Has Hawking Really Disproved God?

Headlines are boldly proclaiming it, talks shows are happily buzzing, and the comments columns on internet sites have been heating up steadily ever since news broke on world famous physicist Stephen Hawking’s latest book which apparently disproves God entirely. Or more correctly, disproves the need for there to be a God actively involved in the creation of the universe.

Hawking says in his book "The Grand Design" that, given the existence of gravity, "the universe can and will create itself from nothing," according to an excerpt published on Thursday in The Times of London.

"Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," he says.

"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper [fuse] and set the universe going," he writes.

Hawking co-wrote the book with science writer Leonard Mlodinow, and their answer is what they have called the “M-theory,” which posits 11 space-time dimensions, "vibrating strings, point particles, two-dimensional membranes, three-dimensional blobs and other objects that are more difficult to picture and occupy even more dimensions of space."

If you are confused about why exactly this may disprove God, then read on.

Hawking says that while he understands the feelings of the renowned English scientist Sir Isaac Newton - that God did "create" and "conserve" order in the universe and designed it uniquely to be comfortable for human life - the discovery of other solar systems outside our own in 1992 undercuts this key idea.

Hawking argues that if there are untold numbers of planets in the galaxy, it's less remarkable that there's one with conditions for human life. In fact, according to Hawking, any form of intelligent life that evolves anywhere will automatically find that it lives somewhere suitable for it.

Hawking then introduces the idea of multiple universes, saying that if there are many universes, one will have laws of physics like ours - and in such a universe, something not only can, but must, arise from nothing. Therefore, he concludes, there's no need for God to explain it.

However, many of Hawking's Cambridge colleagues believe that the famous physicist is missing a vital point in his arguments and that as a result he is debunking the wrong God.

"The 'god' that Stephen Hawking is trying to debunk is not the creator God of the Abrahamic faiths who really is the ultimate explanation for why there is something rather than nothing," said Denis Alexander, director of The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion.

"Hawking's god is a god-of-the-gaps used to plug present gaps in our scientific knowledge.”

Fraser Watts, an Anglican priest and Cambridge expert in the history of science, said that it's not the existence of the universe that proves the existence of God. And, he said, "a creator God provides a reasonable and credible explanation of why there is a universe, and ... it is somewhat more likely that there is a God than that there is not. That view is not undermined by what Hawking has said."

In his blog, The Cosmic Log, the science editor and author Alan Boyle underscores these sentiments by writing:

“Does Hawking's view mean that modern physics "leaves no place for God in the creation of the universe," as the Times suggests, or that "God did not create the universe," as The Guardian claims? Not unless you need a "God of the Gaps" to step into science's place. A more sophisticated view would hold that physics (and evolutionary biology, to cite another example) are the not-always-mysterious ways in which God routinely works. In fact, Soren Kierkegaard would say that God's workings have to be transparent — and I tend to side with Soren.”

While controversy will continue to rage because it sells newspapers, and ‘evangelical’ atheists like Richard Dawkins will be quick to jump on this particular bandwagon (and indeed, already have), it does need to be clearly stated that Hawking’s suppositions about why God may not NEED to exist have already been argued for decades now. Which is why cynics might well wonder if the sensationalist angle of Hawking’s book is being deliberately worked to sell more copies! Yet, it is important for Christians to enter this debate in a manner that is gracious, thoughtful and sensitive rather than being angrily reactional. It is also important to remember that Hawking clearly has not disproved God once and for all, and that respected Christian scientists have serious grounds to argue that even if every mystery of the universe is explained by science, it will not explain away the God who may use (as he always has) the ‘not-always-mysterious ways’ to routinely work in the universe.

Hawking's book will be published on September 7 in the United States and on September 9 in the United Kingdom.

80% of Adults Worldwide Say Religion is of Personal Importance

Eight in ten adults globally state that religion is an integral part of their daily lives, according to Gallup surveys conducted in 114 different countries.

Just as in previous surveys, however, there is a direct correlation between socioeconomic status and religiosity, with the world’s poorest countries reporting higher percentages of those who claim religion is important in their daily lives, reported Gallup on Tuesday.

