresponded with Stephen Hawking I can perhaps provide a more balanced and informative answer.

Hawking takes an agnostic position on matters of religion. In other words, he isn't sure. He has repeatedly used the word "God" to illustrate points made in his books and public speeches. However, his belief in God is more from a deist point of view than Christian.

Deism simply means the acknowledgement of a 'divine' (or otherwise) force or being that set the universe in motion, then left it to its own devices, rather than intervene through miracles, prayer and so on. However, this does not mean that Hawking is an out-and-out atheist. The last line in "A Brief History Of Time" is famous for saying that, if we could tie together the equations describing the universe, we would "know the mind of God."

Cynics, and those who second-guess Hawking claim that he included this line simply so the book would sell better. However, his use of the 'God' metaphor in many of his speeches, collected essays and so on suggests otherwise - that he believes in something... even if it is the God of the Deist, or the laws of Physics. As an example, on page 8 of 'A brief History of Time' (Bantam 1988) he says:

"One can imagine that God created the universe at literally any time in the past. On the other hand, if the universe is expanding, there may be physical reasons why there had to be a beginning. One could imagine that God created the universe at the instant of the big bang, or even afterwards in just such a way as to make it look as though there had been a big bang, but it would be meaningless to suppose that it was created before the big bang. An expanding universe does not preclude a creator, but it does place limits on when he might have carried out his job!"

Hawking has stated that he is "not religious in the normal sense" and he believes that "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." This alone points clearly to a belief in some sort of God, whether a deist belief or not.

Answer 4

Dr. Hawking's view on religion (if I may be so bold as to speak for him, basing my answer on knowing the man only through this published works and lectures):

Organized / specific religion is a construction of mankind alone and merits no credibility. Spirituality, on the other hand, can be described two main ways; as the inate human desire to understand the unknown, viewed with optimism. If that's what spirituality means to you, and nothing more, then he's a spiritual person. After all, it's only a word, a term, whose meaning we've only now just narrowly defined.

However, if by spirituality we mean a supernatural realm where gods and demons are at work influencing our reality, this too is a function of mankind's imagination, hopes and fears. We substitute impossible imaginary explanations for genuine ones when we have no way of knowing the genuine explanation. There is no such sentient force at work in Hawking's view of reality (nor in my own). Simplest label for this thinking is agnostic, another which carries some stigma (but shouldn't) is athiest - meaning simply, "without religion" or "without god".

Answer 5

Stephen Hawking hasn't Identified himself as an Atheist, but does show an agnostic view of religion. Which resulted in the divorce of his first wife, Jane Wilde in 1995, as she was a very strong Christian, leading to marital tensions.

Answer 6

A:Stephen Hawking, in his latest book, The Grand Design, says that because there are laws such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.

Answer 7

Yes, Stephen Hawking identified as an atheist. He did not believe in a personal god or higher power, citing the laws of physics as the explanation for the universe's existence.

Answer 8

Stephen Hawkings has never reavealed if he is atheist or not, but it is shown by his level of intellect that he is one.

Answer 9

He says there is no God, because he has proved it scientifically and he wants to voice his opinions to the world.

Answer 10

Based on his writings, Stephen Hawking would not be described as believing in Intelligent Design.