taken from an article first published at newser.com...
Read more …taken from an article first published at newser.com
By Mary Papenfuss
Posted Sep 3, 2010 4:00 AM CDT
(Newser) – Angry religious leaders are slamming "Godless" physicist Stephen Hawking for saying the universe likely created itself without any divine intervention. “Belief in God is not about plugging a gap in explaining how one thing relates to another within the universe," the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams tells the Times of London."It is the belief that there is an intelligent, living agent on whose activity everything ultimately depends for its existence."
Catholics, Jews and Muslims also piled on Hawking, who says in his latest book, The Grand Design, that "spontaneous creation" without divine intervention is possible because of the laws of physics. "Science is about explanation. Religion is about interpretation. The Bible simply isn’t interested in how the universe came into being,” said Britain's Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks. For those having a difficult time wrapping their head around "spontaneous creation," Hawking has this tip: "If you like, you can call the laws of science 'God.'"
