For the past half century, the leading atheist in the world was philosopher Anthony Flew. He wrote over 30 philosophical works laying the intellectual groundwork for nonbelief. He debated Christian apologists. He was widely cited in atheist literature and at atheist conventions. What distinguished Flew was how comprehensive and fully-developed his atheist philosophy was. Other philosophers, such as Bertrand Russell and Martin Heidegger, espoused atheist beliefs but those beliefs were incidental to their philosophy. Atheism was Flew's philosophy. HIs works such as Theology and Falsification and The Presumption of Atheism were considered classics of theist thought.
Then Anthony Flew became a believer, and his book There Is A God describes his intellectual journey. Go ahead and order this book, along with my new book, What's So Great About Christianity. Together the two books represent what atheism has always dreaded: historically based, philosophically rich, scientifically fluent, logically reasoned refutations of atheism.
Flew says he has a lifelong commitment to going "where the evidence leads." And now, he calmly says, the evidence leads to theism. His own past writings have been exposed as a "relic." Flew writes, "My discovery of the divine has proceeded on a purely natural level, without any reference to supernatural phenomena...It has had no connection with any of the revealed religions. Nor do I claim to have had any personal experience of God or any experience that may be called supernatural or miraculous. My discovery of the divine has been a pilgrimage of reason and not of faith."
Flew's argument for God combines science and philosophy, and I'll let you discover it for yourself in his book. What I enjoyed was the way he uses simple analogies to expose atheist illogic. For instance, leading atheists seek to prove that the mind is no more than the brain. If the brain is destroyed, they say, we can't use our minds. Therefore there is nothing to minds excerpt circuits and neurons. Flew gives the example of a child raised on a remote island who finds a satellite phone. Voices come out of the machine. The child recognizes these voices as human and is thrilled by the discovery that she has found a way to interact with other humans. Perhaps there is life outside the island! Then the elders of the tribe (if I may embellish Flew's account, let's call them Big Chief Dawkins, Grand Pooh Bah Dennett, and Witch Doctor Pinker) scorn the child and say, "Look, when we damage the instrument, the voices stop. So they're obviously nothing more than sounds produced by the unique combination of metals and circuit boards. Forget about learning about other humans. From all the evidence we have, we are the only living creatures on earth. So go back to making sandcastles." Who are the real dummies here?
Anthony Flew has been banished from the atheist community. Anthologies have been reprinted removing his essays. Atheist websites condemn him as an apostate. (Atheist toleration does not extend to former atheists.) He doesn't even make the case for Christianity, as I do. But Anthony flew out of the atheist cuckoo's nest, leaving anger and confusion among the unbelievers. And now Flew tells us why he rejects atheism. The atheist monopoly on public debate is over: the theists are striking back.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 23)
31. "If Flew is happy wrapping himself in the comfort of the Jesus Myth and the Fairy Tale God, then may it bring him security. But just because he fears a non-existent hell/afterlife doesn't mean it's any more real than Shangri-La or Santa's home at the North Pole."
Tim, you got it right on the head! That is what this 'god' myth is about: people who are too weak to take responsibility for their own actions and inactions and have to look to some imaginary 'god' for guidance in their lives.
I'll put it simply: I have NEVER found that necessary because I know that there is no such thing as 'heaven' or 'hell' from dying 4 times in my life and coming back.
The only thing that I saw after 'death' was a 180 degree turn back into another body on this planet, with a few people being dissoluted because they tried to force their view on everyone else on this world.
Christopher Kidwell at 1:25PM on Oct 10th 2007
32. The whole basis of religion is "I have faith because I believe and I believe because I have faith"
Geoff at 1:28PM on Oct 10th 2007
33. Fernando,
Actually, both CS Lewis and Josh McDowell were always christians. They just felt the need to lie about their "conversions". Especially McDowell, whose anti-atheist screeds are nothing more than one ad hominem after another. Just like Dinesh's
Knight_of_BAAWA at 1:42PM on Oct 10th 2007
34. I think that everybody finds some kind of divine power in their life, some later than most. There is no way to explain EVERYTHING through science, therefore we must rely on something else. Who are we to call this man hypocritical just because he decided to believe in atheism for most of his life, and then follow GOD. Isn't it the same thing as when we live sinfully for most of our lives and then all of a sudden we "find the Lord?"
zenotesmoon at 1:57PM on Oct 10th 2007
35. Jesus is God. Read His claims and follow Him.
Do not waste time thinking otherwise. It is very simple.
