Anthony Flew

• what did he do?

  1950- presented falsification in a symposium of oxford philosophers
• what did he say about statements?

  statements should be falsifiable - we should know what we are ruling out when a claim is made
• what did he say about religious statements?

  religious statements have no facts- religious believers would not allow their beliefs to be falsified
• what did he say about religious believers?

  belief in god is in the same position and makes the same error- failure to prove the existence of God does not lead believers to withdraw their claims.
• what happen when believers say "God is different from us"?

  there ends up being a description with no content
• what did he sum up about religious language?

  religious language therefore, 'dies the death of a thousand qualification'
• if a statement is to have meaning to assert something- same time deny the opposite of the assertion.
• when a statements meaningful?

  only meaningful when you can count against it
• what is Flew's example of a child dying?


  if a child was dying from a terminal illness. His heavenly father reveals no obvious sign of concern. Some qualification is made- 'God's love is not merely human love.'
• what did he say proof of Gods existence must be based?


  it must be based in what a believer is in a position to know not just to believe.