Hare Krishna.
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
The reason why some scientists are held in the highest respect in our human society is because they are in constant search for the Truth, the complete knowledge and we know that knowledge is priceless.
The works of some great scientists such as Einstein, Faraday, Tesla are respected so highly because their research work is completely devoid of corruption and deceit and based on pure unbiased curiosity to understand the universal knowledge.
But these great scientists do not believe in God, in spite of selfless devotion to their work. So this very devotion to work and curiosity or hunger to understand the world is a form of sense gratification through mind?
Your servant.
Replies
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
The information with us is that both Sir Issac Newton and Einstein were firm believers of God. About Stephen Hawking, I am not aware.
If I understand you correctly, your point is that when scientists do their discoveries and are respected so much in the material world, is it simply sense gratification on a mental level?
Answer is that they are merely doing their job, which is discovering how God's creation works. This can be in the mode of passion or ignorance, depending on their field of research and their level of conscousness. Generally,it is not in the mode of goodness unless they have firm faith in God and are doing the research to establish God Consciousness in the society.
I hope that answers your question.
Your servant,
Rashmi
Hare krishna,
As far as I know, Einstein, Newton have faith on God. Newton also challenged the theory of Creation of Universe by chance.
Also Stephen Hopkins is on the same path but he could not say it.