Did He Really Say That?

I saw an article that claims Stephen Hawking’s book states the universe “created itself from nothing.”

“Created itself from nothing” was in quotes.

Does anybody know if Hawking really says this?

To say that matter has always existed is one thing. Your average run of the mill stupid atheist might actually believe the material infinite can exist.

To say that there can be an infinite regress of cause is one thing. You average run of the mill stupid atheist might believe this is possible.

But to say that matter can bring itself into existence - out of nothing - well - what do you do with something like that? Even by atheist standards this is profoundly absurd. I could understand if a statement like that came from your average run of the mill stupid atheist. In fact I've heard it many times. But from Hawking?

I know this guy once said that the universe came about in imaginary time and imaginary space. And I know that run of the mill atheists, your average stupid atheist might say that everything came from nothing by nothing, but Hawking?

Did he really say that?

Hawking says that gravity plays a role in the creation of the universe; gravity acting on mass and energy, space and time. Fine, but is he calling that nothing?

I know that run of the mill atheists, your average stupid atheist might describe nothing as a “really tiny bit of mass / energy surrounded by a really tiny bit of space" (Yes! I've heard more than one atheist say that), but is Hawking trying to make us believe that mass and energy are nothing?

Did Hawking really say that?

As ludicrous as all the other Atheist Origin Of The Universe Mythologies are, everything coming from nothing by nothing - everything bringing itself into existence - the universe creating itself from nothing really tops them all.

As big as finding Higgs Boson would be, to have Stephen Hawking make statements this stupid would be even bigger.

Did he really say these things?

After thinking about this some more, it makes me wonder. Hawking saying something this ridiculous is perhaps residue from when he left his Christian wife for another woman. That kind of emotion, perhaps him resisting feelings of real guilt would make a little bit of sense. The kind of mental turmoil from doing that to your wife, especially where two opposing world-views were at stake, opposing world-views that were debated at length between the two of them might explain in some way such a ridiculous statement as the universe brought itself into existence from nothing - that God was not needed. Maybe he just can't stand to lose an argument to his ex and is still pushing the issue to the point of joining your average run of the mill stupid atheist.