Sermon Series on Ephesians

Today I have posted a series of sermons that I preached at St. Paul's this summer.  They are listed under "Pages"

Hawking's Contradiction

GOD AND STEPHEN HAWKING: A REFLECTION

                Stephen Hawking, the well-known physicist, and his fellow author, Leonard Mlodinow, recently came out with their new book, ‘The Grand Design.’   In it, Hawking and Mlodinow argue that the universe is not created by God, and that physics leaves no room for God.

                John C. Lennox, a mathematician and Christians at Cambridge University, has also recently written a short book called ‘God and Stephen Hawking,’ in response to such claims by Hawking in this book and earlier.

                According to Lennox, Hawking argues that ‘it is the laws of physics, not the will of God, that provide the real explanation as to how the universe came into being.  The Big Bang, he argues, was the inevitable consequence of these laws: because there is such a law as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.’   He goes on to say, ‘spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist.’

                But Lennox tells us that Hawking goes even further.  Hawking rejects not only the traditional Christian creation account, but he also has the temerity to get rid of all Philosophy.   After having posed questions about how we are to understand ourselves, the nature of reality, where everything came from, and whether or not the universe needs a Creator, Hawking goes on to say, ‘Traditionally these are questions for philosophy, but philosophy is dead.  It has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly in physics.  As a result scientists have become the bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.’         

                Lennox then critiques Hawking’s last statements above by saying that these statements here are themselves philosophical statements.  They are not statements of science, but metaphysical statements about science.  Hawking’s statement that philosophy is dead therefore contradicts itself, for it is itself a philosophical statement.

                Lennox is absolutely correct.  Anyone who has studied a modicum of philosophy can see that such a claim by Hawking is a philosophical statement.  It is amazing to see that such a great scientist can  make such a fundamental error, such a category mistake, in fulminations outside of his area of expertise.        

                This teaches us once again that Christians should be wary of relegating to scientists what is properly the realm of theology and philosophy.