Imagine if one of the world's leading Christians--say C.S. Lewis a generation ago, or Billy Graham now--were to reject his religious beliefs and become a atheist. It would be big news! The New York Times would be all over it, for sure, and the question would be why a man who has devoted his life to God would now turn against Him? In sum, the focus would be on what were the reasons for the conversion and on what's so bad about Christianity.
Contrast this with the New York Times' approach to the conversion of philosopher Anthony Flew. Flew has been, for the past half-century, the world's leading advocate of atheism. No one has so relentlessly espoused the atheist cause, and no one has been more anthologized and eulogized by the atheist community. Other twentieth-century philosophers, such as Martin Heidegger and Bertrand Russell, were unbelievers but they did not make atheism central to their philosophical work as did Flew. Flew's atheism long precedes that of latecomers like Dawkins, Harris and Hitchens.
Now, in his early eighties, Flew has rejected atheism and said he believes that God exists. He does not espouse the Christian God, but calls himself a Deist. He says he has a lifelong commitment to following the evidence where it leads, and that new advances in the sciences have shown him that materialism and Darwinism simply cannot account for the world as it is and life as it is. Examining the fine-tuning of the universe and the mind-boggling complexity of the cell (a compexity that evolution presumes but cannot explain), Flew now believes that the design of the universe requires a designer. He gives his reasons in a new book There Is a God which is co-authored with Roy Abraham Varghese.
When something like this happens, the New York TImes goes into mafia-style intellectual hit mode. They selected Mark Oppenheimer of Yale, who visited Flew in England and wrote a long piece in the November 4, 2007 New York Times Magazine suggesting that Flew converted because he is, well, senile. The basic idea is that Flew has lost his mind and can't remember anything, and when Christian apologists like Varghese were nice to him Flew basically surrendered to them and let them write his book.
The only evidence that Flew has lost his mind is that he's 84 years old. A man of 84 naturally loses some of his memory, especially for names, but this does not mean he has lost his marbles. Flew's own writings of the past few years are all entirely coherent and employ sophisticated philosophical vocabulary. While Flew seems to have asked his collaborator Varghese to write a draft of his life story, it was Flew who reviewed and approved the final contents. There is nothing in the Times' article that shows Flew to be incapable of a reasoned change of mind and heart.
I realize that atheists--including those at the New York Times--are embarassed at having to surrender one of their most stalwart champions to theism. Maybe they too should consider following the evidence where it leads? Too closed-minded to consider Flew's arguments, these fellows would much rather belittle the intellectual capacity of the man they once revered. Hell hath no fury like an atheist scorned.
Reader Comments ( Page 4 of 84)
46. 21. hey double d: is religion about prophet for you??
or profit.
IMHO, and that is all anyone's religion is about, opinion and belief.....IMO, if Jesus returns to us, he will hate you. (and you would probably agree that being a Jew, Jesus could indeed hate).
stuart joshua at 9:14AM on Nov 16th 2007
I didn't say Jesus would hate Jews. I said he would hate DINESH!!!! And I said because he was Jewish, dinesh probably would think he has the capacity to hate. GOOD GOD, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU RESPOND!!
stuart joshua at 10:35AM on Nov 16th 2007
No.....I don't see that in the message I replied to Stuart. You must've injected in your reply to me what you meant to say in your earlier message. yeah, maybe that's it.
dena at 11:04AM on Nov 16th 2007
47. rita, this man is a DEIST - he hasnt accepted your "god and saviour" - he certainly hasnt accepted Jesus as anything! Deists believe there's a being that created the universe originally, but they belive after that everything operates on it's own, without any kind of "divine" interference! They certainly dont believe in anyone's "revealed religions" or holy books! I wonder why Dinesh D'Souza is even talking about this - its' certainly no victory for his religion!
ray at 11:04AM on Nov 16th 2007
48. WOW!!! DENA.....you continually miss the point. I NEVER SAID JESUS WOULD HATE BECAUS EHE WAS JEWISH. FOR CHRIST'S SAKE (literally) , will you please read carefully??
I merely said that dd would be more apt to think a Jew would have the capacity to hate, moreso than one of his beloved "good christian folk".
I AM JEWISH.
You neither read the actual lines, OR between them!! AMAZING!!!
stuart joshua at 11:06AM on Nov 16th 2007
49. DENA, you are freaking dangerous!!!
stuart joshua at 11:07AM on Nov 16th 2007
50. Dena,
We didn't evolve from monkeys. Both monkeys and humans evolved from an earlier animal -- monkeys form one branch, humans the other. We're cousins, not descendents.
