So he became an atheist at about age 30? So in his real prime, he was presumably a Methodist, like his father (not necessarily, of course, but it seems most likely; in any case, by his own account, not an atheist).
Unless you and Dawkins have strong backgrounds in gerontology and have examined and tested Flew, claims of senility are a really cheap shot!
Antony Flew-- 2001
Flew wasn't just an atheist; he was professional philosopher who based is atheism on a rational system that he constructed. He accepted this system for more than fifty years and in the last few years of his life he changes his mind based on the demonstrably flawed logic of Behe. He, in effect, now denies his entire life's work.
He has done so, not to accept Christ, but simply to accept Deism, the vague notion that there is an "intelligence" behind the mechanisms of the universe.
The Discovery Institute has captured a talking point, but lost a soul.
It is a small victory, however. As a philosopher, Flew saw himself as a "negative atheist". In other words he was never an atheist at all. He was agnostic. He never denied the existence of God, just that there was no evidence for His existence. Somehow, the "watchmaker" argument that he had argued against for decades somehow became compelling based on his new belief fhat DNA couldn't form naturally. He is a philosopher and not a biologist. Behe takes my old friends advice; "When you can't dazzle 'em with diamonds, baffle them with bulls**t".
Now, a reasonable hypothesis for all this is mental degredation: "It is estimated that up to one third of adults will experience a gradual decline in cognitive function known as mild cognitive impairment as they age (Low LF et al 2004; Busse A et al 2003). Less severe than dementia, mild cognitive impairment is defined as cognitive defects that do not interfere with daily living. It may include slower thinking, a reduced ability to learn, and impaired memory. While many conventional physicians view these defects as an inevitable consequence of aging, newer research has uncovered possible reasons for mild cognitive impairment and has also identified potential therapies that may enable people to battle age-related mental decline more effectively than ever before. Minimizing cognitive defects will become even more important as the average life span continues to lengthen and hundreds of thousands of people head into their 80s and 90s, when the risk for cognitive decline is greatest." http://www.lef.org/protocols/neurological/mild_cognitive_impairment_01.htm
Actual dementia affects another 15% on average, but increases in prevalence with age.
Flew was an atheist for more than fifty years when his health was in his prime. An 85 year old man has better than a 50% chance of suffering from some form of mental impairment. Dawkins doesn't claim that Flew is senile, he just suggests it is possible. He was right.