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Was Stephen Hawking a Theist?

l0rca

I know so much karate
l0rca
Joined
Aug 24, 2005
Messages
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Recently I've been reading up on the origins on the universe, and though I've known about Hawking since I first started, I'm only now braving myself into his literature. But googling around, and using a few other websites, I'm seeing a lot of people claim Stephen Hawking believed in a godhead, or some kind of intelligent design of the universe.



So I googled "Stephen Hawking" and "Atheist" together, and I got various quotes claiming he was and he wasn't.

I'm confused, and because my access to the internet is through the library, I don't have the resources or time to investigate. Would someone be nice enough to clear up my misdunderstanding?
 
Since, AFAIK, Hawking is still alive and doing lecture tours perhaps it would be easier to email him and ask?
 
Welcome to the forum (to both of you),

I don't think that Dr. Hawking has ever given a clear cut answer to that question. I've read "A Brief History of Time" and he refers to "the mind of God" at least once (I don't have the book with me at the moment). I'm not sure whether he meant it lieterally or figuratively.

I wouldn't bother asking him, though you are welcome to try. I believe he was was once asked, "Do you believe in God?" at a lecture. Several minutes of silence passed as he prepared his answer with his computer interface. He finally said, "I don't do God questions."
 
If I remember right in his latest book he describes his approach to the answer of what reality is as a form of pragmatism.
 
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Larry King: Do you believe in God?

Stephen Hawking: Yes, if by God is meant the embodiment of the laws of the universe.

Larry King Live, December 25, 1999
 
Iacchus said:
Larry King: Do you believe in God?

Stephen Hawking: Yes, if by God is meant the embodiment of the laws of the universe.

Larry King Live, December 25, 1999
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Assuming this quote is accurate, what the #%$@! does it even mean? Are the laws of nature intelligent or are they just there?
 
KingMerv00 said:
To the new guys:

Iacchus is our resident troll. Ignore him and all of his posts. You have been warned.

I haven't clicked on the link, but it is surely wrong.
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Then,

...Assuming this quote is accurate, what the #%$@! does it even mean? Are the laws of nature intelligent or are they just there?...
Click to expand...

Can't even follow your own advice?

It's difficult to bear the messenger of bad news, isn't it?
 
Darat said:
If I remember right in his latest book he describes his approach to the answer of what reality is as a form of pragmatism.
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Well yes, that would seem to coincide very much with what I said ...

From this thread

Iacchus said:
The God of the Universe, if in fact there is one, must be pragmatic, in every single last detail or, this is what the Universe leads us to conclude. Perhaps this is why it's such a mystery, and we can't see Him, because His works are so practical and, "stand alone?" And yet, aren't these the very same attributes we would apply to the "Good Programmer?"
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After reading the panthiest link, I don't seem to see any mention of a god or anything that resembles a god. read thier manifest:
http://www.pantheism.net/manifest.htm

It just seems like a "recognise the wonder and beauty of the universe and everything in it" kind of movment.
 
As defined by dictionary.com ...

pan·the·ism (p
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n
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n.
  1. A doctrine identifying the Deity with the universe and its phenomena.
  2. Belief in and worship of all gods.
pantheism

n 1: (rare) worship that admits or tolerates all gods 2: the doctrine or belief that God is the universe and its phenomena (taken or conceived of as a whole) or the doctrine that regards the universe as a manifestation of God
 
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This is a weird coincidence. I have just been talking about Hawking and God and A Brief History of Time in another topic.

I think Hawking plays fast and loose with the word "God". I don't think he believes in a Being with some kind of personality.

He pretty clearly states the Universe did not need a Being to create it, and that before the Universe was created, there was nothing. No time, no matter. Nothing.

You can read his book online here, and search for the word "God" and come to your own conclusions.

:book:
 
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Iacchus is more like the myth of Sisyphus(sp?). You can push the conversation along, but when you reach the summit of actual thought, Iacchus goes back to where he started.
 
c4ts said:
Iacchus is more like the myth of Sisyphus(sp?). You can push the conversation along, but when you reach the summit of actual thought, Iacchus goes back to where he started.
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Well, we certainly wouldn't want to give anybody the wrong idea now would we? ;) And yet without "being" -- the experience thereof -- there would be no thoughts. In fact, I don't claim to know anything, outside of what I experience in the moment.
 
Iacchus said:
Well, we certainly wouldn't want to give anybody the wrong idea now would we? ;) And yet without "being" -- the experience thereof -- there would be no thoughts. In fact, I don't claim to know anything, outside of what I experience in the moment.
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Why, Iacchus! I do believe you made a joke!

Either that, or c4ts should apply for the million...
 
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