Antony Flew, a former atheist who discovered God, RIP
April 23, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog
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)
"Like Einstein before him, Flew found that God was the only possible answer when it came to increasingly complex discoveries…"
Be careful with Einstein and his views on God. He self identified as a Spinoza Theist, and was adament that he did not believe in a personal god. He wrote in a 1954 letter,
“It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.”
He was in mental decline –
A long article in The New York Times Magazine by Mark Oppenheimer suggested that Mr. Flew, his mental faculties in decline, had been manipulated by his co-author and other Christian proselytizers. Mr. Flew, in a statement issued through his publisher, reaffirmed the views expressed in the book, which did not include belief in an afterlife.
FM
That prevailing belief is just stupid on its face. It was a Catholic priest (Georges Lemaître) who proposed the Big Bang hypothesis in the first place. And Hawking's on the board of the PAS, or at least was.
Physicists familiar with Stephen Hawking's work on the "Big Bang Theory" may be aware that Hawking went to a conference in Rome circa 1980, and was amazed and disturbed to discover that the Catholic Church had no problem accepting the "Big Bang" as origin of the physical universe. Hawking has written several books at a non-specialist level to explain this theory, and as a life-long atheist and a child of two atheists, he interpreted the Galileo story as proof that the Church was always anti-science, and ALWAYS WRONG.
Upon finding that the Church was comfortable with his work, his books record his discomfort, his feeling that "If the Church accepts my work, I must have done something wrong!" (Which I find humorous.)
TeaPot562
Thanks for sharing this. Nice story. It really proves the point that St. Paul made 2000 years ago – "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made." (Romans 1:19-20)
Finally, Mr. Flew did see it.
Diest, eh? Well, the hell with him then. :0)
* * *
I was walking across a bridge one day and I saw a man standing on a ledge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said, "Stop! Don't do it!"
"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.
"Well, there's so much to live for." "Like what?"
"Well, are you religious?" He said yes. I said, "Me too!"
"Are you Christian or Buddhist?" "Christian." "Me too!"
"Are you Catholic or Protestant?" "Protestant." "Me too!"
"Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?" "Baptist." "Wow, me too!
"Are you Baptist Church of God or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?" "Reformed Baptist Church of God." "Hey,me too!"
"Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1789 or Reformed Baptist Church of God, 1915?"
He said, "Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1915."
I said, "Die, heretic scum!!" And pushed him off the bridge.
–Emo Philips
Well, he became a Deist. I'm not sure people seeing this headline or even just skimming this would get that impression, though.