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Stephen Hawking: 'There Is No Heaven; It's A Fairy Story'
Guardian (UK) ^ | May 16, 2011

Posted on 05/15/2011 7:58:19 PM PDT by Steelfish

Stephen Hawking: 'There Is No Heaven; It's A Fairy Story' In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, the cosmologist shares his thoughts on death, M-theory, human purpose and our chance existence

Sunday 15 May 2011

A belief that heaven or an afterlife awaits us is a "fairy story" for people afraid of death, Stephen Hawking has said. In a dismissal that underlines his firm rejection of religious comforts, Britain's most eminent scientist said there was nothing beyond the moment when the brain flickers for the final time.

Hawking, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age of 21, shares his thoughts on death, human purpose and our chance existence in an exclusive interview with the Guardian today.

The incurable illness was expected to kill Hawking within a few years of its symptoms arising, an outlook that turned the young scientist to Wagner, but ultimately led him to enjoy life more, he has said, despite the cloud hanging over his future.

"I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first," he said.

"I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," he added.

Hawking's latest comments go beyond those laid out in his 2010 book, The Grand Design, in which he asserted that there is no need for a creator to explain the existence of the universe. The book provoked a backlash from some religious leaders, including the chief rabbi, Lord Sacks, who accused Hawking of committing an "elementary fallacy" of logic.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Religion & Science
KEYWORDS: atheism; atheists; gagdadbib; onecosmosblog; scientism
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To: LeGrande
You are complaining about me? Have you been reading all the attacks on Hawking? Talk about hypocrisy.

Ah! So you're the self-appointed protector of the weak and feeble.

No, just delusional.

Ah...rubes. And you don't protect rubes.

Why would I post here unless I like to debate? You seem to know that you are going to lose before we begin.

Ah, but you NEVER begin to debate. You simply carp.

To cause cognitive dissonance with people like you.

Ah but there you fail! But go ahead and delude yourself. It will make you feel better...for a little while.

181 posted on 05/16/2011 7:08:41 PM PDT by downtownconservative (But go ahed and delude yourself.)
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To: Steelfish
"Science predicts that many different kinds of universe will be spontaneously created out of nothing. It is a matter of chance which we are in," he said.>

Complete hs.

182 posted on 05/16/2011 7:16:33 PM PDT by jwalsh07
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To: Steelfish

Christ is risen!!!!

.....A belief that heaven or an afterlife awaits us is a “fairy story” for people afraid of death, Stephen Hawking has said.....”I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark,” he added....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7tKexc4wSM

....The universe is governed by science. But science tells us that we can’t solve the equations, directly in the abstract.....

Hawking knows that science is limited in what it can do. But then he dismisses the entire underlying spiritual basis of the universe—Creation and Redemption—out of hand. On what evidence? He has none!!!!


183 posted on 05/16/2011 7:22:49 PM PDT by Honorary Serb (Kosovo is Serbia! Free Srpska! Abolish ICTY!)
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To: anniegetyourgun
Hawking is guilty of illogic

What is his illogic?

Obviously you don't have a clue or you would have actually mentioned it. Do you mean you have Hawking confused with Illogic?

184 posted on 05/16/2011 7:49:11 PM PDT by LeGrande (“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded upon the Christian religion” John)
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To: downtownconservative
Ah! So you're the self-appointed protector of the weak and feeble.

Actually I just like making fun of naked people.

185 posted on 05/16/2011 7:52:41 PM PDT by LeGrande (“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded upon the Christian religion” John)
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To: Niuhuru

Yes and that really is a sad thing for anyone. There is joy in being a Christian and knowing that heaven awaits. It is a sad thing to trade that for a nihilistic life and death.

Mel


186 posted on 05/16/2011 8:06:13 PM PDT by melsec
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To: LeGrande

It’s illogical to believe that something comes from nothing. But then, I said that earlier on this thread...yes, I did mentioned it.

However, I know you don’t agree & will simply continue to be insulting. So, if you don’t mind...I don’t want to play.


187 posted on 05/16/2011 8:06:41 PM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: LeGrande

Bye dude!


188 posted on 05/16/2011 8:23:12 PM PDT by downtownconservative (But go ahed and delude yourself.)
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To: LeGrande

Bye dude!


189 posted on 05/16/2011 8:23:12 PM PDT by downtownconservative (But go ahed and delude yourself.)
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To: anniegetyourgun
It’s illogical to believe that something comes from nothing. But then, I said that earlier on this thread...yes, I did mentioned it.

Ahh, that. If you actually knew a little physics, past 8th grade or so, you might have heard of something called quantum mechanics.

Don't let me be the one to disabuse you of your ignorance.

190 posted on 05/16/2011 8:38:32 PM PDT by LeGrande (“The government of the United States is not in any sense founded upon the Christian religion” John)
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To: LeGrande
Reading the mind of another Freeper is a form of "making it personal."

Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.

191 posted on 05/16/2011 8:39:53 PM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: LeGrande

I’ll take my “ignorance” over your arrogance any day.


192 posted on 05/16/2011 9:12:29 PM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: Religion Moderator

You are right. This is obviously the wrong place for me.

Please accept my apology. I won’t bother you again.


193 posted on 05/16/2011 9:38:11 PM PDT by LeGrande (The hard part about freedom is letting others be free.)
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To: Steelfish
There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark," he added.

Computers don't have souls. People do.

I am not afraid of the dark. I just like light.

As I explained to an atheist friend, if he could prove the nonexistence of God, I would live a better live here on Earth by continuing to believe in Him.

194 posted on 05/16/2011 10:42:34 PM PDT by Barnacle (Is treason a high crime or misdemeanor?)
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To: Steelfish
I look at Hawking like this.

Let's say a Jeep drives into a primitive jungle village. Everyone in the tribe is baffled by what it is. They take the smartest guy in the tribe to study it. He comes back with some theories that trump the rest.

They then conclude that since he has the best theory, the Jeep really no big deal at all. It was not designed and built by anyone. It just is... And, by random chance exists.

195 posted on 05/16/2011 10:54:41 PM PDT by Barnacle (Is treason a high crime or misdemeanor?)
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To: pnh102

10-4


196 posted on 05/16/2011 10:56:45 PM PDT by Barnacle (Is treason a high crime or misdemeanor?)
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To: Steelfish
"Stephen Hawking warns about global warming USA Today 6/22/2006"

Just another brilliant fool.

197 posted on 05/16/2011 11:02:27 PM PDT by Barnacle (Is treason a high crime or misdemeanor?)
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To: mad_as_he$$; LeGrande; PapaBear3625
I beg to differ, there is standard theory backing it up. Explanation.

Thanks PapaBear3625 for finding and posting.

Cheers!

198 posted on 05/17/2011 4:14:37 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: LeGrande
Try working through the Born-Oppenheimer approximation, or deriving the del-squared operator in polar coordinates.

Photobucket

Cheers!

199 posted on 05/17/2011 4:18:43 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: HushTX
M.C. Hawking

This immediately brought to mind the video
You Can't Touch This.

Someone needs to photoshop in Hawking at key points in this video, with M.C. Hammer doing his complex dancing, then cutting to Hawking in his wheelchair, saying in his computer voice, "You Can't Touch This."

ROFLCOPTER

If it's insensitive to Hawking, too bad. He's the autofellating atheist who believes in "survival of the fittest" but who depends entirely on others.

In his perfect society, he'd have been passing through the digestive tract of a pack of wolves a long time ago. Hypocrite.

200 posted on 05/17/2011 4:25:28 AM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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