Stephen Hawkings 'comes out' as an atheist. Thoughts?

[Michael]

Scientists can confuse people, especially when it comes to religion. For example, Neil DeGrasse Tyson has famously stated that he is an agnostic when it comes to religion, and yet he hosts the most atheist themed show created in decades. How can that be?

... well, it's all about the training.

Scientists are professional skeptics. It is their job to be unsure, or perhaps more accurately to be suspicious of certainty, and so any positions they take will, by training, be agnostic. Ask a scientist about evolution or gravity, and the position they take on the subject will look suspiciously agnostic to an outsider.

Are evolution or gravity really so poorly understood that we can't even hold a solid stance on them? Of course not, but the possibility of new information must always be kept open, so there can never be an absolute, and that is why Stephen Hawking taking such a strong stance, leaving zero doubt as to his leaning, is somewhat surprising.

Personally, I am glad he did it.

Anyway, I blather on. What do you think? Is his 'coming out' going to be a good thing for the atheist community in general? Do you imagine it will be nothing more than a blip on the secular radar? Or, are you having a hard time understanding why anyone would care ...

[Jimmy]

Good for him. I'm glad he did it.

[Ernesto]

Well, in "The great design" he is explicitly making the point that the universe does not need a creator at all.

I thought that was clear enough. :)

[[deleted user]]

There mustn't be enough money in God anymore for Stephen Hawking to declare himself an atheist.

[[deleted user]]

There's always money in bullshit, and Stephen Hawking is full of it.

[Kasia]

Ernesto wrote: "Well, in "The great design" he is explicitly making the point that the universe does not need a creator at all.

I thought that was clear enough. :)"

Well said, agreed.

[Stephie]

I'm am also glad he did it.

As far as scientists being naturally agnostic in there scientific beliefs--if beliefs is even the right word for it--go ask Richard Dawkins about evolution.

The criteria I would use in discussing scientific, or any factual investigation, is, is it reasonable, or to be more specific, is it beyond a reasonalbe doubt. After all, we execute people in the United States on this basis. Some scientific theories hold up so well to falsifiaction (see Popper about this), that it is just unreasonable to not give our consent.

[[deleted user]]

Hawking must see a future in atheism, and stocks and bonds.

[[deleted user]]

Ernesto wrote: "Well, in "The great design" he is explicitly making the point that the universe does not need a creator at all.

I thought that was clear enough. :)"

Great title. Who came up with it? His stockbroker? His editor? The little wondrous cripple himself?

[John]

I wrote a book 'The Objective Perspective: a look at God, Religion & Reality (amazon.com kindle)
It is amazing how Christians react to facts. To them faith is fact