EXPELLED: An Inconvenient Ben Stein
Expelled, the movie.
It was not at all what I expected which was nice. It was shot in a documentary style much like Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth”. So my first reaction is “will Ben win an Oscar?” the filming just a good, the facts just as compelling. “Will Ben win a Nobel Peace Prize?” for much needed awareness of even the possibility of ID, Intelligent Design. (which may be a carbon swap for Creator)
Ahh, maybe not… just check out Ben’s Blog. You’ve got to read some of the nasty comments. http://expelledthemovie.com/blog/
But I loved it. It was just plain well done.
What I loved about it was that yes it was biased, it was edited in favor of ID but it filled many holes in the ID argument and presented many holes in Evolution THEORY, let me say it again :EVOLUTION THEORY.
So how did ‘theory’ become fact?
Dr. Richard Dawkins http://richarddawkins.net/ answers that as he stands by the fact that Evolution Theory is fact, as most Evolutionist do; “I’m right and if you don’t believe me, read my book. Then if you still don’t see I’m right, you must be stupid.”
Ben “ok, everything came from a single cell, where did that come from?”
RD “nobody really knows… aliens”
Ben “ok where did they come from”
RD “nobody really knows…”
Round and round we go, where it ends… well, “nobody really knows”. End of story.
But if you believe in the Creator, God the Creator, then you do know.
If science were to recognize a Creator (check this site out www.creationstudies.org ) what an awesome way to give glory to the Creator by the amazing things we discover!
Now I’m not jumping on a bandwagon and Saint Ben Stein is not my hero any more than Saint Mel Gibson was for making The Passion, and I’m not calling for Saint Al Gore to give back his Oscar and Nobel Peace Prize.
Bottom line, go see the movie. It’s not going to change the brilliant minds of the Evolutionist, but Ben makes a good point about everyone doing their part (just like Al Gore says) and question what science is saying, ask why, state some very obvious things that support creation (like ‘ok where did that come from?’) then perhaps we could see a change. Wait, didn’t that sound like Al Gore?
So do you think Ben will win an Oscar, or a Nobel Peace Prize?
When I read such dribble, I have to wonder: do you believe that we are created in God’s image and likeness or did you create God in your own image and likeness. If you accept the foundational Christian tenets that God exhibits the attributes of omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence and is therefore omnific, eternal, and the very essence of perfection, why do you insist on limiting such magnificence by demanding that He act only in accordance with your limited knowledge and perception.
Creationist/ Intelligent Design Theory (which it is most certainly by any definition of a theory) in addition to being terrible science and logic, is most fundamentally extremely flawed theology. It’s premise, instead of glorifying God, dismisses Him as a mere tinkerer in the grand drama of genetics. If you accept that God is the very embodiment of perfection you must realize that God must be both Necessary and Sufficient. Creationist Theory demands just the opposite. It requires God to constantly intervene in the process, to adjust, alter and supplement. God, from the creationist purview, is not Sufficient but merely Necessary. God is not unbounded but limited and restrictive. Moreover, the way he has intervened according to Creationist/Intelligent Design Theory makes Him appear devious and dishonest. How else can you reconcile the premise of a young earth with the physical evidence?
God as the watchmaker of Paley’s vision is an anthropomorphic creation. The downsized version of God that Creationist/ Intelligent Design Theorists would have us accept commands none
of the reverence and grandeur that is the essence of fundamental Christian beliefs.
I enjoyed the travelogue feel of the movie and seeing people interviewed that I normally just read about.
robert,
the ‘dribble’ and ‘limited knowledge’ is in light of a movie that itself is, respectfully, narrow in its scope of God. its purpose is not to claim God as Omnific (interesting choice of words) nor does it say anything about His amazing love nor His plan for your life through Jesus Christ nor anything about Heaven.
So don’t wonder if I think we are created in His image, of course I do.
In that light, you have some great questions but come with conditions of great debate.
So I must defer to the Bible, you may even know the verse… Jesus speaking “ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find it, knock and I will enter.”
