Anyone heard about Ben Stein's new movie Expelled?

[plain 12]

Green, It's my understanding that it's not a religious move, per se, but a movie about religious intolerance. Even athesists can be victimized by religious intolerance, no?

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

In newscience magazine they talk about this movie. They said that it is a movie about "Intelligent Design" and how trying to stop it from being taught in school is akin to the holocaust. Supposedly it uses strong emotions rather than facts to get the point across.

I am not too excited about this movie, I believe in God and have a strong relationship with him, but evolution isn't something I can be swayed on. It happened.

Ben STein is a very intelligent man, however. The movie should be very interesting and smart for those who choose to go.

I hope you enjoy it.

[green 6]

I know that it is possible to reconcile Christian religious belief and a belief in evolution; indeed many many Christians do believe in both. I would be interested to hear what Stein's arguments are. I would like to know whether he posits that this creation was devised by unspecified Creator (or Creators) or whether he believes that this Creator is the God of Christianity (or of one of the other major world religions for that matter). If the first is the case and his arguments are compelling then I might be shifted to agnosticism or even to a generalised belief that God is out there but is pretty much unknowable except through what we can deduce from looking at this universe. Then I would be Green the theist.

And to obtain my best understanding of the universe I would do as I do now: I would listen as critically as I am able (given that I am a natural blonde and kinda old) to what the scientists have to say. I believe in doing this for it is the science community which devotes itself and its resources to research in the field of natural phenonema.

Stein's film trailer promises that there are scientists who have discovered that there is a creative hand in the building of this universe. I want to remain an open-minded grrl and I naturally want to learn more. I really am intrigued. And it is always fun to learn new things, isn't it?

And Plain, you are so right. No one benefits from intolerance.

[gadgetlady 4]

I know that it is possible to reconcile Christian religious belief and a belief in evolution; indeed many many Christians do believe in both. I would be interested to hear what Stein's arguments are. I would like to know whether he posits that this creation was devised by unspecified Creator (or Creators) or whether he believes that this Creator is the God of Christianity (or of one of the other major world religions for that matter). If the first is the case and his arguments are compelling then I might be shifted to agnosticism or even to a generalised belief that God is out there but is pretty much unknowable except through what we can deduce from looking at this universe. Then I would be Green the theist.

And to obtain my best understanding of the universe I would do as I do now: I would listen as critically as I am able (given that I am a natural blonde and kinda old) to what the scientists have to say. I believe in doing this for it is the science community which devotes itself and its resources to research in the field of natural phenonema.

Stein's film trailer promises that there are scientists who have discovered that there is a creative hand in the building of this universe. I want to remain an open-minded grrl and I naturally want to learn more. I really am intrigued. And it is always fun to learn new things, isn't it?

And Plain, you are so right. No one benefits from intolerance.

Bravo, green! Well said. Knowledge and information never hurt us. It is ignorance and the suppression of information that are cause for concern in all corners of the world.

[ReadySteadyGo 8]

I agree with all of you...but I just can not watch overdramatized causes. It makes me sad for the world.

For example- Michael Moore. Sometimes I actually like what he is starting to say but he takes it six steps to far. His movies are crap because of that. I don't watch them.

[jrob281 1]

This movie is coming out on Friday. I'm out of town so I don't know if I'll have the opportunity to see it (I'm going to try but it's been a busy trip thus far). I did just see a commercial for it. If anyone goes to see it, would you please post comments?

.

I took my 14 year old son with me and we caught the 1:15 showing

I must say the movie was certainly interesting. It was more about how some in the scientific field were fired/careers ruined because they even mentioned the words "intelligent design'' - they didn't even need to teach anything about it to have repercussions.

The movie showed how Darwin's Origin of Man is basically the scientific community's public belief and several scientifsts were interviewed. One stated that he believes life was created on the back of crystals, another says life was created elsewhere and transplanted to Earth.

The most shocking part of the movie was when Ben went to some place, I forget it's name, in Germany where 70,000 people were killed in WWII era, including deformed people and Jewish people.

I would definitely recommend this movie be it rented or in the theatre.

[gadgetlady 4]

I took my 14 year old son with me and we caught the 1:15 showing

I must say the movie was certainly interesting. It was more about how some in the scientific field were fired/careers ruined because they even mentioned the words "intelligent design'' - they didn't even need to teach anything about it to have repercussions.

The movie showed how Darwin's Origin of Man is basically the scientific community's public belief and several scientifsts were interviewed. One stated that he believes life was created on the back of crystals, another says life was created elsewhere and transplanted to Earth.

The most shocking part of the movie was when Ben went to some place, I forget it's name, in Germany where 70,000 people were killed in WWII era, including deformed people and Jewish people.

I would definitely recommend this movie be it rented or in the theatre.

Thanks, jrob. I still haven't had the chance to see it. My parents went and suggested I NOT bring my kids (ages 7 and 10). Because we're out of town with them right now, I don't have someone to babysit them while dh and I go.