I think someone in an earlier post (last week, or sometime) showed that you are wrong about humans being made up of the same stuff as dirt. A little education goes a long way. Which brings up another point -- according to evolution, humans sprang from other animals, according to the Bible and you, we're just dirt. Personally, I think it's more noble to be cousins to monkeys than to dirt.
Aaron at 11:08AM on Nov 16th 2007
51. Aaron, very hostile this morning, why would me loving Jesus have anything to do with hate. I certainly don't hate you. Jesus is GOD, one in the same Mokele. Don't know about Catholic's but, if they believe that GOD came down on this earth and was born of a virgin, grew into a man and died for you and me to give us eternal life then by all means have no problem being compared to Catholic, except I go directly to the head man when I need to talk to someone. Jesus, died for me in order to be able to do just that. Aaron, don't have room in my life for hate. Life is wait too short for such nonsense. Better try harder than that.
Rita
Rita at 11:08AM on Nov 16th 2007
52. Rita,
Your comments yesterday reaked of hate. Don't deny because I don't want to have to go back and copy and paste all the nonsense you were talking about yesterday. If you'll remember, even other Christian posters were not even on your side.
Aaron at 11:12AM on Nov 16th 2007
53. Stuart, you start with IMHO, and that is all anyone's religion is about, opinion and belief.....IMO, if Jesus returns to us, he will hate you.
That says YOUR opinion, Stuart, and that was what my reply was about.
dena at 11:17AM on Nov 16th 2007
54. Rita,
No one was asking what you believe, you've told us for the umpteenth time. I'm saying that what Flew accepted is not the same God you have, he hasn't turned to Jesus, he has given you nothing to rejoice about.
Mokele Mbembe at 11:25AM on Nov 16th 2007
55. DENA, you are hopeless, and I am done with this dialogue. dd is a train wreck from which I seemingly cannot look away. You, on the other hand, make me turn my head away.
stuart joshua at 11:26AM on Nov 16th 2007
56. RITA, HOW DARE YOU SAY "YOU PEOPLE" TO ME!!! HOW DARE YOU!!! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO KNOW ABOUT ME??? And are you grouping me in with atheists? Thank you for that, but I am Jewish. So, I must conclude that by "you people", you mean non-believers in Jesus as savior, or non-christians!! That is truly offensive. Hmm, perhaps you are referring to other groups as well. Do you not realize how ignorant, dangerous, closed-minded and bigoted it sounds when you say "you people"?
(actually you sound alot like dd when you say that).
YOU HAVE MADE ME LOOK AWAY FROM THE TRAIN WRECK. I SHOULD PROBABLY THANK YOU.
DOPE!
stuart joshua at 11:26AM on Nov 16th 2007
57. Stuart,
If you read you Bible then you would understand the old saying "ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST". You people seem to have all the answers to some pretty simple questions, Like who came first the chicken or the egg? These idots in Russia who have into hiding because they seem to think they know when the end is coming is just one other "CULT" going on some kind of stupid cause. Jesus has promise that when he comes no one but, the Father knows and last time I checked the Father will do things his way and on his time schedule not ours. That is why he is trying so hard to use people like myself and Dena to at least give you guys food for thought. Maybe, even get you to find out the truth for yourself. If anyone of you people think that we want to see you in hell you are seriously wrong. That is why we as Christians have been called to spread the word, if you choose to ignore it then at least you heard and decided not to listen. Rita
Rita at 11:29AM on Nov 16th 2007
58. Eggs have been around millions of years before chickens.
Mokele Mbembe at 11:33AM on Nov 16th 2007
59. Stuart,
Again, if you are indeed Jewish then why are so upset, with people who have different opinions than you do. Do you not realize how lucky you are, and if you are Jewish do you not realize that it is a Christian duty to stand right beside you. If you are indeed Jewish and I at anytime offended you in anyway then you better go back and do rereading from my posting yesterday. GOD has told us to stand beside the Jewish Nation and I am firmly stationed there. I believe in the right for the Jews who are the chosen people of the almighty GOD, be a nation one who we as Americans should stand and completely be there for. Look at your history. GOD has foretold about your history and as HE is also my GOD, I will stand for your right to be a JEW and for your right to have your country. By the way sir, I have alot of Jewish friends. Rita
Rita at 11:41AM on Nov 16th 2007
60. Dena - "We are created from the dust in the ground, if you want to call that evolving, according to Genesis. All the elements found in
the ground is what we are made of and what our bodies need to survive"
I guess those Christian believers who continue to harp that life cannot come from non-life have a bone to pick with you... oh wait through the magic of God anything is possible!
Oh and by the way, through the power of the human imagination, fear and ignorance, belief in a great big invisible buddy (who will kick the asses of all the people who disagree with you) is possible too.
fabio at 11:44AM on Nov 16th 2007