Since time exceeding back memory, people have had different views in as far as the existence of God and the universe are concerned. Theist believe that God exists and He is the creator of the universe while atheists, such as Stephen Hawking, are of the opinion that the existence of God is simply a delusion and that the universe is simply as a result of evolution through forces of nature. Each of these two opposing sides has come up with its own theories and arguments to support its view. These contrasting beliefs have had a significant impact on people’s way of life and their perception of life (Daniel, 2009). This brings us to the question, does God really exist? In this essay, I will argue that Stephen Hawking’s views on family, social issues and nature of God are shaped by the atheist’s worldview.
Stephen Hawking is regarded as one of the most brilliant scientists that the world hasever had since the creation of the universe. He is a physicist and a cosmologist by profession. Having born and raised in London, his father wanted him to study Mathematics but his passion for science led him to study physics. He has been involved in several researches in relation to the existence of the universe. This motivated him to write two books entitled A Brief History of Time and The Grand Design. These two books expressed Hawking’s worldview of existence of God. These portray him as practicing atheism. Atheism is the belief that there is no God, in which an individual believes the universe is a creation of nothing. Many reviews have been done on the books of Hawking and he has received numerous criticisms (Hawking and Mlodinow, 2010). Critics argue that Hawkings biases in his research in the sense that, he only considers what he believes in as an individual but fails to look at what the world thinks about as well. According to Mohler (2010), Hawking believes that the laws of physics allows for the spontaneous creation of the universe. This shows that Hawking does not believe in God as the creator of the universe hence making him an atheist.
Religion is a term that has caused conflict in the philosophical world as well as real world. Many scientist and researches have held different views about the importance of religion in the world. There are different forms of religion that include Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and many others. Religion is defined as a strong belief expressed by people on either something or someone (McLeisch, 1999). An individual’s religion defines his or her perception on family, social issues, and the nature of God. In Stephen Hawking’s book, The Gland Design, he fails to expressly define his perception about family and social issues which are central to the existence of God. His atheistic belief that the universe evolved spontaneously does not depict the existence or nonexistence of God. It fails to explain the sanctity and sacredness attributed to human life, family (Landau, 2012).
Hawking is a denialist, this is because he not only opposes the creation of the universe as God’s work but he refuses to believe the most obvious thing that God exists. Denialists tend to come up with excuses in relation to their beliefs yet they also agree that what all people believe in is true. It is hard to convince a denialist towards accepting certain facts. This is because, denialists tend to create images in their minds about specific things and when they do that, it becomes so hard for them to believe otherwise (Mohler, 2010). I dispute Hawking’s belief that God is not the creator of the universe because as Landau puts it, a world without God is meaningless and predisposes the world to an existence without moral basis (Hawking, 2013).
Hawking questions God’s creation in a number of ways and uses the excuse of the human mind being the cleverest in the universe and amongst all creations (Greene, 2010). From this argument, it is clear that Hawking does not believe in God as the giver of everything including wealth and good life through prosperous careers. I am of a contrary opinion because my belief in Christianity leads me to believe that my life was predetermined by God even before I was born. I believe that God gives us the intelligence and talent to pursue various careers and acquire wealth through hard work on our part. Yes, I understand that man is the cleverest of all creation, but this is not an indication that man is clever than God. All what man knows and understand is created and made known by God; however, man is free to interpret this knowledge in any way. It is in the interpretation that Hawking fails. He considers his theory of the spontaneity of universe creation to mean there is no God; this is the actual proof that there is a God who controls the functioning of the universe allowing such forces to act naturally.
After reflecting on Stephen Hawking’s worldview on the existence and nature of God, and the subsequent emission of his view on family and social issues, I can confidently say that he is one of the individuals I would not consider my role model. He has clearly shown than he is an atheist, which puts us on parallel paths that can never cross. His lack of a clear explanation on the issues of faith, social issues and justice as well as family, makes his position on the nonexistence of God unfounded.
References
Daniel. (2009). Belief and the Existence of God: Retrieved from: http://vessel-of- clay.blogspot.com/2009/09/essay-belief-and-existence-of-god.html
Greene, R. L. (2010). Stephen Hawking: God Didn't Create the Universe: Retrieved from: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/09/02/hawking.god.universe/Hawking, S. (2013). Biography: Retrieved from: http://www.biography.com/people/stephen-hawking-9331710Hawking, S. and Mlodinow, L. (2010). The Grand Design: London and New York: Bantam Books.
Landau, R. S. (2012). Ethical Theory: An Anthology: John Wiley & Sons.McLeisch, K. C. (1999). Aristotle: The Great Philosophers: Chicago: Routledge Publishers.Mohler, A. (2010). No Need for God? Stephen Hawking Defies Divine Creation: Retrieved from: http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/09/07/no-need-for-god-stephen-hawking-defies- divine-creation/
