Ben Stein's Can Of Worms

From The movie overview for Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed:

His heroic and, at times, shocking journey confronting the world’s top scientists, educators and philosophers, regarding the persecution of the many by an elite few.

Ben realizes that he has been “Expelled,” and that educators and scientists are being ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired – for the “crime” of merely believing that there might be evidence of “design” in nature, and that perhaps life is not just the result of accidental, random chance.

First of all, let me point out that “confronting the world’s top scientists, educators and philosophers” with “believing that there might be evidence” doesn’t really make it seem like Ben Stein has a strong argument for his case.

Secondly, let me point out that Mr. Stein has ripped the cover off of his can of worms. By the logic that Mr. Stein is using to promote “intelligent design”, I should have a legitimate complaint against every place of worship in this country. How dare they not hire me to preach to their congregations that there is no God!

If Ben Stein wants religion to enter the science classroom, it seems only fair to let atheism enter the place of worship.

Science And Morality

From Ben Stein and Darwin: Truth is what matters by Mark C. Chu-Carroll:

People will always find ways to justify horrible things. Just look at the headlines here in the US over the last week about torture. We'll find ways of justifying the things we want to justify. But justifications don't change facts. Evolution is a theory that does an amazing job of describing a piece of the world. Whether it's used to justify something evil doesn't change that. If it's true, it's true. And no amount of ranting about the horrible things that it supposedly motivated can change that. In the end, the truth is the truth. Evolution is true - whether Hitler, or the Janjaweed in Sudan, or eugenicists in America choose to use it to justify their actions doesn't change that. It's still true.

The whole Darwin-to-Hitler link in Stein's wretched little movie is a totally meaningless exercise. It's a line of pure and utter bullshit, and even if we were to accept it as absolute truth, it would be irrelevant. Truth and morality are two different things.

An Expelled Narrative

Consider me impressed. Over at Amused Muse Kristine has amassed large quantities of data concerning Ben Stein’s latest foray into movie making. A fascinating tale!

From Expelled: Imagine! by Kristine:

Now, it is evident to all why intelligent design has no place in science classrooms or in academia at large: it is a cheat, and its advocates are cheaters. And cheaters don’t belong in class – let alone teaching in our nation’s classrooms.

I Will Obey PZ Myers!

I Will Obey PZ Myers!

Expelled.

Expelled.

Expelled…

Ben Stein Catapults It Too

From Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed--Ben Stein Launches a Science-free Attack on Darwin By Michael Shermer:

It was with some irony for me, then, that I saw Ben Stein's antievolution documentary film, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, opens with the actor, game show host and speechwriter for Richard Nixon addressing a packed audience of adoring students at Pepperdine University, apparently falling for the same trap I did.

Actually they didn't. The biology professors at Pepperdine assure me that their mostly Christian students fully accept the theory of evolution. So who were these people embracing Stein's screed against science? Extras. According to Lee Kats, associate provost for research and chair of natural science at Pepperdine, "the production company paid for the use of the facility just as all other companies do that film on our campus" but that "the company was nervous that they would not have enough people in the audience so they brought in extras. Members of the audience had to sign in and a staff member reports that no more than two to three Pepperdine students were in attendance. Mr. Stein's lecture on that topic was not an event sponsored by the university." And this is one of the least dishonest parts of the film.