Stephen Hawking has finally come out as an atheist. Although many secular people have long suspected that the brilliant scientist does not believe in God, he had never officially stated his beliefs until a recent interview with a Spanish newspaper. As Tech Times reports, Hawking has danced around the topic for years, only stating cryptic teasers such as saying he was not religious “in the normal sense” and writing that there was no need for God in the creation of the universe. He has famously said that the universe “can and will create itself from nothing” but up until now has stopped short of saying he is an atheist outright.
Hawking has definitely hinted at his atheism before, stating that the afterlife is “a fairy story” and decreeing that “science will win” eventually in the fight between religion and science. In a time when agnosticism and atheism are growing by the millions, it seems Hawking has finally decided to take the plunge and come out atheist no matter what sort of criticism will come his way due to his admission.
Hawking has referred to a deity in the past, saying that science would one day allow human beings to “know the mind of God.” However, he addressed this statement during his recent interview, explaining exactly what he meant. “What I meant by ‘we would know the mind of God’ is, we would know everything that God would know, if there were a God, which there isn’t,” he said, “I’m an atheist.”
While his coming out is most likely not a surprise to those who have followed his career, his revelation is significant because he is one of the most revered and admired physicists in history. Not only does he possess an inarguably brilliant mind, he has also battled incredible odds-and won. His battle with ALS and his subsequent distinguished career have served as an inspiration for millions. He says that he does not even think about his illness and that it does not define him in any way.
Hawking said in no uncertain terms that God does not exist, and that science provides everything that humans need to explain the origins of the universe; an explanation, he says, that is much more convincing than any interpretation religion can provide for how life was created. He believes that there is scientific poof for the way the universe came into existence, and that nothing in that proof indicates that God exists or is needed for the birth of our world and beyond.
It is difficult for a non-scientist to comprehend what Hawking means when he states that the universe definitely did create itself from “nothing.” Many ask how that could be possible because it requires extensive knowledge of molecular physics to fully grasp the idea.
Religious believers can sometimes reconcile their faith with science, yet there are others who reject all science and believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. Others choose to accept the science that is presented, and to accept the words of Stephen Hawking, who is one of the ten smartest people alive today according to superscholar.org. Hawking has finally come out as an atheist. Undoubtedly, many others will follow suit.
