Mom and I saw the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.
I'm not sure what to think. Ben Stein has a good thesis: All ideas that are backed by empirical evidence should be welcome into the scientific forum. He speaks with experts on Intelligent Design and Evolutionism alike and revels that ID proponents are often censored. However, half-way through, the documentary turns from advocating ID to demonizing Evolutionism in a tangent unrelated to his main point.
I agree with his main idea, but I have to say that during the movie I felt attacked. As in, "well slam a swastika on me 'cause obviously I’m a Nazi for believing in evolution." The documentary blames Evolutionism for the 1920's Social Eugenics movement and the Nazi superiority complex, which is the same as blaming the Crusades and the KKK on the Bible. They also blame Evolutionism for atheism and then try to say that ID has nothing to do with religion.
In addition, the movie placed a very heavy emphasis on emotional appeal. Stein plods heavily around a Darwin Museum, gazing sadly at the exhibit while mournful music plays. He describes how it feels to walk around a concentration camp just before presenting that Hitler got a number of his ideas from Darwin's "Origin of the Species". Evolutionists are implicitly associated with Nazis, the Berlin wall, the 'bad guy', and the oppressive authority figure. ID supporters are shown as being reasonable, accepting, intelligent, appealing, and victims of censorship.
But after all that, I must admit that Stein's point was valid, even if his presentation was calculated to send another message against Evolutionism. I personally think that we need to admit that we don't as yet know where the first cell came from, however, that's no reason to start pulling supernatural explanations into the mix.
He totally didn't check out the new and shiny Creationism Museum in Kansas. D:<
What scares me most though is that when I was shocked and floored at the Evolutionist propaganda, my mother was nodding along in agreement.
It's a good film though. If nothing else, you should see it for the film techniques and the nifty organization.
I completely agree with what R. Dawkins reads from his book about God though. I started reading the Old Testament and wondered how such nice people as my grandmother could stomach it.




It's interesting to read such a different take on the film. (There was another blog on this a few days ago that was very "Yay Rah!"). I appreciate that you assessed the good and the bad.
I don't think I can watch it, though. Ben Stein's voice for two hours? Uh uh. Bueller? Bueller?
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Oh, he's not that bad in the movie, and it's mostly other people talking, and tripping in the case of Dawkins. I'm not sure exactly when he realized that this was not a balanced documentary, but he became frustrated with Stein in the last interview.
haHA!
I'd agree with the main thesis as you said the movie presented it, which is exactly why I don't think ID should be taught in schools.
"Don't blame me. I voted for Kodos."
Homer Simpson