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 Stephen Hawking at the World Science Festival in New York in 2010.
May 17th, 2011
01:44 PM ET
Heaven is 'a fairy story,' scientist Stephen Hawking saysBy Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com Religion Editor The concept of heaven or any kind of afterlife is a "fairy story," famed British scientist Stephen Hawking said in a newspaper interview this week. "I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail," the physicist said in an interview published Sunday in Britain's Guardian newspaper. "There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark." Hawking, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - a terminal and debilitating illness that causes loss of mobility and impairs speech - at age 21 and was not expected to live long after, also talked with The Guardian about his own mortality. "I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years," said Hawking, 69. "I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first." In a book published last year, Hawking wrote that God did not create the universe, in what he said was an attempt to banish a divine creator from physics. Hawking says in the book "The Grand Design" that given the existence of gravity, "the universe can and will create itself from nothing." "Spontaneous creation is the reason why there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," he wrote in the introduction of the book, which was published in September. "It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper (fuse) and set the universe going," Hawking wrote. CNN's Richard Greene contributed to this report. soundoff (4,469 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Wow. We will have to discredit everything he ever said about science now. He says so metter of factly that there is no after life like he absolutely knows. How? How does he know? Im not saying that there is 100 percent chance that there is an after life but damn! No one knows! You will never know until you die. The man is a genious but he has gottent his one wrong. There is no way to be certain that there is no after life. Just as there is no way to be certain that there are 11 defferent demenions instead of the 4 that exsisted before him.
At this point Mr. Hawking may need to concern himself more with Hell.
Why is there gravity instead of no gravity?
Because a committee consisting of the Invisible Pink Unicorn, the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the Almighty Chocolate Dachshund voted 2-1 in favor of creating it. The Almighty Chocolate Dachshund, as the one voting in the minority, was then voted off the board. This explains both why there is gravity and why there are no adherents of the Almighty Chocolate Dachshund on this blog. Now try to beat THAT, Jehovah!!!!!
The man has a supreme understanding of physics and the laws that govern nature. Those that believe in things such as heaven are the ignorant ones. To accept heaven is to accept hell, that a God banishes people to suffer forever. If God exists than he has given the insight to explore these ideas. He has provided all the evidence that scientists now use to piece together the inner workings of his creation. Otherwise, God has planted all this evidence to deceive good people, which most would say is not in His nature. One cannot be scientifically illiterate anymore, you do injustice to our race, as well as your religion. What is more likely, that everything we are piecing together through science is flawed, discoveries that have provided cell phones, medicine and changes our civilization, or that Mans understanding of God is flawed?
Brother, you may wanna find a scripture that has not been altered or modified. Jesus never said he himself is GOD. If God wants to make everyone Pious, HE can destroy mankind and replace with righteous creation. HE does not have to come on earth to Guide us or show us the right path. Every single thing happens here on earth whether we see it, hear it, face or confront it, all happens for a reason. GOD is one, HE has no partners. Many believe (Christians) that since Jesus had a miraculous birth, he is GOD. GOD created Adam and Eve from nothing so in this case they both should be the greatest GODs (astaghfirallah). To please Allah (GOD), we all have to believe in all the teachings of all Prophets from (Adam the final messenger Muhammad (PBUH)), believe in all the revelations (the books) sent to them and do not compare them to GOD and associate them to GOD, be righteous, do good to people whether in your faith and religion or else other, do not harm anyone, do not kill anyone, be right and generous in all your doings, believe in Allah (SWT) and judgement day and hereafter, respect your elders and love your youngers, don't lie and don't do anything that Allah (SWT) has forbid you to do. All the Prophets were and is normal human beings like everyone else but pious, righteous, rightly guided, the most beloved by Allah, and whom Allah (GOD) sent them upon thier ummah (the followers) to guide them to the straight path. Jesus (PBUH) is a messenger and he has not been crucified but has been raised to heaven and he who will return to correct all the followers who are in error that he is GOD and he had been crucified.
Hawkin is just another signs on earth, having extraordinary knowledge sometimes misguides one but not to blame the knowledge here. It is indeed the whisper of the EVIL who is misguided and who will try misguide every single human being till judgement day. Allah (SWT) knows the best. HE is all knowing and all wise and to whom we belong and to whom we will return.
Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered. (136) And if they believe in the like of that which ye believe, then are they rightly guided. But if they turn away, then are they in schism, and Allah will suffice thee (for defence) against them. He is the Hearer, the Knower. (137) (We take our) colour from Allah, and who is better than Allah at colouring. We are His worshippers. (138) Say (unto the People of the Scripture): Dispute ye with us concerning Allah when He is our Lord and your Lord? Ours are our works and yours your works. We look to Him alone. (139) Or say ye that Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know best, or doth Allah? And who is more unjust than he who hideth a testimony which he hath received from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what ye do. (140) Those are a people who have passed away; theirs is that which they earned and yours that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do. (141) The foolish of the people will say: What hath turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guideth whom He will unto a straight path. (142.....Al-Baqara Chapter 2: Verse 136-142
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Verily, those who purchase disbelief at the price of Faith, not the least harm will they do to Allâh. For them, there is a painful torment. (177) And let not the disbelievers think that Our postponing of their punishment is good for them. We postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in sinfulness. And for them is a disgracing torment. (178) Allâh will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allâh disclose to you the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allâh chooses of His Messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allâh and His Messengers. And if you believe and fear Allâh, then for you there is a great reward. (179) .....Al-E-Imran Chapter 3 Verse 177-179.
Jesus' words of assurance “I am going there to prepare a place for you” “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
Well, since its free speech, Let me quote...you guessed it, THE BIBLE. I wish the CNN moderator would post my earlier comment, It would bring things into perspective: The Fool says in his heart, there is no God...." Am sure if you google, you will find out which scripture is that.
The point of the article here being that computers don't go to heaven? Well, I guess leaving out soul from an (artificial) system, the main things which would seem that are different (aside from biochemical construction) between humans and computers are feelings and emotions, and thought, or consciousness. Many feelings are somewhat programmed though, thought works a lot based on algorithms, and (from I did read) medicine isn't able, or capable, of proving consciousness per se (eg. medical case of person who was considered to be in coma but who was aware of what is going on). From a philosophical viewpoint "Cogito ergo sum / I think therefore I am" might be considered a self-proof I guess. So or so, I agree that it is pointless to bury computers or game consoles in the garden or in cemetries. Better to bring or send it to some recycle center than to bury and cause harm to environment by substances from hardware.
I hope that Hawkings will not die until he see truthfulness of God and realised his mistakes.
I get the feeling that in his old age, Hawkings is getting a bit full of himself. He may be the smartest man alive, with an understanding of the tangible, but that does not equate to being the wisest man alive.
There are somethings he's good at, and those things are that which we can see. He'd be best served to stay away from speaking good or ill about faith's. which is based on things we cant see.
Carry on.
I very much appreciate the various arguments made by so many people. However, and I did not read all of the comments, I did not see anything relative to NDE's (Near Death Experiences). My son passed away six weeks ago and although I have been an agnostic for years, I now want more than ever to believe in an after life. I refuse to jump on the bandwagon of religion but my receptors in my brain and heart are very much open now.... My search continues but in a very personal and hopeful way. I have read of thousands of NDE;s and their reports of an anfter life are extremely Lucid and seem very authentic. Many occur when the brain and heart have stopped functioning and, unlike a normal dream, are extremely lucid. I hope someone comments about the "reality" of these NDE experiences because I so want to believe because I so want for my soul, or energy, to meet my son in the unknown cosmos that we all share and know so little about.
James,
I am so very, very sorry for your loss of your son. My sincere sympathy goes out to you.
I am agnostic, so I'm afraid that I don't have an answer to your afterlife quandary. We just don't know. We do know however that your son exquisitely touched your life and the lives of others... and that is very meaningful and real. Hold onto that experience and savor it.
Projecting an afterlife is a comforting idea... maybe our departed loved ones' 'spirits', life forces or energy are out there in some form in some other dimension, but maybe not. I have lost numerous dear ones, some even with a pact to let me know what's up after they were gone, if anything - nothing yet from any of them. I recall their words and actions and can fantasize how they might react to current situations, but that doesn't make it real. We don't know... and maybe we aren't equipped with the qualities of brainpower or essence to ever know.
Take care, and I wish you peace.
Every NDE I've ever read about where a person was being monitored at a hospital and the medical report is available had one thing in common: the people were never actually considered brain dead and there was still some activity in the brain.
So what is more likely?
That the person dying was on the cusp of the afterlife and that's what they were seeing?
Or that the person was experiencing hallucinations induced by a lack of oxygen to and trauma to the brain resulting in fluctuating and erratic brain function?
