This year, author and former speech-writer Ben Stein goes for the jugular vein that supplies all the false ideology fueling today’s rebellion against God and final truth. He does it in a movie, Expelled, that has already stirred controversy and it is not even out yet. (Click the movie title and you will see the trailer that has been pre-released.) Stein is taking on the establishment’s enslavement to Darwinism and exposing not only its improbability, but its dangerous intellectual suicide that refuses to follow the evidence where it leads, and that of course is back to God our Creator. Take a minute and watch the preview of this forthcoming film. It should be interesting whether you completely agree with his conclusions or not.
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This films’ main thesis, that anyone in the science community who believes in God, or is a Darwin dissenter is being “expelled” is false at its core.
In a New York Times interview, Walter Ruloff (producer of Expelled) said that researchers, who had studied cellular mechanisms, made findings suggestive of an intelligent designer. “But they are afraid to report them”.
Mr. Ruloff also cited Dr. Francis S. Collins, a geneticist who directs the National Human Genome Research Institute and whose book, “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief”, explains how he came to embrace his Christian faith. Mr. Ruloff said that Dr. Collins separates his religious beliefs from his scientific work only because “he is toeing the party line”.
That’s “just ludicrous,” Dr. Collins said in a telephone interview. While many of his scientific colleagues are not religious and some are “a bit puzzled” by his faith, he said, “they are generally very respectful.” He said that if the problem Mr. Ruloff describes existed, he is certain he would know about it.
Similarly, Dr. Ken Miller is a professed Christian who wrote “Finding Darwin’s God” (which I suggest you read). Dr. Miller has not been “expelled” in any fashion for his belief in God.
The movie tries to make the case that “Big Science” is nothing but a huge atheist conspiracy out to silence believers, but only presents a very one-sided look at some of the Discovery Institute’s “martyrs”.
Carolyn Crocker “expelled”? – No.
Her annual teaching contract was not renewed. Was she “fired” for daring to bring God into research? – No. She was hired to teach Cell Biology, and she decided to ignore the schools’ curriculum and substitute her own curriculum.
Guillermo Gonzalez “expelled”? – No.
He was not granted tenure. The film doesn’t bring up the fact that in all his years at ISU he had only brought in only a miniscule amount of grant money. Nor does it bring up the fact that in all his years at ISU he failed to mentor a single student through to their PhD. Nor does it mention that in his career at ISU, his previous excellent record of publication had dropped precipitously.
Richard von Sternberg “expelled”? – No.
Sternberg continues to work for NIH in the same capacity. Of course the movie doesn’t bring up his underhanded tactics in getting Meyers work published.
This movie attempts to influence it’s viewers with dishonesty, half-truths, and by a completely one-sided presentation of the facts.
If a scientists’ research is not accepted by the scientific community, it isn’t because the scientist either believes or doesn’t believe in God or Darwin, it is usually because they are producing bad science.
Thank you for this very thoughtful and helpful post. I am inclined to rethink the promo of this movie in the light of your sensible and credible information. My guess is there is some truth to Stein’s argument but the tendency is to go on a crusade to prove that “all” non-Christian scientists are inevitably alike thus some of the illustrations that he can and will use would not prove the overall thesis he makes. I will surely watch the film with a much different mindset based upon your helpful points. Your post demonstrates the value of blogging in that it allows people to hear and point and then see how it can be corrected by more information. We shall see when the movie is released.
I do agree with your final sentence profoundly. I also know Dr. Francis Collins to be both a great scientist and a serious Christian. I have never seen him as “toeing the party line” based upon reading his work firsthand. He is not an “attack” Christian just a good scientist who has openly embraced real faith while allowing for mysteries to remain.
For those wanting a preview
of the Ben Stein documentary …
3 “EXPELLED” movie trailers
and
a Bill O’Reilly interview can be viewed
at: http://www.ExpelledTheMovie.com/video.php
Evolutionists are bluffing when they say their beliefs are scientific. Be sure to look at the list of evolutionists who refuse the debate challenge from Dr. Joseph Mastropaolo. See the list at http://www.lifescienceprize.org/
A good interview with Dr Berlinsky, a PhD (Harvard) involved with the movie:
http://cdn4.libsyn.com/mickelson/mickelson-2008-04-02.mp3
The interview begins around 2/3 of the way through the program.
Sorry, not Harvard. Princeton and Columbia. From Wikipedia:
“David Berlinski received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University and was later a postdoctoral fellow in mathematics and molecular biology at Columbia University.”
