Why Steven Hawkings Denial of Heaven is an Opportunity for Christ
Steven Hawkings one of the most brilliant minds of our time recently declared that heaven doesn't exist. And a huge chorus of people who hate religion cheers. And Christians hid. And I betcha heaven sighed.
NT Wright responded thoughtfully in the Washington Post. It's worth reading. However - here's a short version and a little more commentary.
Wright basically says that he doesn't believe in the heaven that Hawkings debunks either. Hawkings declares the non-existence of a heaven that Christianity (properly understood) doesn't declare. Instead Hawkings declared the non-existence of a kind of fairy tale view of heaven.
Pretty sharp words for a Christian Bishop. But as is often the case, NT Wright makes a tough point to argue with.
For me as a local pastor, I see a lot of people rejecting a god that no one (not Christians for sure) believe in. They reject a god promoted by Benny Hinn or some televangelist. They reject a god misunderstood or misconstrued by well-meaning but deceived parents. They reject a god that is mean, small, petty and cruel.
That's not the God of the Bible. It's not Jesus. Many of the really bright people I know gave up on God because of their High School Enligh teacher or something their freshmen Theology professor said. Or worse, something their Sunday school teacher didn't say.
If this describes you, let me encourage you to take another look. Read the gospels. Think about them for yourself. Come and explore at International Church of Bangkok. We'll give you space. We'll encourage questions. We'll ask some of our own because we don't know everything either. All we ask is that you not reject everything out of hand, but really think and pray about what you hear.
NT Wright responded thoughtfully in the Washington Post. It's worth reading. However - here's a short version and a little more commentary.
Wright basically says that he doesn't believe in the heaven that Hawkings debunks either. Hawkings declares the non-existence of a heaven that Christianity (properly understood) doesn't declare. Instead Hawkings declared the non-existence of a kind of fairy tale view of heaven.
Hawking is working with a very low-grade and sub-biblical view of ‘going to heaven.’ Of course, if faced with the fully Christian two-stage view of what happens after death -- first, a time ‘with Christ’ in ‘heaven’ or ‘paradise,’and then, when God renews the whole creation, bodily resurrection -- he would no doubt dismiss that as incredible. But I wonder if he has ever even stopped to look properly, with his high-octane intellect, at the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection? I doubt it -- most people in England haven’t. Until he has, his opinion about all this is worth about the same as mine on nuclear physics, i.e. not much.
Pretty sharp words for a Christian Bishop. But as is often the case, NT Wright makes a tough point to argue with.
For me as a local pastor, I see a lot of people rejecting a god that no one (not Christians for sure) believe in. They reject a god promoted by Benny Hinn or some televangelist. They reject a god misunderstood or misconstrued by well-meaning but deceived parents. They reject a god that is mean, small, petty and cruel.
That's not the God of the Bible. It's not Jesus. Many of the really bright people I know gave up on God because of their High School Enligh teacher or something their freshmen Theology professor said. Or worse, something their Sunday school teacher didn't say.
If this describes you, let me encourage you to take another look. Read the gospels. Think about them for yourself. Come and explore at International Church of Bangkok. We'll give you space. We'll encourage questions. We'll ask some of our own because we don't know everything either. All we ask is that you not reject everything out of hand, but really think and pray about what you hear.
