Stephen Hawking had a simple answer when asked whether he believed in God

Stephen Hawking shared his views on God and the afterlife in his final book, and his answer was simple.

It’s a common belief that religion and science cannot go hand-in-hand.

With this in mind, it wouldn’t be difficult to assume Stephen Hawking’s position on religion, as one of the greatest scientists of our time.

He died at the age of 76 in 2018, and is best known for a book he released in 2002 titled The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe.

Hawking was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - a type of motor neurone disease - in 1963, when he was just 21 years old.

After being told he had just two years left to live, he became the longest-living ALS survivor.

Hawking revealed his views in his final book before his death. (HOMAS LOHNES/DDP/AFP via Getty Images)

Using an advanced computer system, he was able to communicate with people using a keyboard on the screen which was controlled by detecting his cheek movements.

Referencing his disability in his final book Brief Answers to the Big Questions, he wrote: “For centuries, it was believed that disabled people like me were living under a curse that was inflicted by God.

“Well, I suppose it's possible that I've upset someone up there, but I prefer to think that everything can be explained another way, by the laws of nature.

"If you believe in science, like I do, you believe that there are certain laws that are always obeyed.

"There’s probably no Heaven." (Karwai Tang/WireImage)

“If you like, you can say the laws are the work of God, but that is more a definition of God than a proof of his existence.”

He then went on to write about his opinions regarding the afterlife, adding: “We are each free to believe what we want and it’s my view that the simplest explanation is there is no God.

"No one created the universe and no one directs our fate.

“This leads me to a profound realisation, there’s probably no heaven and no afterlife, either.

“We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe and for that I am extremely grateful.”

Talking to the BBC about the future of the universe, he noted how AI could be the final straw for humanity.

He said: “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.

“It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate.”