The globe’s poorest countries are those with an average per-capita income of $2,000 or less where the median proportion who state that religion is important in their daily lives is 95 percent.

This is in stark contrast with a median of 47 percent for the richest countries (those with an average per-capita income of over $25,000).

“Social scientists have put forth numerous possible explanations for the relationship between the religiosity of a population and its average income level,” said Gallup editor Steve Crabtree.

“One theory is that religion plays a more functional role in the world's poorest countries, helping many residents cope with a daily struggle to provide for themselves and their families. A previous Gallup analysis supports this idea,” he added.

In Gallup’s analysis of their surveys, they discovered that a relationship between religiosity and emotional well-being is stronger among those in poor countries than among those in the developed world.

Countries such as the United States buck this trend. This is because according to Gallup, 65 percent of Americans say religion is important in their daily lives. Other high-income countries which emphasise the importance of religion include Italy, Greece, Singapore, and countries in the Persian Gulf.

The top six countries with the highest percentage of people placing importance on religion were found to be Bangladesh, Niger, Yemen, Indonesia, Malawi, and Sri Lanka – with at least 99 percent in each reporting religion as important in their daily lives.

The six countries with the lowest percentages were Estonia (16 percent), Sweden (17 percent), Denmark (19 percent), Japan (24 percent), and Hong Kong (24 percent).

Christian Relief Worker Freed After 105 Days in Captivity

After 105 days spent in captivity in Sudan, a 35 year old aid worker for the Christian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, was released on Monday.

Flavia Wagner was greeted enthusiastically by Samaritan’s Purse co-workers and international security personnel as she arrived at the Khartoum airport. Wagner was clearly exhausted but in good health despite her ordeal.

In May, Wagner and another Samaritan’s Purse employee and a local driver were abducted after their convoy was halted by eight armed men in Sudan’s Darfur region. The three were part of a ten person team engaged in educational assessments in local communities but Wagner was the only non-Sudanese person abducted.

Seven days later the two Sudanese men were released unharmed and without further explanation. Wagner remained in captivity but was allowed to contact family and friends on more than one occasion. Since then the Samaritan’s Purse has worked alongside the U.S. and Sudanese government in efforts to secure her release.

“We thank God that Flavia is safe and free,” stated Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and son of the famous evangelist Billy Graham. “We appreciate the help of the government of Sudan and the United States government.

“People around the world have been praying for her safety and her release. Today, those prayers have been answered,” he added.

At this stage it is not clear exactly when Wagner would be returning home, although she said she is looking forward to being reunited with her family in the U.S.

The Samaritan's Purse, a non-profit organization, has about 548 national and expat staff in the Sudan and seeks to provide immediate response to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations. They work in more than a hundred countries around the globe.

(Photo: Samaritan's Purse)

Scientific Research on “Speaking in Tongues”

“Speaking in tongues,” or “Glossolalia” as it is referred to by academics, has been around for thousands of years, and is referenced by both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. Although the individual is seemingly speaking in an incomprehensible language, it still seems to have tremendous personal meaning. Now in perhaps the first study of its kind, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have conducted a study on the brain patterns of those engaged in Glossolalia – they are attempting to explain what happens physiologically to the brain of someone while speaking in tongues – and their findings make for interesting reading.

This is because they have discovered that the language centre of the brain is not under the control of subjects who speak in tongues. There was decreased activity in the frontal lobes, an area of the brain associated with being in control of one’s self. Radiology investigators observed increased or decreased brain activity by measuring cerebral blood flow with SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) imaging while the subjects spoke in tongues. They then compared the imaging to what happened when the same subjects sang gospel music.

“We noticed a number of changes that occurred functionally in the brain,” commented Principal Investigator Andrew Newberg, MD, Associate Professor of Radiology, Psychiatry, and Religious Studies, and Director for the Center for Spirituality and the Mind, at Penn. “Our finding of decreased activity in the frontal lobes during the practice of speaking in tongues is fascinating because these subjects truly believe that the spirit of God is moving through them and controlling them to speak. Our brain imaging research shows us that these subjects are not in control of the usual language centers during this activity, which is consistent with their description of a lack of intentional control while speaking in tongues.”