My mom, who's pretty much incapable of sitting through a movie (she gets restless and bored easily), said the movie was incredible and she would see it again. For her, that's saying a lot.

Anyone else see it yet?

[plain 12]

I had a chance to see it with my wife, but since it was her birthday, she got to pick which movie we went to. We ended up seeing Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which was very funny, but had a lot of full frontal male nudity! Huh?). I'm still planning on trying to catch expelled before it leaves theaters.

[L8BloomR 1]

I saw it this evening.... very powerful and very scary! I think they did a good job of showing the link between Darwinism and Hilter. I had no idea that Hitler took some of his beliefs, including about "selective breeding", from Darwin's writings. I need to go study my history in more depth! Anyway, I think Ben Stein proved his point beautifully. This was a provocative and well-done movie.

[snuffy65 1]

I saw it this evening.... very powerful and very scary! I think they did a good job of showing the link between Darwinism and Hilter. I had no idea that Hitler took some of his beliefs, including about "selective breeding", from Darwin's writings. I need to go study my history in more depth! Anyway, I think Ben Stein proved his point beautifully. This was a provocative and well-done movie.

Yes cause we all know linking anyone or anything to hitler will get people "thinking".

I haven't seen the movie but I am sick and tired of everyone comparing everything to Hitler. If Hitler read mother goose stories to children, would that mean mother goose is a nazi?

People have taken stuff out of the bible (including Hitler) to preach their horrid beliefs? Does that make the bible evil or untrue too?

[L8BloomR 1]

Yes cause we all know linking anyone or anything to hitler will get people "thinking".

I haven't seen the movie but I am sick and tired of everyone comparing everything to Hitler. If Hitler read mother goose stories to children, would that mean mother goose is a nazi?

People have taken stuff out of the bible (including Hitler) to preach their horrid beliefs? Does that make the bible evil or untrue too?

Sorry if the word "Hitler" upsets you, but I can't help that I found it interesting that Hitler used Darwin's writings to form his ideas about the perfect society. Just because someone doesn't like to hear about something doesn't mean it shouldn't be mentioned. No one was making absurd claims about Mother Goose. Maybe you should go see the movie to put your mind at ease? :glare:

[snuffy65 1]

Sorry if the word "Hitler" upsets you, but I can't help that I found it interesting that Hitler used Darwin's writings to form his ideas about the perfect society.

Sorry, I quoted you but the response wasn't directed to you. It was directed to all those documentaries, politcal commercials, tv shows, and others that try to compare everything thing to Hitler to make it more provocative. It gets old and rarely is the anology even legit.

Just because someone doesn't like to hear about something doesn't mean it shouldn't be mentioned.

The question is why should it be mentioned? Hitler wanted to speed up Darwin's theory by eliminating what he thought to be lesser races so evolution could take over more quickly. What does that have to do with anything about the movie except to demonize the scientific commmunity for their beliefs?

There are Christian and Muslim leaders trying to start world war III so that their savior will come. Does that mean the bible isn't true, cause some nut jobs want to blow up the world.

No one was making absurd claims about Mother Goose. Maybe you should go see the movie to put your mind at ease? :glare:

I plan on it. Just not paying full price for what looks like a "Michael Moore" type film. You know Michael Moore, the one who likes to compare Bush to Hitler to prove a point.

I ain't knocking the film completely before watching it. But from what I hear it trys to hard to prove absolutley nothing. But again, I will reserve complete judgement until after I seen it for myself.:Dancing_biggrin:

[L8BloomR 1]

Well, first off, the movie wasn't "comparing" anything to Hitler or making any analogy. You will have to see it to understand, but it shows how the theory of evolution has become so concrete in the minds of most that many scientists have been silenced, comdemned or forbidden to research other studies and explanations. It brings in Hitler and others to show how this concrete belief can be perverted into other views. I found the movie fascinating and eye-opening and there is much to debate, but it can't be done until the movie is viewed. Deal?

[snuffy65 1]

Well, first off, the movie wasn't "comparing" anything to Hitler or making any analogy. You will have to see it to understand, but it shows how the theory of evolution has become so concrete in the minds of most that many scientists have been silenced, comdemned or forbidden to research other studies and explanations.

Yes, I understand the premise of the movie. And I still don't know how the Hitler/Darwin theory connection fits in, other then diminish the people who persecuted the intelligent design scientists. However, after reading the synopsis and reading the complaints put forth towards these "ID" scientists were not that they disagreed with them but that they would write papers and make up theories based on non scientific data. Which is funny, cause this sounds like the same approach that the movie is taking.

It brings in Hitler and others to show how this concrete belief can be perverted into other views. I found the movie fascinating and eye-opening and there is much to debate, but it can't be done until the movie is viewed. Deal?

Its a deal. This will be my last remarks until I have seen the movie.

[plain 12]

I'd compare somebody to Hitler ONLY if they had that rocking 'stache.