Did Steven Hawkins summarize the Big Bang singularity as a scientific affirmation of Biblical creation?

Question

Steven Hawking has been quoted as saying in a PBS documentary in 1997, "Universe", the following apparent affirmation of the Christian concept of creation:

“In this century (twentieth century), science has come to understand how the universe began from a tiny point, fifteen billion years ago. No matter how incredible it sounds, it seems that the church’s ideas of a moment of creation were right from the beginning.”

Do you consider the above an honest rendering of Hawkings' statement? Or do you consider it inaccurate or misleading or perhaps taken out of the context?

Answer 1

He only mentioned a 'moment' of creation. No 7 days mentioned.



At no time did he support the myth of any gods.



His later work has moved even further away from the creation myth and gods.



I commend his latest publications to you for deep study.

Answer 2

All he was saying is that the big bang was a definite beginning point to everything. Creationism also believes that there was nothing, and then something (a beginning point). So on just that point alone, the big bang theory and Creationism are in agreement. He never said that God did it, just that there was a point where everything began.



And to answer the rest of the question, it doesn't sound taken out of context at all. If you really pay attention to what he's saying, he is in no way endorsing religion or a belief in God.

Answer 3

Hawking's wife is a Christian. Hawking himself says he's agnostic.



The creation story isn't a "Christian concept," it is a Judaic one. The creation story was written by Moses, not Christ or his followers.



Nevertheless, many famous astronomers and astrophysicists have noticed the similarity between the creation story and what science has shown to be true. (Don't forget that until 1911, religion said that the Universe began at one point in one moment, and science said the Universe was eternal and unchanging.) Dr. Robert Jastrow, founding Director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Institute and an agnostic, wrote on this point:



"For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountain of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."



Hawking's comment isn't taken out of context. It is remarking -- like Jastrow's -- on the fact that science reveals what religion believes.

Answer 4

I couldn't find that quote from him at all. I did find this one though:



What I have done is to show that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began. This doesn't prove that there is no God, only that God is not necessary.

Answer 5

Does it matter? Atheistic evolutionist continue to change there minds, and say, "We corrected that error". So whether it is true or not it doesn't matter. If he did say it he probably explained it away the next day. I haven't seen any evolutionist jumping on this bandwagon.

Answer 6

Dr. Hawking is certainly entitled to his personal opinion.

Answer 7

I am less interested in what he had to say than what God has to say and what his plans are for my life. Hawkins was clearly a confused man who was struggling to find out the meaning behind things he never could understand.

Answer 8

innaccurate or misleading.



he's only saying that the idea of a start of everything was right, not anything else in the bible.

Answer 9

Assuming, you wrote it verbatim ... it is what it is. A moment of deductive reasoning that could be explained in no other way than it was explained thousands of years ago .... there is a creator.

Answer 10

innaccurate and misleading.