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I think saying’ his atheism is intellectually suspect’ is arrogant.
Well, I think to say that his use of string theory was intellectually suspect would be arrogant – and, coming from me, absurd. I would never say it, of course.
He was not one of the great atheist thinkers, like Bertrand Russell. He was emotionally inclined to atheism.
He said that whether God existed or not could not be proved, but all that interested him was whether God interfered in the laws of the universe, and he was happy to say that God didn’t. It just takes a moment’s thought to work out that Hawking couldn’t know this.
In fact, Hawking, like Ellis, worked with hypotheses and theories. his attempt to establish a grand theory of the Universe, proclaimed in A Brief History of Time, just fell apart and for a time he was shaken enough to say that he was agnostic, rather than atheist. But then he recovered his confidence and began his speculations again.
He was very intent on establishing the fixed laws of the universe, and he never succeeded.
That’s fine. Great scientists shake their colleagues up to rethink their assumptions, and he certainly did that.
I’d like to ask a question just to see the responses…. I’m not trying to dig or make a point just to make that clear.
Say, hypothetically, it was proved, irrefutable proof that NOBODY could deny, that there was no God, of any denomination, NONE, ZERO, ZILCH , would this world we live in be any worse ? Would there be less famine, wars, stabbings, cancer, corruption, cruelty, anger, earthquakes, poverty, etc etc ? ?
”he was shaken enough to say that he was agnostic, rather than atheist. But then he recovered his confidence and began his speculations again.”
He said he was shaken ? Or are you assuming he was ?
he said he was. His theory came unstuck.
He was a very good guy. His theory came unstuck because he disproved it himself. He was quite dismayed for a while, and then started looking at string theory to make the same point.
I can be a snotty know-it-all if you like but if you asked me to explain string theory you would get the following response
wrong question dippy
I’d like to ask a question just to see the responses…. I’m not trying to dig or make a point just to make that clear. Say, hypothetically, it was proved, irrefutable proof that NOBODY could deny, that there was no God, of any denomination, NONE, ZERO, ZILCH , would this world we live in be any worse ? Would there be less famine, wars, stabbings, cancer, corruption, cruelty, anger, earthquakes, poverty, etc etc ? ?
I would have to accept it, and I don’t think there would be any less (or more) disaster and death.
There was a venerable nun called Sister Maria, I’m told, who had devoted her entire long life to Catholic observances. All she would say on her deathbed was “Goodness, I shall look a fool if it isn’t true”
and no please don’t explain string theory, I’m actually insulted you presume I don’t know what it is !!!!!!
(which I don’t )
I’ve heard that one before, different named penguin though
I’d like to ask a question just to see the responses…. I’m not trying to dig or make a point just to make that clear. Say, hypothetically, it was proved, irrefutable proof that NOBODY could deny, that there was no God, of any denomination, NONE, ZERO, ZILCH , would this world we live in be any worse ? Would there be less famine, wars, stabbings, cancer, corruption, cruelty, anger, earthquakes, poverty, etc etc ? ?
I would have to accept it, and I don’t think there would be any less (or more) disaster and death. There was a venerable nun called Sister Maria, I’m told, who had devoted her entire long life to Catholic observances. All she would say on her deathbed was “Goodness, I shall look a fool if it isn’t true”
So basically, we all suffer 7 kinds of hell on earth, in the hope that maybe just maybe we will go to a better place ? and as Rude boy said on a different thread I think, as we are dead there’s no way to let anyone know that there IS nothing else ….
In my head it’s all about probability I’m afraid…. Although in some ways I do admire those who have Blind Faith…. as that is what it is… Blind
Live and let Live isn’t a bad attitude….
I don’t know if there’s a life after death, though the house of Lords was always said to be proof.
I’m living on the assumption that there isn’t one. It would be very nice if there were a Heaven where I once again met people dear to me who are dead.
I really don’t believe that some sort of divine justice will take place on death – that all the nasty people will get their come-uppance, and I will get rewarded with lots of coffee cake. That’s not the nature of my Christianity.
Not orthodox, am I?
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