I can honestly say I have never been this disappointed in both CNN and a renowned scientist like Mr. Hawking. Why? Why have this clearly non-news story that atheists do not like religion? It just bumps real news to the bottom of the pile. And why Mr. Hawking? Why is it necessary to go out of your way to disprove religion or whatever? How does that help humanity? It's just a big pile of WHY.
Poor guy.
GOD IS GOD, HE CAME TO GIVE U A NEW LIFE, A LIFE IN HIM. TO BE STRONG AND TO WORSHIP HIM. HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL EVER REALY MATTER IN LIFE...HOPE U SURRENDER TO HIM HE CAN GIVE U EVERLASTING LIFE <3 HE WILL CHANGE UR LIFE AND RENEW YOU...JESUS LUVS YOU<3...JOHN 3:16
Brother, you may wanna find a scripture that has not been altered or modified. Jesus never said he himself is GOD. If God wants to make everyone Pious, HE can destroy mankind and replace with righteous creation. HE does not have to come on earth to Guide us or show us the right path. Every single thing happens here on earth whether we see it, hear it, face or confront it, all happens for a reason. GOD is one, HE has no partners. Many believe (Christians) that since Jesus had a miraculous birth, he is GOD. GOD created Adam and Eve from nothing so in this case they both should be the greatest GODs (astaghfirallah). To please Allah (GOD), we all have to believe in all the teachings of all Prophets from (Adam the final messenger Muhammad (PBUH)), believe in all the revelations (the books) sent to them and do not compare them to GOD and associate them to GOD. All the Prophets were and is normal human beings like everyone else but pious, righteous, rightly guided, the most beloved by Allah, and whom Allah (GOD) sent them upon thier ummah (the followers) to guide them to the straight path. Jesus (PBUH) is a messenger and he has not been crucified but has been raised to heaven and he who will return to correct all the followers who are in error that he is GOD and he had been crucified.
Hawkin is just another signs on earth, having extraordinary knowledge sometimes misguides one but not to blame the knowledge here. It is indeed the whisper of the EVIL who is misguided and who will try misguide every single human being till judgement day. Allah (SWT) knows the best. HE is all knowing and all wise and to whom we belong and to whom we will return.
Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have surrendered. (136) And if they believe in the like of that which ye believe, then are they rightly guided. But if they turn away, then are they in schism, and Allah will suffice thee (for defence) against them. He is the Hearer, the Knower. (137) (We take our) colour from Allah, and who is better than Allah at colouring. We are His worshippers. (138) Say (unto the People of the Scripture): Dispute ye with us concerning Allah when He is our Lord and your Lord? Ours are our works and yours your works. We look to Him alone. (139) Or say ye that Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know best, or doth Allah? And who is more unjust than he who hideth a testimony which he hath received from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what ye do. (140) Those are a people who have passed away; theirs is that which they earned and yours that which ye earn. And ye will not be asked of what they used to do. (141) The foolish of the people will say: What hath turned them from the qiblah which they formerly observed? Say: Unto Allah belong the East and the West. He guideth whom He will unto a straight path. (142.....Al-Baqara Chapter 2: Verse 136-142
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Verily, those who purchase disbelief at the price of Faith, not the least harm will they do to Allâh. For them, there is a painful torment. (177) And let not the disbelievers think that Our postponing of their punishment is good for them. We postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in sinfulness. And for them is a disgracing torment. (178) Allâh will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. Nor will Allâh disclose to you the secrets of the Ghaib (unseen), but Allâh chooses of His Messengers whom He wills. So believe in Allâh and His Messengers. And if you believe and fear Allâh, then for you there is a great reward. (179) .....Al-E-Imran Chapter 3 Verse 177-179.
God will come to show Prof Hawkings that he is wrong.
Ganesha... the elephant headed god, that it. All the others are false gods. Hope this clarified things for people as I noticed some confusion as to the true maker of heaven and earth. Peace. 🙂
testing
I don't know if there's life after death, but I suspect there is. It makes no sense to me that God would create us (the being within the body that eventually passes on) for only one "go-around". We're too amazingly made, with our capacities for enlightened consciousness, will, communion, creation, co-creation, expression. And certainly one's consciousness is bigger than the brain. But I think the point is, not to try to get into heaven or look forward to that, but to bring heaven on earth, here and now. Our world needs it, and so do the people around us. Not in a preachy way, but in being who we are–divine beings with human capacities. I wrote about the article on my blog, and I invite you to check it out.
