Dr. Stephen Hawking: "There is no heaven."

News item – Stephen Hawking, the celebrated theoretical physicist announced that there is no heaven… That is Professor S W Hawking CH CBE FRS, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0WA. United Kingdom.

Well, I could not resist sending him an email to ask about ghosts. “Professor Hawking, Have you ever seen or heard a ghost? I realize it is impossible for me to convince anyone they exist. However, once someone sees or hears one, that experience changes things. Over the past 35 years, I have seen and heard several ghosts. I am convinced it was not my imagination.”

Within short order, I received an automatic reply: “Thank you for your email to Professor Hawking. As you can imagine, Prof. Hawking receives many such every day. He very much regrets that due to the severe limitations he works under, and the enormous number of requests he receives, he is unable to compose a reply to every message, and we do not have the resources to deal with many of the specific scientific enquiries and theories we receive.Please see the website http://www.hawking.org.uk for more information about Professor Hawking, his life and his work. Yours faithfully Sam Blackburn Technical Assistant toProfessor S W Hawking CH CBE FRS”

Needless to say, the comments by Dr. Hawking have caused a bit of controversy.

Heaven could have a different meaning to different people. On a basic level, some believe the streets are paved with gold. Others refer to heaven as, “the other side.” Near death survivors have described “the tunnel, and the white light.” Researches have concluded that is caused by blood deprivation to the brain.

As of May 17, 2011, the estimated world population is 6,918,900,000, almost 7 Billion people. Of that number, I would guess that 5/8ths of the planet’s population (.625%) believe in some form of afterlife or reintarnation, I mean, reincarnation. That would be about 4,324,312,500 people.

Considering all of the types of civilization on our planet, from very primitive or tribal to very contemporary city living, many people believe in reincarnation. They celebrate their ancestors, and in some cases carry their remains or parts of the remains with them. It is mostly the westernized societies with the variety of religions, which put the kybosh on “life after life.”

When King James edited his version of the Bible, back in 1605, he was very conservative, and concerned about protecting his beliefs and prerogatives. However, there is one area where he might have dozed off a bit. Psalm 121:7, 8. “7. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

Reincarnationists believe in going out and coming in. The Bible is saying the Lord will preserve thy soul; and, thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” What exactly does that mean? Is that a veiled reference to reincarnation, and how the Lord will protect one forever? Many people believe that to be true.

The fact that the earliest Bibles mention soul, means the possibility of ghosts.

Many years ago, I owned half interest in and managed a full liquor store and delicatessen. I had hired a sandwhich maker/deli attendant/cashier, and was explaining proper food handling procedure to her, with the help of two other workers.

She asked if we had a restroom. I said, “Yes, it’s upstairs. Go upstairs and down the hall, then turn left, and turn left again, and you will find it on your left. Be careful about showing your toosh, because we have ghosts in this building.” She looked at the three of us, and me like I was nuts. She said, “I do not believe in them. There is no such thing as ghosts.”

As soon as she said that, a ghost ran up the stairs and down the hall. All of us could hear the bump, bump bump, thump, thump thump, as whatever it was ran up the stairs and down the hall. I had goosebumps big enough to cut with a razor blade.

“I said, well, there you go! What was making that running noise?” Jennifer and Michelle laughed a nervous laugh. Both of them said, “You’ll get used to it.”

She did go upstairs and completed her detail, and thankfully, nothing more happened. Many years later, I still find it interesting that a ghost was standing there, listening to our conversation. With precise timing, the ghost sprang into action – in an attempt to convince a non–believer.

So, I wonder how Dr. Hawking would explain multiple experiences like that, where more than one person sees or hears the same thing?