Do physicists need God?

Question

Came upon this quote recently:

"The trouble is that God in this sophisticated, physicist's sense bears no resemblance to the God of the Bible or any other religion. If a physicist says God is another name for Planck's constant, or God is a superstring, we should take it as a picturesque metaphorical way of saying that the nature of superstrings or the value of Planck's constant is a profound mystery. It has obviously not the smallest connection with a being capable of forgiving sins, a being who might listen to prayers, who cares about whether or not the Sabbath begins at 5pm or 6pm, whether you wear a veil or have a bit of arm showing; and no connection whatever with a being capable of imposing a death penalty on His son to expiate the sins of the world before and after he was born."-Richard Dawkins, world famous ethologist, evolutionist, and author of the book "The God Delusion"

Is this a logical argument? What do you think?

I noticed no one is actually commenting on the quote. Read the quote please before posting, you're not being as relevant as you think.

I'm not arguing against religion I'm asking whether this quote is logical.

Pudding-Stephen Hawking has no religion.

Answer 1

The quote is spurious. I have never heard of a physicist calling any particle, "God". Many have seen God, indirectly, in the elegance of the universe and the simplest equations they use to describe it. It is akin to seeing God in a sunset or a newborn child. You see the works and sense a greater plan.

It's a rather wordy paragraph saying there is no proof God exists. Even taken in context of the book which I have not read, nor plan to read, it says little.

Answer 2

Indeed, the argument is flawed. It hinges upon a theological understanding of how God is reflected in Creation and Dawkins naively assumes this relationships is mere mirror reflection. Of course, Dawkins has the theological education of a 6 year old in sunday school, which is why he isn't embarrased to write (poorly) on theological matters. He just doesn't know any better and his hubris is unreachable.

As to physics and God, you should ask physicists or theoretical physicists. Many of the most esteemed theoretical physicists do believe in God. Steven Hawking is well known. John Polkinghorne is a priest who teaches theoretical physics at Cambridge.

[edit] LZ, you asked about belief in God, not religion. Any theist believes in God. Hawking is a theist. I thought you were interested in logic, here.

Answer 3

Yes we do.
I have read many quotes from Richard Dawkins .
He is a zoologist.
He is quite knowledgeable on items he knows but to offer opinion on God is contradictory in nature. His natural lines arguing against God show contempt and fierce antagonism.
He is very flippant in his "rationalizations" against religion.
Quote....
"To describe religions as mind viruses is sometimes interpreted as contemptuous or even hostile. It is both. I am often asked why I am so hostile to organized religion."
Sound Atheism.
Yes he does not treasure Agnostics.
To label Religion as he does, yet target Religion with his own hatred is self defeating and presumptuous that he may know any better.

Sorry, he is hardly famous and mush less credible.

Answer 4

Physicists do not need God, God needs physicists. God needs all types of people to exist. Without the human mind there is no God. Just like if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around...

We all know ONLY what we have been taught since childhood, if you were born and raised in a religious God-fearing family then your God is very real to you. If you were raised by a pack of wolves it would be a different story.

Answer 5

What dawkins has said is similar to what einstein said who was influenced by spinoza's writings. That there is a supreme scientific law in the universe that governs all other laws. If that by definition can be termed god then yes he believed in god. Einstein said he did not believe in a god that passed moral judgement or was concerned with sin or good. It is this belief that also inetrested him in hinduism and the theory of karma. Karma is not very different from natural laws and advises people to exist in harmony with nature. There are no sin or good deeds however their are results to each. For eg. anger, hatred and killing is wrong becoz it burns you up inside and is contrary to self preservation and hence bad. There are no moral judgements drawn.
I agree with Dawkins god not a god that is concerned with the sin of people. That god or supreme law is concerned with the harmony of all things in this universe. people relate to him/it in a humanoid form. The religions that give you a concept of moral sin or Good just give you a guilt trip. there is no actual spiritual/scientific understanding in them for human development.
Whether physicists need that god or not is not for them to decide or choose. As humans made of matter, part of this universe they inevitably are governed by that supreme law.
I'll also cite an example from the ramayana where ram (incarnation of god) prays to the ocean to give him way to reach lanka to rescue his wife. The ocean does not answer for days and by this Ram is angered and says he will dry up the ocean with one arrow. The ocean than remind him that he is incarnated as a mortal and the laws of nature cannot be changed for him (and as a mortal he is to be governed by them too) and the ocean cannot part. The ocean then suggests him an alternative to form a bridge to get to lanka.

Answer 6

Wow, so many people obviously didnt read what he put..

Yes, i stand with Dawkins in that we need some form of 'Constant' to measure our own attributes next to. The Ancent Greeks had the Deus, we have Sueprstring Theory, or 'God' if we're feeling quaint.

Answer 7

guy walks up to God and says "We don't need you anymore to make men, we've got it figured out."

God says "Great, good for you - show me."

guy scoops up a cup of dirt to begin the process of making a man.

God says "Excuse me, get your own dirt"


moral - no matter what my beliefs are there just are certain things i cannot do without a Higher Power - Superstring - Metaphorical creature or God as some refer to it.

I have never successfully created my own cup of dirt.

Answer 8

The whole universe is god and we are in /god and God is in us . the physicists are themselves in th e/god and parto fthis wonderful natuire . we are subject to the laws of nature . the great god who created us and all our gods .the Gods who descended on this earth had to eat of this earth onlyy like anybody else and did not get any supplies from the heaven. they ate their own creatiions .

Answer 9

In a universe so vast and ancient, to believe in some supernatural being that has any active involvement in our affairs is the height of insanity. The notion of a god that talks to people, works miracles, and creates any sort of afterlife is just so ridiculous to a real scientist.

Answer 10

Yes, everyone needs God!