Intellectual suicide? Intellectual suicide would be to denounce evolution. Maybe everyone that thinks evolution is garbage should take some classes on evolution and anthropology. It’s offensive to me and my education for this ignorant intelligent design theory to continue. Here is a good example, look at the cars around you today. If today was the first day you saw one you might find it unimaginable that we could create something that is so advanced…surely god or aliens would have had to given us the knowledge to produce that technical achievement. However if you travel back in time to the model-t and look at all the cars that followed you see a slow EVOLUTION over time, from the crude beginnings to the fantastic cars of today. Life is much the same, if you look at a snapshot of life today our advanced biological systems are simply too complicated to just appear…but they didn’t, just look back at ancient life forms and watch how the complexity EVOLVES.
But JAY, the cars you mention were the product of intelligent design.
I saw the movie yesterday and it was powerful. This movie is not an apologetic for creationism, nor for intelligent design. Ben Stein’s point is that, while paying lip service to academic freedom, the scientific establishment has firmly decided to lock out all discussion of any alternatives to classical Darwinism. To muzzle scientists with dissenting opinions cannot be good for science or for education. Stein argues that scientists need to examine their theories more honestly and humbly, with a spirit of self-criticism. As a scientist, I could not agree more.
Hi Everyone,
I saw the movie and I am utterly amazed at the smear campaign going on to expell the movie “Expelled.” I expected a Darwinian backlash to the movie but I had no idea it had hit such a tender nerve and some of the critical reviews of this movie are simply ludicrous.
There is so much miss-information and mis-leading interpretations of the movie that all I can say is go and watch the movie for yourself and then make up your mind. I have never witnessed such an onslaught against a movie by people who are simply taking the worst critics words at face value and opting out of not watching the movie.
This whole movie was about freedom of speech and yet the powerbrokers of society are saying close your eyes and ears and do not watch this movie! Does that not tell you something? There is breaking news this week that there has been a whole orchestrated movement even on the Internet to direct people’s questions about the movie to negative websites and reviews of the movie. The lawsuits are flying, let the discussion begin!
To clarify on some points, Dr. Kenneth Miller is a Roman Catholic, and the reason why he is not “expelled” for his beliefs is because he is an active proponent of evolution and was called as an expert witness in the Dover trial in Pennsylvania. One of his arguments was used as an effort to debunk intelligent design theorist Michael Behe’s famous “irreducible complexity” idea. (Behe is also a Roman Catholic, thus resulting in a battle between the Roman Catholics while simultaneously contradicting the notions that evolutionists are all atheist or that intelligent design proponents are all evangelicals).
Christian scientists are not always rejected simply because of “bad science.” It is sometimes much more complex than that. The American National Academy of Sciences is the most prestigious organization of some of the greatest scientists in the country, if not the world. (New members are elected by current members, and becoming a member is considered by many as one of the highest honors in one’s career). Recent surveys of the beliefs of the National Academy of Sciences showed approximately 90% atheist and 10% believing in God. These numbers vary over the years, but they essentially stay the same. This is a stark contrast to the beliefs of the general American public, which is roughly 10% atheist, 90% belief in God (again, these numbers vary across time and surveys methods, but these are approximate results I’ve found.) The National Academy of Sciences is undoubtedly an admirable organization of great minds, but one cannot deny the tremendous influence their beliefs can have upon research and pedagogy. I have not seen Ben Stein’s “Expelled” but would not be surprised if there are some methods of propaganda utilized. However, the “expulsion” of Christian scientists does exist. I have personally seen the ostracization and blatant discrimination against credible scientists because of their faith, not because of their theories or research.
The core problem I have with many of the staunchest proponents of evolution is not that they support the theory, but that they have concluded that it is absolute truth. As a Christian and a scientist, I am in no way threatened by the teachings of evolution to my faith. However, I find it troubling that a majority of biologists refuse to acknowledge glaring holes in evolutionary theory. Many scientists actually dismiss inconsistencies with firm confident statements that evidence will be found to fill those gaps in the future. High school biology textbooks are pedagogically terribly in that they imply (or sometimes directly state) that scientists have already found the answers to the origins and age of the earth, and they present evolution as an infallible theory. It is arrogant to believe scientists have conclusively proven the age and origins of the earth, and it is a disservice to education and students to indoctrinate them in this way. Education should encourage students to pursue science with a critical and creative lens.
At the same time, I personally think that intelligent design proponents and creationists are sometimes misguided and should be careful not to seek to “prove” the existence of God through science.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…By *faith* we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Heb11:1,3)
Being a great scientist does not mean uncomfortably having to overlook or reconcile a tension between science and faith. Louis Pasteur marveled, “The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. Science brings men nearer to God.”
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I thank the Lord for giving us the gift of brilliant preachers!
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