From CNN World News:
God did not create the universe, world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book that aims to banish a divine creator from physics.
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 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 writes in the excerpt.
Without doubt, Stephen Hawking’s is a recognized scientist. I think when it comes to science he should be heard. However, when it comes to marriage and parenting I don’t think his thoughts should have equal credibility. The same goes for his thoughts on theology and many, many other subjects.
If your son or granddaughter ask you about what Mr. Hawking said, how will you answer?
My answer is that I think he is correct. God cannot be found using the tools Mr. Hawking applies to answer the scientific questions he pursues.
There are two realms of inquiry: the intellectual and spiritual. The tools used at the university won’t be helpful to find the important answers to our spiritual queries. Things of the spirit must be experienced.
It is true we can use the intellect (the tools of the university) to study spiritual things. I know of people who can talk extensively, even persuasively about the value of Christian faith and yet they will admit they don’t believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Some of them are ministers and pastors employed by their respective churches. Some are even active members in the LDS church.
The moral and ethical teachings of the Christian faith are what motivates them. The other part, the spiritual–the supernatural are not believable–or relevant for them.
In order to investigate the spiritual realm one needs to obey, that is, apply the teachings of the prophets just as one does who listens to their professors at the university to learn of intellectual things.
The prophets teach:
…the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14
In order to Spiritually discern, we need to have the Lord’s Spirit. That’s where the scriptures and the living prophets come in, they show us how to acquire the Spirit.
When we have the Spirit, then we are able to receive “revelation”. To obtain the Spirit we need to have faith, we need to believe to the extent we’re willing to experiment with the word of God (Alma 32).
If we do so correctly, then like a key is to a lock, we will begin to grow in our belief as we feel the promptings of the Spirit working in us, this is the beginnings of revelation. If we don’t reject it, then it will grow and become part of us, a power. Eventually, we will have a conversion experience.