Pastor Dr. John Lennox, a Christian apologist and retired mathematics professor at the University of Oxford, has publicly debated and critiqued the views of Stephen Hawking, particularly concerning the relationship between science and God. While John Lennox is not a pastor by title, he is a devout Christian who frequently speaks in churches and at Christian conferences around the world, including Ireland.
Key Errors John Lennox Attributes to Stephen Hawking:
Here are some of the main critiques John Lennox has made regarding Stephen Hawking’s scientific and philosophical views, especially from Hawking's book The Grand Design:
1. Misuse of the Laws of Physics to Exclude God
Stephen Hawking’s claim: “Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing.”
Lennox’s critique: This is logically incoherent. Lennox points out that if the universe creates itself, it would have to exist before it existed, which is a contradiction. Also, laws like gravity don’t create anything—they describe what happens under certain conditions. Gravity can’t cause creation unless there is something already in existence.
2. Category Error: Confusing Scientific Explanation with Agency
Hawking’s argument: Science has explained the origin of the universe, so we don't need God.
Lennox’s response: Explaining how something works doesn’t disprove the agent who designed it. For example, understanding the laws of combustion doesn’t prove there was no one who designed and built a car engine.
3. Conflating “Nothing” with Something
Hawking's "nothing" is often a quantum vacuum, which is still something—not true philosophical nothingness.
Lennox points out that “nothing” means the absence of anything—no laws, no energy, no space, no time. Saying the universe came from "nothing" while redefining "nothing" is intellectually dishonest.
4. Science Alone Cannot Answer Ultimate Questions
Hawking suggested that philosophy is dead, and science now leads all knowledge.
Lennox argues this is self-refuting because the statement "philosophy is dead" is itself a philosophical claim—not a scientific one. Lennox insists that science and philosophy must work together, and science alone cannot determine meaning, morality, or purpose.
5. Denial of Objective Morality and Human Significance
Hawking’s atheistic worldview leads to nihilism, where humans have no ultimate meaning or value.
Lennox counters this with the Christian worldview, where humans are created in the image of God, have moral responsibility, and are more than random products of nature.
Conclusion:
Dr. John Lennox offers a strong, respectful critique of Stephen Hawking’s ideas, asserting that science does not eliminate the need for God, but rather points to a rational, intelligent Creator. Lennox defends the compatibility of faith and science, showing that many of the most brilliant scientists in history believed in God—including Newton, Kepler, and Faraday.
A Matter of Gravity: God, the Universe and Stephen Hawking – John Lennox (lecture)
Here’s an excellent lecture by Dr John Lennox (recorded March 12, 2013 in Cape Town) titled A Matter of Gravity, where he critiques Stephen Hawking’s arguments from The Grand Design. Lennox centers on Hawking’s claim that "because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing." He dismantles it by highlighting three main points:
🔍 Key Critiques Lennox Raises against Hawking
1. Gravity Doesn’t Create, It Describes
Lennox emphasizes that physical laws—like gravity—describe behavior; they don’t act as causal agents that can initiate creation. You can’t derive existence from the laws themselves.
2. **Question-Begging: Universe Creating Itself?**
He argues Hawking's statement is circular—suggesting the universe created itself out of nothing. That “nothing” is not truly nothing but presupposes existing laws and conditions. He rightly calls this "Alice-in-Wonderland thinking."
3. Category Error – Agency vs. Explanation
Lennox draws a clear distinction between how things happen (science) and why things exist (philosophical/theological groundings). Explaining mechanics (M‑theory, quantum vacuum) does not eliminate the need for an intelligent agent who initiates the cosmos.
🎤 Where to Dive Deeper
In a March 2017 ID the Future interview, Lennox discusses his book God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design Is It Anyway? He addresses Hawking's statement from The Grand Design, as well as Hawking’s dismissal of philosophy and endorsement of M-theory.
A 2011 audio session (ID the Future Episode 503) expands on how you need both agency (God) and laws (science) to fully explain the universe—much like needing both Henry Ford and engineering to explain an automobile.
📝 Summary
Dr Lennox’s critique asserts that Hawking’s view oversimplifies profound philosophical questions. He claims:
Scientific laws aren’t creators, merely descriptions.
Hawking’s “nothing” actually presupposes existence.
Science can describe the mechanisms but not the ultimate purpose or cause.
Philosophy and theology still have crucial roles in answering “why there is something rather than nothing.”
No comments:
Post a Comment