Anthony Flew, a former atheist who discovered God, RIP

PatrickMadrid ^ | April 23, 2010 | Patrick Madrid

[NYer]

World Pays Tribute on Death of Atheist Turned Believer

Leading academics, philosophers and members of the Christian faith across the world continue to pay tribute to Antony Flew, the famed British atheist and thinker who discovered God at the end of his life.

The renowned rationalist philosopher died earlier this month at age 87 and continues to be remembered in obituaries and tributes world-wide.

Those paying tribute to him include Catholic Theology professors from the Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, well known American rabbis such as Rabbi Brad Hirshfield from New York and leading philosphers from academia such as Dr Gary Habermas.

Describing Flew as one of the great intellectuals of his time, Rabbi Hirschfield lauded the Englishman's "intellectual generosity."

The son of a Methodist minister, Antony Flew spent most of his life denying the existence of God until just six years before his death when he dramatically changed his mind after studying research into genetics and DNA.

"The almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce life, show that intelligence must have been involved," he announced in 2004 and went on to make a video of his conversion called : "Has Science Discovered God."

Ironically, although modern day atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens claim in the rational world of science there is no proof of God exists, it is from the world of science that Antony Flew in his final years discovered "empirical evidence" that God exists, which overturned beliefs he had held for more than 60 years.

Like Einstein before him, Flew found that God was the only possible answer when it came to increasingly complex discoveries from sub atomic particles to the human genome to the very origins of the Cosmos.

"How can a universe of mindless matter produce beings with intrinsic ends, self replication capabilities and ‘coded chemistry'?" he asked, giving this as the main reason for his discovery of God in his final decade.

Flew's conclusion that there was in fact a God in his 81st year came as a shock to his fellow atheists, particularly Dawkins and Hitchens two of the world's most outspoken proponents of atheism.

But Flew refused to back down even when some of his former followers decided his volte-face on God was the result of old age dementia and confusion rather than scholarly research and intellectual rigour.

Flew's late life change of mind about God's existence was remarkable because of the huge volume of his writings which until then had embraced the atheist cause. Throughout most of his academic life he was adamant that one should presuppose atheism until there was empirical evidence to the contrary. Then in his final decade through as DNA and the human genome began to be understood along with the complexities of life, Flew found evidence which proved to him God exists and is the Creator of life. And from being a rationalist philosopher and non-believer for most of his life, one of the world's leading thinkers suddenly became a staunch believer.

"The most impressive arguments for God's existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries," he said. . . . (continue reading)

[NYer]

Good news ping!

[the invisib1e hand]

I guess Anthony flew.

[the invisib1e hand]

discovered God at the end of his life.

Discovered him, eh? Like a new element? Like "Neilsbohrium?" Maybe they should name G*d after him. That's it. G*d now has a name: Anthony!

[Maceman]

I was a confirmed and outspoken atheist for more than 20 years, and then went through a similar realization. I haven’t been an atheist for a long time.

[valkyry1]

They’ll never get the evolutionists to agree with that.

[edh]

“Discovered him, eh? Like a new element? Like “Neilsbohrium?” Maybe they should name G*d after him. That’s it. G*d now has a name: Anthony!”

Wow. Such anger.

[murdoog]

Discovered him, eh? Like a new element? Like "Neilsbohrium?" Maybe they should name G*d after him. That's it. G*d now has a name: Anthony!

I don't think that "discovered" is such a bad word. It doesn't imply that he preceded God in any way. In fact, it pretty much implies the opposite...you don't discover something (or Somebody) that wasn't already there.

[the invisib1e hand]

Who said it was a "bad word?"

Anyway, tradition dictates that you get to name what you discover, or somebody names it after you, posthumously.

[Persevero]

Basically raised an atheist and an atheist until I was about 21 - then became a Christian. Never looked back. As hardened as I was, I know not to give up on anybody.

[raygunfan]

well, he was obviously gullible, and not a true member of the intellectual elites....</sarcasm>

[James C. Bennett]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_Flew#Biography

“In December 2004, an interview with Flew conducted by Gary Habermas was published in the journal Philosophia Christi (published by the Evangelical Philosophical Society with the assistance of Biola University), with the title, Atheist Becomes Theist - Exclusive Interview with Former Atheist Antony Flew. Flew agreed to this title. According to the introduction, Flew informed Habermas in January 2004 that he had become a deist, and the interview took place shortly thereafter. Then the text was amended by both participants over the following months prior to publication. In the article Flew states that he has left his long-standing espousal of atheism by endorsing a deism of the sort that Thomas Jefferson advocated (”While reason, mainly in the form of arguments to design, assures us that there is a God, there is no room either for any supernatural revelation of that God or for any transactions between that God and individual human beings.”). Flew stated that “the most impressive arguments for God’s existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries” and that “the argument to Intelligent Design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it”. He also answered in the affirmative to Habermas’s question, “So of the major theistic arguments, such as the cosmological, teleological, moral, and ontological, the only really impressive ones that you take to be decisive are the scientific forms of teleology?”. He supported the idea of an Aristotelian God with “the characteristics of power and also intelligence”, stating that the evidence for it was stronger than ever before. He rejects the ideas of an afterlife, of God as the source of good (he explicitly states that God has created “a lot of” evil), and of the resurrection of Jesus as a historical fact though he has allowed a short chapter arguing for Christ’s resurrection to be added into his latest book.”

http://www.biola.edu/antonyflew/page6.cfm#8

Flew is particularly hostile to Islam, and says it is “best described in a Marxian way as the uniting and justifying ideology of Arab imperialism.” In a December 2004 interview he said: “I’m thinking of a God very different from the God of the Christian and far and away from the God of Islam, because both are depicted as omnipotent Oriental despots, cosmic Saddam Husseins.”

“When asked in December 2004 by Duncan Crary of Humanist Network News if he still stood by the argument presented in The Presumption of Atheism, Flew replied he did but he also restated his position as deist: “I’m quite happy to believe in an inoffensive inactive god”. When asked by Crary whether or not he has kept up with the most recent science and theology, he responded with “Certainly not”, stating that there is simply too much to keep up with. Flew also denied that there was any truth to the rumours of 2001 and 2003 that he had converted to Christianity.”

http://www.mail-archive.com/media- href=”mailto:dakwah@yahoogroups.com”>dakwah@yahoogroups.com/msg01064.html

[amzgirl]

We can only hope that he repented of his sins and trusted in Christ before his death. Belief in God is not enough.

James 2:19 (NKJV) You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

[jocon307]

Thanks for posting this, may Mr.Flew rest in peace with God almighty and all who have gone before.

[Salvation]

Anthony Flew, a former atheist who discovered God, RIP

Antony Flew, Unatheist, Dies at 87

Professor Antony Flew Dies (World's Foremost Rationalist Philosopher/Atheist Who Changed His Mind)

[Vegasrugrat]

He conceded to their being a God, an impersonal God which has no relationship with his creation. He believed this God also created the evil in this world.

He did not believe in a resurrection, nor Christ.

Sadly he might just as well have been an atheist.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

[onedoug]

It was the work of Roy Abraham Varghese and Gerald Schroeder that most convinced Flew, who was very courageous in that he had to face colleagues who thorough the years had been patting him on the back for agreeing with them.

[Coleus]

I’m glad he found the light before he died.