What would have to occur or to have occurred to constitute for you a disproof of the love of, or the existence of, God?
Antony FlewRead
Now, if anything at all can be known to be wrong, it seems to me to be unshakably certain that it would be wrong to make any sentient being suffer eternally for any offence whatever.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote argues against the idea of eternal punishment for even the gravest offenses, emphasizing the importance of compassion for sentient beings.
In this quote, Antony Flew presents a strong moral argument against the notion of eternal suffering as punishment. He asserts that if it can be universally agreed that some actions are wrong, then it is inherently wrong to impose eternal suffering on anyone, regardless of their offenses. This perspective encourages a more humane approach to ethics and underscores the value of compassion towards all sentient beings.
Themes
SufferingSentient BeingsMoralityCompassionEternal Punishment
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on moral philosophy, one could use this quote to support a point about the ethics of punishment.
More from Antony Flew
All quotes →Although I was once sharply critical of the argument to design, I have since come to see that, when correctly formatted, this argument constitutes a persuasive case for the existence of God.
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