Now here’s a book I’m looking forward to. In his new book, The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking states that the laws of physics are all the reason we need for the universe to exist. There was no need for that “spark” thing that triggered the Big Bang, but it was in fact inevitable. I’m sure there will be much blather on every possible side of the argument in the coming days, which will no doubt result in even higher book sales for one of the greatest minds in the world today.

The argument that it must have been God that kicked off the Big Bang has always seemed shallow to me. The question of what caused it is certainly a valid one, but in the absence of understanding, saying “I bet it was God!” is an intellectually weak cop-out. Most theists I know will gladly use that notion that the universe had to start from something in debate, but rarely ever does the conversation make any sense, and it gets more childish and insecure when I ask how God was created. It’s cool that HE always “just was, is, and ever will be”, but the universe doesn’t get accorded the same luxury.

Me? I have no idea what happened before the Big Bang. My grasp on physics is tenuous at best (which you would surely know if you read this blog often) but if I was going to take someone’s word for it, it wouldn’t be Ken Ham. Stephen Hawking has definitely earned the respect necessary for me to trust him on the subject.

There’s commentary for this on several sites, including richarddawkins.net and Pharyngula.

Jim