If you didn’t click on http://www.creationstudies.org try it, it’s a good starting point. the founder was a staunch Evolution scientist and is now a creation / ID scientist giving full glory to God for the wonderful things He has made.
thanks,
-GS
Obviously you’ve never even cracked an evolution textbook. Simply clueless.
Scientists use the word THEORY in a totally different way than laymen do. THEORY is applied to everything. Even gravity is a THEORY! You don’t go around accusing people of “believing in Gravity,” do you? Is gravity a religion? You don’t call people Newtonists for accepting gravity, do you?
Only when it doesn’t fit your world-view, then you bring up the word THEORY. Only when it calls into question the Bible. At least if you’re going to be ignorant, be consistent.
There is nothing scientific about ID. Whenever IDers can’t explain something, they just say “God did it.” In that way, the theory is unfalsifiable. Not scientific. Not able to be tested. Stupid.
As Carl Sagan once said, “science delivers the goods.” What technology or great idea ever came from religion? Nothing. Science gives us everything that makes our lives better. Electricity, communications, and the books that you print that wretched Bible in. Religion was never responsible for creating anything but strife in the world.
Evolutionary theory is just a theory. Of course! You do not believe in evolution, it is not dogma. It is just a working explanation for the phenomena we see in the outside world. We use it and accept it because it works - it’s the underlying basis for biology. If a better explanation comes along, we will use that. That’s the difference between science and religion.
Good post. I see you’ve attracted quite a few trolls to moan and complain. That alone shows you did something right.
I like the film too. It has a nice soft approach (unlike that annoying Michael Moore) and finally takes on the Darwinists and gets them to squirm. Good for Ben!
godkillzyou!
“Obviously you’ve never even cracked an evolution textbook. Simply clueless.”
I’ve crakt em, it’s call publik skool!
“What technology or great idea ever came from religion?”
The “idea” of Eternal Salvation is a pretty good one.
Godkillzyou: I believe it’s referred to as the “Law of Gravity” (not the theory of gravity). It’s the theory of origins that is at debate here, not science in general, or even “microevolution”. There are many theories that we base modern science upon, and rightly so–the evidence collected very much supports them, and many advances have been made as we’ve proven them and applied them. I say “Thank God for science!” As the famous astronomer, etc. Johhes Kepler wrote, science is “merely thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” That said, however, the theory of evolution simply cannot answer the question, “How did we get here?” Science is incapable of answering such questions. Nothing simply cannot come from nothing. Thus, men turn to religion. My choice? I’ve chosen to turn to the only religion that speaks of a Creator that loves the world He created. By the way, those following Christ’s example have founded and continue to found and run some of the world’s largest and most effective relief agencies, homeless shelters, hospitals, etc., etc.–as well as many institutions of higher learning. I pray you’ll come to know that God wants to save you from a life and an eternity apart from Him–not kill you.
There is no God. All this debate is good but at what point do you say “I’m going down with the ship?” I mean you’ve heard about God, His love, His mercy, His Son, His forgiveness, His salvation and His judgment at what point do you say in your heart “there is no God”.
What if you’re wrong?
That’s the thing, if I’m wrong then I only live a lfe thinking I am loved, so I love, thinking I have mercy so I am merciful, thinking I have forgiveness so I forgive, and I return to dust.
But if you’re wrong? The consequence is eternal.
Then judgment is before you and you would have to answer the question “why should I let you into My Heaven?”
Well the answer is He shouldn’t. If you don’t want to believe in God here why would you even want to be with God there? Then what is your alternative. Well the alternative is a life, after your death, without God.
Without God. Well if God made everything and everything was made by God then He made mercy, forgiveness, love. These are the benefits of life with God. A life without God then becomes the opposite of these things, your heart will cry for mercy and there will be none, your heart will cry for love and there will be none, and forgiveness, there will be none.
Just a thought.
Robert,
In an attempt to clear up some of the straw in your comment.
What “Creationist Theory” are you referring to?
Who do you say Jesus is?
Killz,
Ever thought that the anger you have in your heart is verification of the things you so angrily and foolishly deny?
Robert, you gave a very insightful analysis.