Expelled and the Non-Believers

So this movie Expelled is getting some interesting attention. Some positive, some not so positive. I haven't see it yet, so I'll reserve judgement on the film, the info, and message, etc. I did see the preview and was uninspired - but then Ben Stein hasn't ever inspired me. I do have some friends who've seen it and I'm hopeful they'll comment on it. Was it filled with facts and valid data, or hype and fluff? Do the non-Christian reviewers treat it fairly, or is it being bashed for no good reason? Here is a response I got when I asked some friends if they'd seen it and if they were watching with an open mind - in case it was filled with fluff (I asked them to be cautious and not sheep!):

I went to see this movie today because I knew I would be asked about it. After reading a blazing review in the Gazette about how full of garbage it was, I went expecting it to be a “You must Believe” film made by Fundamentalists. I was both wrong and moved to think deeeeeply about the freedoms we have or don’t have in this country. I have begun to wonder over the last couple of years whether America is truly the free-est country on earth. Stein makes it a point to say that regarding science, Poland is freer than we are! Ugh!

Whereas the reviewer had made the part about Nazi Germany out to be hogwash, I found it very interesting and even frightening.

I used to be more open to the idea of Darwinism than I am today. When I viewed another Intelligent Design film that detailed what a single cell contains, it shook the evolutionary theory to the bones.

After seeing the film “Expelled”, I went to see that Yahoo reviewers had to say. After noticing that Yahoo won’t even let their reviewers review the film, I read 20-30 user reviews and found them very balanced and including agnostics, atheists and Christians, are more upset about what they deem a lack of freedom or “being told” what to think, than about the issues of evolution.

I think Ben Stein might have put his finger on something that is bothering the American people but they haven’t known how to articulate it up until now. I think we are nervous about being told what to think. I think we are fearful that we might be losing freedoms we have held dear. I could imagine that a movie like this and a follow up, could be a movie(s) that could shape the American mindset in years to come. I definitely think Ben has the potential for a “cult classic” on his hands.

I am considering having our church go to see this movie. It strikes at the heart of what I stand for, questions! I WANT PEOPLE TO THINK! I DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO SHUT OFF THEIR MINDS JUST BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BELIEVE IN JESUS OR IN GOD!

I came away from this movie being challenged to really think.

Greg

Wow - good insight and perspective. What do the rest of you think? What do Muslim's think? Jews? Hindus? Is this just a Christian topic, or do other faiths struggle with creation vs evolution?

How did organized religion begin?

There's a great song from the '80's by XTC called 'Dear God' (it's been covered by Sarah McLachlan and others). It starts as a rant about humankind and how we've let the world go to pot. Then it changes course and becomes a rant at God - ending with the singer singing that he doesn't believe in God. In the chorus there's a line that has always struck me as very poignant - Did you make mankind after we made you? Interesting question, especially for a non-believer (like my brother the Atheist). Before I was a believer it's something I pondered quite often. When you look at all of the wacky religions out there that are clearly man made (Scientology comes to mind, along with any religion that asks you to cut off your own genitalia, kill your parents, eat garbage from a dumpster, live under the sea, etc), so many are easy to define as having a Deity that was created by the worshipers. But for the big 3 (Christianity, Judaism and Islam), how did they originate? Of course I believe that Christianity and Judaism are real in the sense that God communicated with man after creating the world. And I know the roots of Islam are in the old testament with Mohamed having a revelation from God. But somehow we all got organized and moved our beliefs forward, while Greeks and Romans, Norse and Egyptians all lost their faith... why? Why did these 3 take off? I know I'm leaving off Hinduism and a few others. But focusing on these 3 you've got 5000+ years of history - what the heck else has lasted some statically for 5000 years? It's almost a basic part of society. Doesn't that help (logically) with the relevance of Judeo-Christian beliefs? Surely if it was all made up people wouldn't be as passionate over the years to keep them alive and thriving. Whole empires have risen and fallen during the centuries, yet these 3 religions stay strong... it's interesting to me.

Evolution vs Creation

As is the norm for most of my non-Christian friends (and even some Christian friend), my brother the Atheist does not believe in Creationism. He's a firm believer in Evolution. Here is an excerpt from chapter 4 in his upcoming book:

"...I see proof every day that we weren’t literally plastered together from clay and dirt by some magical sculptor’s hands, but instead evolved from more primitive life forms. I’m reminded of this every time I trim my toenails, which sadly, according to my wife, isn’t often enough... My wife is convinced that I have toenails solely to torture her when we sleep. But I say they’re not long and sharp, it’s just the angle at which they grow that makes them feel long and sharp when they brush against her leg in the middle of the night. ...Could it be that toenails are proof that we are descended from some other animal, a creature that used its feet to climb trees, dig in the dirt, and defend itself? And if they are proof of such evolutionary beginnings, does that mean we weren’t crafted from clay? And would that mean the Bible is inaccurate?"

What am I to say about this? Clearly his logic drops off a bit - but for those who do not believe that the bible is more than a book written by men over the years, or that the Koran is simply a book a nice guy put together years ago after wanting to split away from the religions of the time, how do we engage in an informed discussion based on scientific facts to help rationalize our belief in Creationism? I tend to fall down on these points quite a lot - and easily say things like "I'm not a religious scholar nor have I studied theology, so I go by faith". Ok, that sounds good to Christians and probably people of other faiths, but to non-believers it's a bit weak. I know many books have been written on these subjects, but most that I've read (don't get me started on Ken Ham - talk about weak writing!) make painful jumps in logic about as credible as my brother the Atheist's jump in logic from chapter 4. What scientific data exists to support Creationism? Is there any? Can anyone really refute Evolution?