My Friend Kevin's Response to an Article on Anthony Flew

Below is an article I sent to my friend, Kevin, and his response to it. You can see my reply to Kevin my previous post:


----- Original Message -----
From: GuapoDuck1959
To: Kevin XXXXX
Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2005 1:29 PM
Subject: Anthony Flew
Famous Atheist Now Believes in God
BY SHANE ROSENTHAL [POSTED ONLINE: APRIL, 11, 2005]
The Associated Press reported in December that renowned British atheist philosopher, Anthony Flew, recently abandoned his former strongly held convictions, and now believes that God does exist. The primary reasons for his new found faith? The scientific evidence compelled him. Flew, 81 years old, told one interviewer, “I think that the most impressive arguments for God’s existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries.” In particular he mentioned that the Intelligent Design argument had become “enormously stronger” than it was when he first encountered it, and that “a super-intelligence is the only good explanation for the origin of life and the complexity of nature.”

Though his conversion is in itself interesting, Flew’s new outlook is far from the territory of Christianity. He has said that he does not believe in the God of any particular “revelatory system,” and he likened his view to Aristotle’s concept of the “unmoved mover,” or the Deism of Thomas Jefferson. In fact he has stated, “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.” Flew did mention, however, that he was open to the idea, though not currently enthusiastic, of potential revelation from God.
Flew, a Methodist minister’s son who studied under C. S. Lewis at Oxford, began writing and speaking on atheism as early as 1950. He told reporters that his conversion was not an instantaneous change, but rather a gradual shift in his thinking over a period of months. According to the Associated Press article, the first hint of his shift was in the August/September 2004 issue of Philosophy Now magazine, in which Flew wrote, “It has become inordinately difficult even to begin to think about constructing a naturalistic theory of the evolution of that first reproducing organism.”

When asked whether or not his recent conversion might be frowned upon by many in the skeptical world, Flew retorted, “That’s too bad. My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato’s Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads.”

• Kevins' response to the above article:
• Hear, hear! I have had strong spiritual experiences on several occasions. I have felt a close connection, even a Presence, if you will. I knew without a doubt that I was loved, that I belonged in this world, and I need fear no more. I suspect experiences such as mine have happened many times in human history and at the root of religious traditions. Since having these experiences I have no longer needed to drink or drug and much of my thinking and underlying motivations has altered radically.
• 
  I dislike the word "God" only because it seems so inadequate. Can we ever be sure we mean the same thing? I use it for lack of a better term. I have asked God, in prayer, to show me the truth I need to live as he (her/it) would have me live. Is there is a religion or set of beliefs I need to have? So far, nothing comes and it has been years. I have read many books, listened to many talks, said many prayers. If I have learned much, but still can't answer the deeper questions. Perhaps we are not yet wise enough to know what the really important questions are, much less answer them.
• 
  I have learned I belong in this universe. I am learning we are not so separate as we appear. I have learned that love is real and it has the power to work miracles. I have learned the universe works best when I just let it. I have learned that sowing good seed yields good fruit and to stop planting thistles. When I stop pushing for what I think is best, I am blessed with results exceeding my wildest dreams. I have learned that God loves me, even when I thought myself unworthy of love. I learned I must make choices at every turn, every moment. Always the choice is the love of God, or to give in to fear with all the selfishness and pain it brings. I am not perfect, but God is always there to help me chose again. His grace can make right what I have made wrong.I learn and get better.
• 
  For me a relationship with God had to take place on a personal level. I never benefited from what others felt or claimed to know. I still have no use for churches. I have not found any religion that I could honestly say I accepted all of their creeds wholeheartedly. But I do believe we each have a ministry. Our lives are our ministry. What we are, what we do, shines out louder than anything we could ever say with our mouths. Maybe one day I will get to present my whole life in one package to God. I want to be able to say I did my best. I don't think he asks for more, but that is just my opinion.
• Kevin

[For more information about Anthony Flew, the famous apologist for atheism, see http://www.biola.edu/antonyflew/]