Comments on: Expelled: liars

By: John Heininger

John Heininger — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:19:18 +0000

All the ranting and ravings against the movie Expelled will not diminish its appeal and continued viewing in the slightest. The louder and more demeaning the protests become the more people will want to view it out of sheer curiosity, and the greater its will be its impact. The sheer furiosity of the attacks by opponents only comfirms the movies central message. Having now viewed the movie and weighed it up against all the web based accusations I not only concluded that the attacks vaporised on more indepth analysis, but that I would now make every effort to widely promote this movie and bring it to the attention of a broad body of community and public official, and others.

By: Josh

Josh — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:11:53 +0000

Documentary that dives into the science behind both Evolution and Creationism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPKkxaZwXJ0&fmt=18

CHECK IT OUT!

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:29:44 +0000

KC, you are right to be sceptical.

I think I also might adopt your approach if it were not for one circumstance: the producers lied to PZ Myers in order to get an interview for the movie (as reported on Pharyngula nearly a year ago).

Given this one fact (and some peripheral observations), I can make several deductions.

(1) It is not the producers’ intention to present a fair and balanced view of the issue. Otherwise, there would have been no need to lie to get an interview with PZ.

(2) It will be presented with a bias that favours the Discoverup Institute’s spin on the academic environment around biological reseacrh. This spin comprises mischaracterisations of the way in which scientific consensus is achieved, of the process for achieving academic tenure, and of the nature of the peer review process.

(3) The movie contradicts its own central thesis. It claims (according to pre-release blurb) that there is no voice for dissent in science. Erm … what is the movie if not a voice of dissent?

(4) It claims that “ID theory” has not received a fair hearing in science and is thus being expelled from the scientific forum as a result of prejudice. However, there is no such thing as ID theory. Even some of the DI fellows have admitted as much. If there is no ID theory, what is there to expel?

By: Joe Meils

Joe Meils — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:06:26 +0000

I wonder if this film might not have the opposite effect of the one they were hoping for… If people teaching evolution might not point to it and say, “This is an example of the propaganda the other side spews.”

Sort of like my film making teachers using Ed Wood’s “Plan 9 From Outer Space” as and example of how NOT to make a movie.

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:09:04 +0000

@Brian

“but then one would have to live with the knowledge that you willingly gave these people some of your money.”

Of course, you could always wait for the DVD to hit the local library. Then it’s free and you don’t give any money to them at all!

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:46:35 +0000

My attitude towards Expelled is much the same as some of my friends’ attitude towards Battlefield Earth, namely that it’s seriously tempting to see the movie, out of a visceral sort of train-wreck fascination, but then one would have to live with the knowledge that you willingly gave these people some of your money.

By: Eric TF Bat

Eric TF Bat — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:54:53 +0000

As usual, it seems that for most fundamentalists the Ninth Commandment is optional.

Every time you say that, I get confused - "What, Ben Stein is coveting his neighbour's ass? Or is it his wife? What?" Turns out the reason I'm confused is because (1) I was raised Catholic, and Catholics do things differently, and (2) I never paid much attention to the commandments beyond using them as a scorecard (and frankly, Purity Tests are much more fun for that purpose).