Likewise, when Stephen Hawking announced recently, with messianic certainty, that God could not have created the Universe, he sounded only like a spiteful child, hoping to make his baby brother cry by revealing there is no Santa Claus.

I've read Hawking's book. There is no messianic certainty in it at all. Throughout he is cordial and witty. The only messianic certainty I'm aware of comes from, well you know, the religious. She does get one thing right however, believing in a God is on the same level as believing in Santa Claus and eventually, despite the feelings of your little brother, there comes a time when you have to tell him it's all made up. Sometimes they'll figure it out themselves, but you can't take the risk of having them grow up to be a pathetic adult sitting by their fire place praying for the jolly red man to appear just one more time.