http://spiritnexus.blogspot.com/
For those damning Hawking... If God exists, is this almighty powerful being that stuck on people "believing" that he will actually deny good people from eternity? Which God should he believe in – we have quite a few in worship today... What if you happen to pick the wrong God, will you be denied eternity? What if you were born and raised and have only been taught Allah is the God? Or, Jesus is God? See, this is the huge flaw I see with fundamentalists and I have never heard a reasonable answer. The argument that you must believe the way I believe OR ELSE... Then there are millions who are doomed simply because they were born in the wrong locale. Now, if we throw that out, that you don't have to choose your God, I would say, even atheists would be accepted into eternity. Refute please. I really want an answer to this. I've approached leaders of all faiths and they give me a nonsense answer...
Rambo – You are completely correct, God is a loving heavenly father who cares about ALL of his children. Just as it says in 1 Corinthians 40-42, all will be resurrected to the state of which they deserve. Some people wont have the opportunity in this life to accept Christ and be baptized, but all will have that opportunity before the resurrection. But, only those who accept Christ, were baptized by the right authority(In this life or before the resurrection), and truly repented of their sins throughout their life will have the opportunity to live with God. Those good people who still dont fully accept Christ will still be resurrected to a state of glory, but not have the opportunity to live with God. I hope it makes sense!
For those damning Hawking... If God exists, is this almighty powerful being that stuck on people "believing" that he will actually deny good people from eternity? Which God should he believe in – we have quite a few in worship today... What if you happen to pick the wrong God, will you be denied eternity? What if you were born and raised and have only been taught Allah is the God? Or, Jesus is God? See, this is the huge flaw I see with fundamentalists and I have never heard a reasonable answer. The argument that you must believe the way I believe OR ELSE... Then there are millions who are doomed simply because they were born in the wrong locale. Now, if we throw that out, that you don't have to choose your God, I would say, even atheists would be accepted into eternity. Refute please. I really want an answer to this. I've approached leaders of all faiths and they give me a nonsense answer...
All these are good questions and concerns. I hope you read this whole response at that it helps answer them!
"If God exists, is this almighty powerful being that stuck on people "believing" that he will actually deny good people from eternity?"
You trivialize the Christian God too much by saying he is "stuck on people 'believing'." In Christian theology, freewill is a gift to mankind, that he may worship God freely. This is man's purpose. Also, the word "believing" has been diluted in our culture today. When Christ called people to believe, he didn't ask them to say some special prayer that magically saves them from hell. He called for disciples, followers who would deny themselves and pursue God's will as the ultimate end. So it's not a matter of simple "belief," because the disciple of Christ is called to die to himself, take up his cross, and follow Christ in the transformation of his new self.
You're bothered by "good" people being denied entry into heaven just because they don't "believe" in the right God. I hope I cleared up the problem with simplifying "belief." Now to clear up the problem with the word "good." Who are "good" people? Who decides who is good or who is bad? Christian theology is very clear that *all* mankind, every single human ever born (save Christ) has sinned and therefore fallen short of righteousness. In short, nobody is good, and nobody deserves heaven. By sacrificing himself, God allowed sinful man to be made pure (through Christ's blood), not through doing good things but by believing in him (here I mean *true* belief, as Christ taught it, not the watered-down meaning it has today). Aside from this, nobody may enter heaven.
I'd also like to clarify the concept of hell. The common image of a soul going to hell is God vengefully throwing him into a pit of flames, saying, "Sorry, you had your chance! Now you must pay!" This, however, is misleading. Sin is a perversion of God's will, and sin means ultimately separation from God. When someone sins, it is because they desire their own will-something ultimately empty and unfulfilling-over that of God's. They actively and consistently choose not to follow what is good and pure. The afterlife is simply a continuation of this–after one's death, the soul continues its trajectory. For someone who rejects God, hell is a continuation of the person's desire to separate themselves from God. It is the end of the road, where the person finally reaches the place they desire. From Dante's Divine Comedy to Lewis' Great Divorce, this understanding of hell has been widespread in Christian thought.
I also see you're bothered by the idea of choosing the "right God." This should not be a problem. Analyze the major tenants, histories, etc. of the world's major religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism...). Seek earnestly and I believe God will not lead you astray. If one is exclusively true, it should be evident. Personally, I have found compelling evidence confirming my belief in Christ's deity and resurrection.
