Renowned scientist Stephen Hawking is suffering the brunt of severe criticism for dismissing the idea of Heaven as "a fairy story."

In an interview, the 69-year-old scientist recently compared human brain to a computer and said, “There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”

Stephen Green, director of Religious group Christian Voice, condemned Hawking’s views, saying comparing human brain to a computer shows that the scientist is able to consider things in a materialist way only. He stressed that people who have belief in the afterlife do not do so because they are afraid of death.

Green added that belief in God drive out the fear of the dark. He expressed surprise why Hawking failed to comprehend the spiritual dimension.

It is not the first time that Hawking has made religious groups angry. Only last year, he caused a revolt with his book entitled “Grand Design” which dismisses God. The book states that the Universe was not created by God. It creates itself spontaneously.

Hawking is nearly totally paralyzed and bound to wheelchair due to motor neurone disease that was diagnosed when he was 21.