A Serious Movie with A Serious Message

Let me preface today’s blog by saying that I will readily admit early and often that my faith in God gives me a huge bias when it comes to evaluating anything. For I do believe and embrace the truth expressed by the psalmist, David, in the 14th division, verse 1, where he said: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.” However, this is America and folks who are believers have the right to express their opinions just like anyone else. A believing scientist who does research should be able to report the results of their work and not have it suppressed just because they are known to believe in God. Think about this being the real issue as you read what I have for you today.

This last Saturday I went to see the documentary styled movie with Ben Stein, entitled, “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed”. This movie deals with the pursuit of scientific evidence regarding the world we live in. The movie revolves around Ben Stein in his work as an investigative reporter in attempting to discover why well-qualified research scientists lose their jobs for even contemplating or mentioning the subject of Intelligent Design (ID). While the so-called intelligentsia have trashed the movie and decried it as being nothing but nonsense, I challenge anyone to go and see what Ben found out and then make up your own mind.

One of the themes that comes through in the responses of those in power within academia is how that anyone whose study, research, and conclusions do not line up with Darwinian evolution, their ideas are immediately suspect, and thought to be ignorant, stupid, and without merit. These people who are openly said to be idiots happen to be highly respected scholars recognized in their disciplines who hold the highest of academic credentials. While laughable based on the way in which these people are talked about, any prejudice against these scientists is hotly denied. One thing is clear, those in power will not tolerate under any circumstances even the mention of the words Intelligent Design.

We are talking about universities, many of which were originally founded by faith communities for the purpose of Biblical education, who now not only reject any arguments concerning any other facts than those that fit the Darwinian dogma, even where the evidence demands another explanation, but they go beyond even that to disallow even the mention of ID in any context whatsoever. Why? They say it is to keep religion completely out of science so that only facts will prevail instead of religious ideas. I will only mention in passing for your further study the historical record of scientific discoveries made by those whose faith in God guided their work and their lives. In other words, in today's world, evidence be damned, we will not have anything other than what we have determined to be the facts and we will not even allow a hand to be raised with a question.

The movie overlays its examination of this subject on top of what happened in Nazi Germany during Hitler’s reign of terror and how that official rhetoric was enforced through executions, sentences to concentration camps, and other tyrannical means. Ben Stein’s view is that this is not a matter of religion versus science. To him, it is a matter of the freedom of speech that has throughout our history as a nation, invited inquiry, even unpopular inquiry, and encouraged people to challenge accepted theories and ideas. While the elite smugly dismiss this movie as in anyway reflective of reality, the folks who have lost their jobs, lost their research grants, and are now on the outside looking in have a much different understanding.

I highly recommend that every person concerned for future generations to go and see this film. Whether you are a believer in God or not, surely we all believe that people should be able to express their research findings without fear of repression and ruin. In many ways this situation mirrors the growing number of trained professionals who have dared to question Al Gore’s version regarding the subject of global warming. The fact they would even proffer other thoughts and ideas is considered to show them for who they really are in heart, not true academicians, regardless of their scholastic credentials, but as the former vice president recently said, “Flat earth believers.”

I’m reminded of one interview from the Ben Stein movie where one of the friends of a dismissed colleague whom he said was brilliant, had advised his friend to just let it go, to just keep his mouth shut, but he wouldn’t listen. He couldn't because he truly believed the evidence pointed to something other than the official dogma being espoused by the science department. As a result, he failed to make tenure and eventually lost his position. I am not a movie person and rarely go to the movie theatre. I think you owe it to yourself, your family, and to your country to see the film, evaluate what is said and shown, and then decide for yourself. Now that’s the American way, or at least that used to be the American way! …….More later.