Newberg went on to explain, “These findings could be interpreted as the subject’s sense of self being taken over by something else. We, scientifically, assume it’s being taken over by another part of the brain, but we couldn’t see, in this imaging study, where this took place. We believe this is the first scientific imaging study evaluating changes in cerebral activity -- looking at what actually happens to the brain -- when someone is speaking in tongues. This study also showed a number of other changes in the brain, including those areas involved in emotions and establishing our sense of self.”

'Jesus was HIV-positive' – pastor’s sermon challenges South African Christians

A few Sundays ago, Pastor Xola Skosana took an HIV test in front of his entire congregation and encouraged others to do likewise, says the U.K. based The Guardian.

The HIV test was accompanied by a provocative sermon entitled "Jesus was HIV-positive." Xola Skosana’s desire is to make South African Christians think more carefully about what he sees as a “conspiracy of silence” by the South African church regarding HIV, and its continued stigmatization as evil and a sin. All this in a country where nearly a thousand people die a day from Aids related illnesses.

One hundred young people from Skosana’s church, the non-denominational Way of Life church based in Khayelitsha , Cape Town, joined him in taking the test. Skosana acknowledged that his sermon title was designed to shock and draw attention to "a very serious issue".

"In many parts of the Bible, God put himself in the position of the destitute, the sick, the marginalised," he stated. "When we attend to those who are sick, we are attending to him. When we ignore people who are sick, we are ignoring him."
Skosana quoted the Scriptural passage where Jesus said: "I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."

However, Skosana made note of the aggressive opposition he has faced from some Christians as a result of his message.

"The scathing attacks I've received from Christians are unbelievable," he said. "They're saying you can't reconcile Jesus and Aids. They assume it means Jesus was promiscuous and had a louche lifestyle with many sexual partners."

"It baffles me why in the church this is the most untalked-about subject," Skosana went on to say. "If I went to church and never heard the pastor talk about this, I would assume I must go home and die in silence. The message is that it's an unpardonable sin and we must just forget about HIV/Aids.”

"My responsibility as a pastor is to open a Bible and paint a picture of a God who cares for people and wants the best for them, not who judges them and is ashamed of them."

HIV/Aids has impacted Skosana’s life personally as he has lost two sisters to the pandemic. Skosana urged other churches to be more open about the subject. "I hope this will change the paradigm, especially in the Pentecostal background. I come from the Pentecostal background and I know this discussion is totally alien there."

In a blog article he wrote as a result of Skosana’s sermon, the academic and author Dr. Dion Forster fully supported these views and provided some further theological and scriptural backing for them.

Forster points out that:
“Christians believe, according to Paul's theology, that the Church is the "body of Christ" (see for example 1 Corinthians 12:12, Colossians 1:18). If there are members of the Church that are HIV positive then the Body of Christ is HIV positive.”

Forster goes onto say that “we are responsible for one another, and as such the whole Church (all across the world) must consider itself HIV +. The HI virus infects the whole of the body. Unlike cancer one cannot remove the ailing part of the body. The virus affects every part of the body.”

Forster also quotes a paper he wrote for the Epworth Review, a theological journal where he says, “One of the most controversial statements in the contemporary Church is surely the assertion that ‘The Church has AIDS’! This statement challenges Christians to recognize that it is impossible to do theology and engage in Christian life and ministry without taking into account the impact of HIV and AIDS on the world...”

(You can read Dr. Forster's blog at www.dionforster.com).

Strikes in South Africa: The good news behind the bad

Over the last few weeks, a post-World Cup hangover has hit South Africa hard. Many South Africans already feeling somewhat uneasy due the government’s proposal to regulate the press through a media tribunal, have been further horrified by the violent actions of many strikers involved in the public services strike. While most are entirely sympathetic to the plight of public sector workers such as nurses and teachers who are hugely undervalued and underpaid, there has been a strong reaction against the intimidatory tactics of strikers, which has included physical violence, and interfered with several essential services such as ICU units.

