According to Stephen Hawking There is No God: Really?

I am sure you’ve read the latest news article that “G” doesn’t exist according to the brilliant Stephen Hawking.

Yes, it’s not nice to talk about religion in the net, but I wanted to share something to young people (teens, early 20s) who may be influenced by the latest talks or media releases that “G” is a myth.

And I understand that nowadays with the myriad of hi-tech products around, and exposure to earning big bucks so fast due to an online business---human genius and technological innovations may seem all there is in life.

With so much fascinating human-made stuff you can enjoy at home, many might not be exposed to the ‘majesty’ of nature (where a lot of people say they felt connected to “G” or a “higher being”).

Is it just because nature is beautiful there must be a God? No, but it is beyond reason ---you feel it, or something inside you convinces you and you cannot totally share WHY. Again, for me it’s not UN-reasonable but beyond reason.

Many of us also do not get involved in our community anymore (that includes me). But I also recall the times that I felt “G” when I experience being with people who are ‘joyfully’ helping others.

Makes me think of the NYC Prep reality show wherein you get the idea that rich, young people do community work mainly to earn points in their college application. (Still, ANY money helps the charity org. but I don’t know if they felt “G” or some sense of higher purpose in life.)

Now, let me share with you something that happened to my family to show you why I don’t believe we humans are the highest, most intelligent being in the universe; or that “everything is just random” and that there is nothing or no “G” whom if we allow to be in our lives, will be there.

I know hearing some unsolicited talk about God is a pain for some people. Listen to my story first.

We took a mortgage to be able to buy a condo for rent or resale (around 2000-2001).Then the real estate industry crashed and we owed more than what the house was worth.

And since we cannot repay, or sell the condo, we were about to face foreclosure (about 4-5 years of making as much payments we can and working with lawyers-who were family as well).

We certainly did not know if were making the right decision to let go of the house and start over, or keep our faith.

- While the surrounding units in our CONDO were being sold, we were not able to close a sale for 3-4 years. Always near misses. And since the value of the condo depreciated, even if we sold it, we still owe millions more.

- Then on the 4^th year or so, we received a letter that some debts of the bank were being bought by an investor, but they asked us if we wanted to get our contract out of the "debt bundle" being sold by the bank and have our debt remain with the bank, we can do so.

- *And since we are not in the U.S., there is no strictly implemented debt collection fair practices act here, we got harassed in the phone, insulted, until I said to my family, “You do not actually need to hear them, you can put the phone down.” [Heck, our culture is generally carefree and I dun know why it’s not normal for us to slam a phone down---[or shoot a hostage taker given a chance—in the HK bus fatality in Manila].

- Most of us wanted to get the contract out from the ‘debt pile’ but my mom’s gut was saying no.

Then with millions in outstanding balance and high interest, we wanted to just sell the house and buy/lease a smaller one. Reasonable right? Again my mom said no. It was our family home.

- Then of course since our debt was sold to the investor, we had to renegotiate again. And yes because of being dutiful in putting our money paying all the interest in our debt when we had money, we do not have any savings left over to continue doing so.

- At this point, we were convincing our mom to foreclose the property already, and use our remaining money to lease them a house. Rational, college educated children who think they know better because our banker friends told us so, confirmed by our research, and expert articles (I cited to my mom) telling us that we will be better off if we foreclose. (And resenting the fact that we are throwing in money at a bottomless pit.)

So now, we begin the next round of talks with the investor who bought our debt. (Experience is emotionally draining. I never want to be put in a defensive position again and feeling dumb for allowing ourselves to get into this kind of problem).

- With every demand the investor asked us, we had nothing to say but “We have no money. No more cars to sell. No more big jewelry items either.” Our combined salaries were not enough (some of us got unemployed). At that point, we know we would rather file for bankruptcy rather than not have any money to at least pay for rent, food, and schooling.

- But around this time, there was a lot of news about the U.S. financial/mortgage crisis, and that some Phil. Banks and investors also lost money from the U.S. crisis. So pessimism was heavy.

- Then, we got a call from an interested buyer. (Hell, we have many of those but they never turned into a close sale.)

- Then without getting excited at all, we sold the condo---still knowing it is not enough to pay our family debt.

- But I can’t still believe until this day---and because of it I promised my mom to try going to church again----------the investor who bought the debt accepted a much lower amount to clear the debt.

- Now 2010, after finally having the mental courage to think and talk about this experience again. (Hell, I just wanted to forget the experience. I thought my parents were going to die from a heart attack and stress, and I felt useless since I don’t have that amount of money to do anything really helpful.)--- I recalled how my mom kept repeating that “G” in all her life (65+ years) had always helped her overcome BIG problems.

- And now, Stephen Hawking's declaration that “G” is not necessary for the Universe to exist made me look back at my experience this way:

- IF our condo got sold years earlier (when the financial world was not yet convinced of the enormity of the financial crisis or how long it was going to take to recover); I don’t think the bank or the investor who bought the debt would have been satisfied with lowering the debt a higher percentage.

- IF we made a request for our debt not to be included in the debt pile being sold to the investor, I don’t think our debt would also be reduced drastically. In our community we have heard friends and neighbours telling us that it was tougher to negotiate with the bank (due to the banking crisis, their hands were also tied).

-(Back then we thought it was better to have a bank as a creditor, rather than an investor we did not know or who might be “less professional than dealing with debtors”.)

- And now (2010) I believe that “G” had something to do with the TIMING and my MOM’s “ G”ut not to follow the traditional approach of going into foreclosure and thinking that we as a family won’t be able to solve our problem.

- (Honestly, I did not think we could solve our problem.) My mom who always believed in “G” was more confident that she could do something, that we as a family could do something.

- So now, what do I think about what Stephen Hawking said. Of course, science/scientists helps us understand many things, and help us uncover the mystery of the universe to an amazing extent. But there are still things in this life that are beyond the empirical measure.

- Is it UN-reasonable? No---it is just beyond reason.

· I know it’s hard to feel the truth from someone else’s experience, but my only aim is to encourage others to consider that the debate about “G” is not yet over, since Stephen Hawking said so. Really!