{"id":724,"date":"2010-09-12T13:49:00","date_gmt":"2010-09-12T13:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theatheistrabbi\/2010\/09\/stephen-hawking-and-the-chief-rabbi.html"},"modified":"2010-09-12T13:49:00","modified_gmt":"2010-09-12T13:49:00","slug":"stephen-hawking-and-the-chief-rabbi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theatheistrabbi\/2010\/09\/stephen-hawking-and-the-chief-rabbi.html","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Hawking and the Chief Rabbi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
One of my greatest frustrations with some people of faith is their recruitment of famous scientists to justify their beliefs. These folks have long played this game with Albert Einstein who famously used the word \u201cGod\u201d in several public pronouncements. When he saw how his words were being abused, he tried many times to correct the public record:<\/span><\/div>\n
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It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I cannot take seriously. I also cannot imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere\u2026. Science has been charged with undermining morality, but the charge is unjust. A man\u2019s ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties and needs; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n