All of this is why it is like a breath of fresh air to hear some refreshingly good news behind all the bad. Training Methodist ministers from the Pietermaritzburg based Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary have had their afternoon classes suspended for the duration of this week so that they would be freed up to serve at Townhill Hospital, a psychiatric facility adjoined to the well known Grey’s Hospital. Like many other public medical facilities, Townhill has been adversely affected by the strikes. Without cleaners or adequate nursing care for well over a week, living conditions have quickly degenerated to appalling degrees for patients.

The initially nervous seminarians, made up of both black and white students, were armed with mops and buckets and spent most of their time cleaning, washing and generally serving as menial servants. Others with nursing or care experience assisted with patient supervision.

This was despite the fact that the students struggled to gain access to Townhill through the picketing strikers outside. The President of the Seminary, the Rev. Dr. Ross Olivier said that he had accompanied the students to ensure their safety and had battled to make the extremely militant strikers understand the role that the Seminary would like to play in serving the patients. In an e-mail, Dr. Olivier explained his experiences in this regard:

“Today was tension-filled, characterised by difficult negotiations with very militant striking workers barricading the hospital gates. I went to meet them prior to the arrival of the bus ferrying our seminarians. They were very angry about our presence in the hospital. I explained our position, viz. that as Christ-followers we stand on two legs, justice and mercy. I told them our commitment to justice draws us into solidarity with every just cause, including the right of the public servants such as teachers, nurses, et cetera who selflessly serve all of us. I further explained that intimidatory actions and especially the denial of treatment to the most vulnerable among us makes it difficult for us to stand alongside them but that we did support their just cause.“

Dr. Olivier went onto say that:

“However I also put forward our case that their differences were with government, not the innocent patients being denied vital care. Mercy compels us to attend to them as we are able. After strident negotiations that improved as I was led up the NEHAWU ladder (I eventually negotiated directly with the Regional Secretary for the Harry Gwala Region) we carved open a small window. In exchange for my presence at the march to the legislature tomorrow, the bus-load of seminarians, accompanied by a shop-steward, were allowed to enter the hospital for approximately two and a half hours. Once again blessed relief was brought to the patients (and staff) by the service of our magnificent seminarians.”

In other news, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Rev. Ivan Abrahams, joined his voice to several others who have condemned the violent methods of some of the strikers. Speaking on behalf of the Methodist Church he affirmed and supported the justice of their cause, but urged all civil servants to demonstrate peacefully, “in full recognition of the rights of the rest of the nation and cognisant of the fact that all that is destroyed today will have to be replaced tomorrow from the same purse.”

(Image from blackacademics.org).

Ugandan President Pleads With African Bishops to Promote Tolerance

The Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, spoke at the All Africa Bishops Conference on Tuesday and urged participants to remember that tolerance is a biblical imperative and that those who follow Christ should not “have one minute of time wasted” by those preaching prejudice.

In speaking to the approximately 400 Anglican bishops and other guests from all over Africa, Museveni used the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate his message of overcoming differences and pursuing peace and healing.

Museveni also recalled a time in Uganda’s history when Catholics and Protestants were fighting and killing each other.

“I don’t know where they heard God wanted them to fight and kill each other,” he said, as reported by the Anglican Communion News Service.

“A civil war between those calling themselves Catholics and those calling themselves Protestants,” Museveni exclaimed. “Then there was another war between the two of them and Muslims. They were all fighting on behalf of God, they said.”

As he retold the story of the Good Samaritan, Museveni described how prejudice should never block the biblical mandate of peace and helping other human beings.

“I am always looking for the good Samaritan,” Museveni remarked. “Jesus says you shall know them by their fruits. You shall know them by their actions. Not by their words, not by their addresses, not by their titles, but by their works, by their deeds, by the products of their works.”

“We are all created in the image of God,” he added. “I don’t know whether God is black or white or Chinese, but we are created in His image – that’s what the Bible says.”

Museveni was attending the Conference to officially open the seven days of discussion, worship and training. The conference is being held in Entebbe, Uganda and is also being attended by the spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams.

The aims of the conference include mobilizing the bishops to tackle obstacles that continue to keep the African continent in conflict, such as poverty, corruption, poor leadership and disease.

Interestingly enough in the light of his comments, the latter half of Museveni's tenure in power is being marked by increasing concern at his treatment of opposition parties.