Abraham Varghese at 10:39AM on Oct 11th 2007
36. Listening to Brahms provides all the evidence that I need that there IS a God.
CraigB at 2:14PM on Oct 10th 2007
37. What I notice about aetheist is the you profane others belief in a CHRIST,ridicule them while professing intellectual superiority,Hate unabashedly without remorse, while all the while lifting yourselves as superiors thus exalting gods(AETHEIST).When I was a non-believer I didn't waste my time ridiculing or demeaning believers I was to busy worshipping my self,invulcrating all the self pleasures possible! Living a meaningless life without purpose and thats what I read in your postings. You ridicule Dinesh while gorging in his blogs like Great white sharks with hate and venom!!
MAY THE PEACE OF THE LIVING (GOD) BE WITH YOU!!!
Manny at 2:17PM on Oct 10th 2007
38. shill shill shill shill shill
stuart joshua at 3:02PM on Oct 10th 2007
39. Ok so all this stuff about the expanding Universe, billions of years old and billions of light years across originating from a singularity (explosion, I mean if its logical to say that God always was or came from nothing then it is equally logical to say the universe always was, which it wasn't and came from something unknown) and the fact that humans and the great apes; chimpanzanees, gorillias and oragatangs are in the case of the chimp up to 99 percent genetically compatible are not true and all of this is the work of some God? Come on that is what they brainwash children in Sunday school. We all beleive what we beleive as adults from what we were told as a child, some ouf us however question these simplistic and false teachings and look for real answers. Here however are three reasons I do not need to beleive in a god:
1. I beleive in myself and my abilities, no sky fariy aka god helped me to do anything I did it all with my own hard work.
2. I made me do it. I also take responsibilities for my actions good or bad, there is no demon responsible that is a cop out.
3. I live life to the fullest enjoying all it has to offer
shawn at 3:09PM on Oct 10th 2007
40. Well, I am glad that he believes in Jesus Christ because He is real. I know and I reap His blessings everyday. I just wish everyone would turn to Christ too. I am so blessed to be saved by Jesus.
wormurm at 3:33PM on Oct 10th 2007
41. No real Atheist would ever go back to believing in god, that is like someone finding out Santa isnt real, then going back to believing in Santa
this guy probably had an agenda all along, or is he is just looking for some publicity
kl79 at 3:43PM on Oct 10th 2007
42. Hi Dinesh. I just spoke with God (yours...not mine...). Actually, He spoke to me. IT wanted me to tell you to stop selling your book within your blog. It also told me to tell you that you don't need to look "up" when you pray, or "down" for that matter. Look to your left, as that is where IT is located. I asked your God why I have to be the one to tell you this. I asked why IT doesn't just speak to you directly. Why use me as a middleman? IT said it would speak to you directly, but can't, because you don't listen. Something about you too busy pushing your new book or something? You're welcome.
TZINGULARITY at 3:46PM on Oct 10th 2007
43. Like a previous poster pointed out, I would like to reiterate that belief in God as a designer does not imply a personal God, a heaven, a hell, sin, or any of the other baggage that comes with religion. Not at all. And that "God as a designer" is quoted on the Amazon page for Flew's book.
I personally call myself a deist, just as most of the Founding Fathers did, and think there probably is some sort of higher power is behind it all, but that has nothing to do with our lives down here.
David at 4:01PM on Oct 10th 2007
44. As the saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes -- and fewer and fewer of them in the throes of old age. Flew got a little close to the Abyss, and couldn't face it open-eyed. Very human of him, a bit sad -- a moving conversion. But hardly proof of the Divine...
lghocelot at 4:03PM on Oct 10th 2007
45. There are atheists in foxholes. Only self-hating liars would say otherwise.
Knight_of_BAAWA at 4:13PM on Oct 10th 2007