How original; scientists claiming that creation is the product of random acts of gravitational forces, and well… compressed gas. According to Stephen Hawking, the laws of physics, not the will of God, provide the real explanation as to how life on Earth came into being. The Big Bang, he argues, was the inevitable consequence of these laws, “because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”Unfortunately, while Hawking's argument is being hailed as controversial and ground-breaking, this is old news folks. For years other scientists have made similar claims, maintaining that the awesome, sophisticated creativity of the world around us can be explained by simple physical laws such as gravity. But then Stephen Hawking said it so it must be true. But then where did gravity come from?
For me, as a Christian the laws of physics and science only reinforce my faith in an intelligent, divine creator. The more I understand science, the more I believe in God because of my wonder at the depth and sophistication of creation. The very reason science flourished so vigorously in the 16th and 17th centuries was precisely because of the belief that the laws of nature, which were then being discovered and defined, reflect and point to the influence of a divine law-giver. Here, in the 21st century, almost every scientist in the world will be the first to tell you that they don’t need God to explain the universe. That’s a problem because it’s two different sides of the same coin.
The basic difference between science and religion is this. Science is about explanation. Religion is about interpretation. Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together for us to see what they mean. They are different pursuits for the same purpose.
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things,and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4.11
God consistently throughout Scripture wants to be known and acknowledged as the Creator of all things. Isaac Newton said that, "He is want to be called Lord God, Universal Ruler."
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Psalm 19:1-2
I am always skeptical when a guy like Hawking shows up with a controversial opinion about the existence of God or the lack thereof. It’s the old Science vs. Religion debate that has gone on for centuries and is always a media crowd pleaser. As a guy with a background in media, I know it is a fundamental law of PR that anything as controversial as the God-science debate is a sure fire source of publicity. That kind of PR is always welcome when one has a book to sell.
What would we do for entertainment without scientists telling us, with breathless excitement that, “God did not create the Universe,” as if they were the first to tell the world about it? Stephen Hawking is the latest, but certainly not the first.
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. Isaiah 45:18
Be in awe,
Bishop Ian
