Seeing Angels

Very irritating Emma Heathcote-James on angels. Chris French does his best given the biased format of the programme … http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pfpdg BBC Radio 4 “Beyond Belief” 28th December 4pm (available for one week).

Below is a quote from programme from Father Gregory Hallam, Greek Orthodox Priest and believer in angels. Chris French was challenged by Hallam to say what would count as evidence of angels (Hallam perhaps implying that Chris wouldn’t allow anything to count as evidence – i.e. that there are no angels is a “faith position” for Chris) – Hallam asked Chris “What actual evidence, Chris, would make you change your mind?” – and Chris suggested we could get objective evidence of angels if e.g. under controlled conditions they provided information to those who claim to communicate with them that could be checked and which could not have been acquired in any other way.

My problem with your answer Chris is you are subjecting these phenomenon to certain criteria and tests in relation to scientific evidence and you’re actually talking about a confusion of categories of truth here. I understand that you operate in the realm of anomolistic psychology and that this is a kind of a difficult interface between science and human experience but I think that unless we are actually clear how to assess each piece of evidence according to appropriate criteria we risk just making no sense at all.

From BBC Radio 4 “Beyond Belief” 28th December 4pm (@21 mins)