Christopher Corbally SJ on Stephen Hawking
I heard Stephen Hawking mentioned yesterday in a movie trailer for Skyline :) ...
... and today I saw him mentioned again - US Catholic has Vatican astronomer Christopher Corbally guest blogging on Hawking's book, The Grand Design. Here's the beginning of his post ......
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Quantum leaps of faith
- Christopher Corbally SJ
The media has been highlighting some pretty provocative quotes from Stephen Hawking's new book. One such runs: “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist.”
I'm a Catholic so I might react to this by thinking, "Who does Hawking think he is, God?" But I'm also a Jesuit astronomer with a deep respect for Hawking's cosmology. If Hawking is talking from the "mechanical metaphor", interpreting reality solely from physics and mathematics, then quantum gravity can give rise to spontaneous creation and be the physical reason there is something rather than nothing.
Notice the word "solely". It leaves out the "metaphor" of philosophy, one that would speak of quantum gravity itself being contingent, since this law could "not be" at all. Quantum gravity does not have in itself the reason for its existence .....
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The idea that God didn't actually create the universe from nothing is not new. As I wrote in a past post ....
Most scientists support the big bang theory of the universe's beginning (the Church is on-board with this) but there are also some other explanations by guys like Stephen Hawking (quantum cosmology?) that aim to compensate for the ways the big bang theory disappoints (you can read more about this at counter-balance). I'm wondering what this all has to do with the idea of creatio ex nihilo, or creation out of nothing - need to read more.
... and today I saw him mentioned again - US Catholic has Vatican astronomer Christopher Corbally guest blogging on Hawking's book, The Grand Design. Here's the beginning of his post ......
************************
Quantum leaps of faith
- Christopher Corbally SJ
The media has been highlighting some pretty provocative quotes from Stephen Hawking's new book. One such runs: “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist.”
I'm a Catholic so I might react to this by thinking, "Who does Hawking think he is, God?" But I'm also a Jesuit astronomer with a deep respect for Hawking's cosmology. If Hawking is talking from the "mechanical metaphor", interpreting reality solely from physics and mathematics, then quantum gravity can give rise to spontaneous creation and be the physical reason there is something rather than nothing.
Notice the word "solely". It leaves out the "metaphor" of philosophy, one that would speak of quantum gravity itself being contingent, since this law could "not be" at all. Quantum gravity does not have in itself the reason for its existence .....
*********************
The idea that God didn't actually create the universe from nothing is not new. As I wrote in a past post ....
Most scientists support the big bang theory of the universe's beginning (the Church is on-board with this) but there are also some other explanations by guys like Stephen Hawking (quantum cosmology?) that aim to compensate for the ways the big bang theory disappoints (you can read more about this at counter-balance). I'm wondering what this all has to do with the idea of creatio ex nihilo, or creation out of nothing - need to read more.
posted by crystal | 6:57 PM
3 Comments:
It's simple crystal, God created the world out of nothing because just like you, me and others who dream and sometimes "IT" comes true, well God's Thought never fail. "IT" is so complicated and yet so simple and the key is to have "Faith" "Hope" led by "LOVE".
I hear ya! Victor who can do that on this earth nowadays and I dare say that "IT" can't be done and if you don't believe me just take a look in the mirror.
What do you mean by that?
Oh nothing Victor, I just thought that sinner vic might be there somewhere trying to trip you UP.
I guess you're right cause he's always trying to give me that extra boost all The Way UP. :)
Peace
I like that idea of God's dream :)
TORTOISE (Hinduism) and DRAGON (Taoism) are symbols for ENERGY or WAVE, both are analog with MAGEN DAVID (Judaism). "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is the metaphor, also Thawaf seven times circling around the Ka'ba and Sa’i oscillating along “the sinus” Marwah-Shafa during rituals of the Hajj (Abraham).
"A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME - From the Big Bang to Black Hole" by Stephen W. Hawking is the best scientific interpretation of AL QUR'AN by a non believer. It is also a “genuine bridge stone” for comprehensive study of Theology. Surprise, this paradox is a miracle and blessing in disguise as well. So, it should be very wise and challenging for Moslem scholars to verify my discovery.
NeoSUFI visionary strategic thinking.
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