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Religion

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

15. The Exploitation of Anthony Flew

Reply to rug (Original post)

Tue May 21, 2013, 01:32 AM

May 2013

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2007/11/the-exploitation-of-antony-flew/

An article from back in the day that touches several salient points........
like the memory gaps, the pseudoscience Flew began to swallow, and so on.

*************
November 6, 2007 By Adam Lee

Have you heard the shocking news? The world’s most notorious atheist has converted!

No, it’s not Richard Dawkins.

Or Sam Harris.

Or Christopher Hitchens.

Or Dan Barker.

Or Michael Newdow.

Or Julia Sweeney.

No, this world-famous, notorious atheist convert is the philosopher Antony Flew.

If you’re wondering, “Who?”, you’re probably not alone. Antony Flew is a British philosopher, now retired and of advanced age. ************

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Highlight:

How the World's Most Noted Atheist Changed His Mind [View all] rug May 2013 OP

Actual WMFA during that period: Bertrand Russell. dimbear May 2013 #1

I am not surprised by the use of "notorious" here. longship May 2013 #2

That's a very good point I hadn't considered. The headline works perfectly well without it. rug May 2013 #3

"Noted" would work. nt longship May 2013 #4

Argh, I just put in "famous' but "noted" is more precise. rug May 2013 #6

Another post with 18 edits... longship May 2013 #7

THANK you! (nt) LostOne4Ever May 2013 #18

Interesting, and not very surprising. Starboard Tack May 2013 #5

Apparently DNA was one of his intellectual turning points. rug May 2013 #9

Bad arguments are bad Act_of_Reparation May 2013 #14

So another idiot skepticscott May 2013 #8

He is an idiot because he believes now? hrmjustin May 2013 #13

No. He's an idiot because the argument from design is patently stupid. Act_of_Reparation May 2013 #20

Exactly...and Flew knows that perfectly well skepticscott May 2013 #24

"Some critics suggested Flew's mental capacity had declined ..." Jim__ May 2013 #10

Except he fell for the watchmaker argument. Goblinmonger May 2013 #21

He did not "fall for the watchmaker argument." Jim__ May 2013 #22

Uh....that IS the watchmaker argument, dude skepticscott May 2013 #25

No, actually it isn't. Jim__ May 2013 #33

It happens to be both skepticscott May 2013 #34

If you're claiming that Flew is making an analogical argument, please point to the analogy. Jim__ May 2013 #35

The watchmaker argument is very simple skepticscott May 2013 #39

I don't even know where to start Goblinmonger May 2013 #36

There is a vast difference between stating the earth was created as literally described in the Bible rug May 2013 #37

The watchmaker argument is analogical, his argument is not. Jim__ May 2013 #38

So, he progressed to deism. LiberalAndProud May 2013 #11

Not really kwassa May 2013 #23

the argument from complexity for the existence of an 'intelligent source'.. Phillip McCleod May 2013 #12

The Exploitation of Anthony Flew dimbear May 2013 #15

From the link SecularMotion May 2013 #17

This! LostOne4Ever May 2013 #19

He sounded positively addled. rug May 2013 #30

... He thought he saw a argument that proved he was the Pope. He looked again and found it was struggle4progress May 2013 #16

I agree with him on the complexity argument goldent May 2013 #26

Only 60 years? exboyfil May 2013 #28

Well I guess artificial intelligence has been studied more than 60 years goldent May 2013 #29

I am not an atheist but I think that it exboyfil May 2013 #27

what did he write? sigmasix May 2013 #31

Quite a bit. rug May 2013 #32