A Simple Reply to Stephen Hawking

Written By: Jim Swanson  |  Posted: Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

         Stephen Hawking was once again in the news recently with his attention grabbing statement about heaven. He said it was a myth and that "Heaven and afterlife is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark." Since Hawking is viewed as one of the foremost minds of our time, a living Einstein, his words on any subject have clout. Or do they?

          Before commenting on Hawking's statement, it is fitting to praise the man for his tenacity and courage. At the age of twenty-one, as a student at the University of Cambridge, Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a motor neuron disease often called Lou Gerig's disease. He was given two to three years to live. His fiancée agreed to marry him anyway, stating later, "Those were the days of atomic gloom and doom, so we all had a rather short life expectancy."

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