Ever since we became sentient beings, man has wondered about the creation of the universe. Since time immemorial, man has believed that the birth of the universe needed a certain divine intervention. Yet, with the coming of modern technology and the evolution of our rational ability, it is nearly confirmed that a huge explosion was involved in the conception of the universe. However, we still don’t have conclusive evidence to prove what happened prior to a supposed Big Bang.
One of the brightest minds of our time, Stephen Hawking, fiercely agrees with the Big Bang theory. However, as the guest of honor at the Starmus Astrophysics Festival, he created quite a stir by stating that God does not exist. Further, in his book, The Grand Design, Hawking states, “The universe began with the Big Bang, which simply followed the inevitable law of physics. Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. The universe didn’t need a God to begin; it was quite capable of launching its existence on its own.”
In his book, A Brief History of Time , Hawking further talks about anticipating a time when everyone would be onboard with his theory and says, “If we do discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just ordinary people be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason – for then we would know the mind of God. The question is: is the way the universe began chosen by God for reasons we can’t understand or was it determined by a law of science? I believe the second,” he explained. “If you like, you can call the laws of science ‘God,’ but it wouldn’t be a personal God that you could meet, and ask questions.”
Source: ewao