"there are millions who are doomed simply because they were born in the wrong locale"
This is an even more understandable concern: what happens to people who never hear about Jesus? A big problem is that the Bible seems to be largely quiet on the subject. However, Paul seems to touch on this in Romans 1-2:
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20)
Paul says here that God is evident through the natural world. In fact, he says it is so obvious that God exists that nobody is without excuse for not believing in him.
"For when Gentiles [nonbelievers] who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus." (Romans 2:14-16)
Here, Paul says that even nonbelievers know naturally what is right and wrong, even without the Bible. Many Christians think this passage shows that those who never hear the gospel will be judged by their conscience. It's still fairly debated.
However, this issue is irrelevant as to whether or not God exists. You can assess whether Christianity is true or not through independent criteria (religious experience, historical evidence, etc.). If you realize that the God of the Bible does exist, then he is just and morally perfect (as taught in the Bible), and you can trust that he will treat those who were never given a chance to hear the gospel, even if it is not explicitly stated in the Bible.
I'm sorry that you've been so dissatisfied with answers you've gotten in the past! I hope this helps you understand Christianity a little better!
In Islam,
1) those who never heard of the Islamic principles,perhaps because they were living too far off
2)those who where exposed to Islam with false claims about the religion(thus misleading them into like islamophobia),
will NOT go to hell, but will have a test to enter heaven, just as we humans are tested. God never punishes about belief, unless people have been warned.
A great scholar of Islam Ibn Al-Qayyim said: 'Giving evidence against someone is different due to different conditions, times and persons. Giving Allah’s Evidence against man’s rejection of Faith might differ from time to another, or a place or town to other. It is also different from one person to another due to the lack of intellectual ability or, ability to discern or the age (not reached the age of puberty) such as a minor or a mad person, or the one who cannot understand the language of address without a translation.
A few sholars, like Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya, do believe in the non-eternity of Hell. It is a minority, but it is still an opinion held by such a great scholar.
It is extremely sad that one of the greatest minds of all times denies GOD. It strikes the essence of our existence, humility and submission through smart reflection. Arrogance, anger and desire, are the black holes of great minds, crushes it all through infinite cosmic twisters. I bit though; GOD is keeping Dr. Hawking for a purpose. It is ironic, while he can attend to the most stubborn problems, he can’t realize his. It is extremely sad, that such an inspiring human contrast would convey that devastating failure of heart and mind in pursing comprehension, modesty and obedience.
God is simply the explanation for that which we do not understand. Why are we asked to believe? The answer always boils down to "Because..." And I learned that that is never a proper reply to a question. As human knowledge increases, that which was attributed to the supernatural becomes part of the body of physical laws. This trend has continued since time immemorial.
Mathieu, Why are we asked to believe? We are here on earth to have our faith tested(much more than that but this for the questions sake) Would there be a point to a test if we were given the answers? We are to continuously learn about God, thus continuously increase our believe/faith in Him.
@ c-casa said, "We are here on earth to have our faith tested(much more than that but this for the questions sake) Would there be a point to a test if we were given the answers?" This makes no sense. If God is really God, He already knows who will accept him and who will not, so why bother to test our faith? This is "made-up" theology. And don't start with the "free will" explanation. I believe we have free will, but if God already knows who will accept or reject him in advance, that makes us nothing more than mice in a great cosmic lab experiment. If God exists at all, He did not create us simply to test us and then destroy those who don't comply. If we end up destroying ourselves, and/or our planet, we will only have ourselves to blame. God gave us the intelligence and the natural resources to make things work here in this huge universe, but we cannot blame him if we destory it all, and we should not look to God to come and "save us".
"Arrogance"? Your the ones who think the entire universe was created for humans. Hawking is saying we are nothing, insignificant specks of dust that will be forgotten soon after we are dead. That's the complete opposite of arrogance, that's brave.
I just want to drop my 2 cents in here. I have a hard time buying any of the so called organized religions. But one thing science lovers and even religious people can agree on is that humans are on a higher level of awareness than are monkeys. So we can perceive things that monkeys can't. Isn't it logically to assume there's an even higher level of perception than us, one we aren't aware of in our current state?
Absof******lutely. And another thing coming from a radio astronomer and particle physics nerd. I felt Hawking's comment was arrogant. He can think how he wishes. And god knows, religion has caused more wars than money, but nevertheless, he did it in a mean way. But I still love him...no threat to my beliefs or non-beliefs....
There is no god. Religion is a farce. Open your eyes. Religions are made up by men only a few thousand years ago. "I look at the spots on exotic animals and know that god exists". LOL!