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.
My goal is simple. It is a complete
understanding of the universe, why it is as it is and why it exists at all.
If I could talk with Stephen Hawking I would ask: Is the conception of purpose, especially ultimate
purpose, the invention of the human mind?
I would ask are the concepts of mercy and justice and the desire to
attain them derived from us. I would
ask, what is the role of such purposes within the facts of science? The Bible says, “God is love.” Does this type of love begin and end in the
mind of organic beings. Are the sources
of such purposes beyond scientific explanations? Finally, I would ask, if science has
determined the way the universe began through scientific laws will it also help
us understand the spiritual dimension of man—can it explain the nature and
workings of good and evil. I appreciate
that Stephen Hawking is a physicist and as such has no obligation to answer any
of these questions—all in a sense beyond astrophysics. He might direct me to the offices of neuroscience. Fair enough.
But even a three year old child will ask after the final explanation of
physics is given—“But why?” Are we
really just to reply “Because I said so”?
