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 ...
He thinks matter comes from nothing? This is a scientist?
So how does he explain “miracles”?
Behold! The Oracle has texted!
Like most secularists, Hawking worships himself, which is why he rejects the God of the Bible.
Hawking is proof that the old saying, “There are no atheist in foxholes” is not always true.
So life arose from non-life, eh Steve? Interesting.
If I didn’t believe in Heaven, I’d think I’d be MORE afraid of death.
Pity this man. He has an immense IQ, yet dismisses his own soul. I pray that he comes to a true understanding before hismdeath.
When was he ever in a foxhole?
You have done the research? No? And there are other people who have gone there and back and they say that there is a Heaven and an afterlife.
So Mr Hawkings who would you as a scientist be inclined to believe, someone who has first hand knowledge or someone talking out of their hat?
Don't rush to answer. Take all the time you need.
The human brain evolved enough to perceive an afterlife—the overwhelming majority of humans accept an afterlife as fact—the scientific consensus therefore,based on the physical laws of natural selection,is that those who DON’T accept an afterlife are outliers—flat earthers who are underdeveloped mentally,genetically damaged or just plain stupid.
It’s also a ‘fair story’ that Hawking will walk through the Pearly Gates.
I can understand why he might rejerct God, considering his medical condition.
When we cure the common cold, get back to me about something entirely beyond our current understanding of time and space.
Well, Hawkings believes in the fairy tale of Global Climate Warming Change.
“A belief that heaven or an afterlife awaits us is a “fairy story” for people afraid of death, Stephen Hawking has said.”
I would believe that also, were it not for the events surrounding the life of Jesus Christ.
One that really steadies my mind is this: Jesus, in his time was basically a poor worker - an nobody. Yet he claimed that eventually the entire world would hear of him and that he would have followers in ever nation. The fact that he (or the writer of the Gospel) made these claims is historically indisputable - we have the early manuscripts. These statements were not made up and attributed to him 500 years later.
Here’s the kicker - we are living in the fulfillment of his words 2,000 years later. He was dead on right.
If he was right about that, then he just very well may might be right about the other things he taught regarding heaven, hell, God, personal accountability, etc.
Heaven is a "fairy story" but "matter coming from nothing" is science.
Go figure.
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