Six Things in Expelled That Ben Stein Doesn't Want You to Know...

Scientific American ^ | April 16, 2008 | John Rennie and Steve Mirsky

[Argus]

I’ve never seen any contradiction in finding that the theory of natural selection explains how life evolved on Earth, and that this is the method by which God achieved His purposes.

I also don’t think that Charles Darwin should be held responsible for so-called Social Darwinism which Nazis and Communists espoused to justify mass murder. He didn’t invent that.

[NavVet]

“The scientific method involves rigorously observing and experimenting on the material world. It accepts as evidence only what can be measured or otherwise empirically validated (a requirement called methodological naturalism). That requirement prevents scientific theories from becoming untestable and overcomplicated.”

What a crock. Global Warming, Big Bang Theory, and I think we’re on our third theory about what killed the dinosaurs just since I’ve been around. Science has no problem speculating when it suits them.

[elfman2]

" Their theory depends upon life appearing spontaneously from non-living matter."

No it doesn't. God could have created life in evolutionary theory. Evolutionary theory explains what happened after that. Abiogenesis is the theory that explores the origins of life. No "artful dodge" about that. Just your misunderstanding.

[snarks_when_bored]

Ben Stein is an engaging personality, a smart guy, a funny actor and a savvy investor. He has every right to believe what he wishes to believe about the results (or what he views as the lack of results) of scientific inquiry. But the question he asks the "dude" professor in his television commercial for this movie is, frankly, silly: asking the professor how he explains life's origin—and thereby implying that if no answer is immediately forthcoming from science, none ever will be—is mere sophistry. Three hundred and fifty or so years ago, skeptics (with amazingly advanced astronomical data somehow in hand!) could have asked Isaac Newton this question: "How do you explain the precession of the perihelion of the orbit of Mercury using your inverse square theory of the gravitational force?", and Newton would have been unable to answer. Why? Because that precession is not predicted by Newton's theory of gravity; it took Einstein's development of his theory of general relativity to explain it.

To suggest, as Ben Stein's funny question suggests, that if a scientific answer to how life came to be cannot be made right this minute, then no scientific answer will be forthcoming, ever, is to suggest something which is false.

[Boxen]

Oh yes. Ignore the dissent as “atheistic.” I think that might fall under number 6.

[smug]

He’s not pushing Creation. He’s highligting the arrogant BIAS of those that don’t agree with other views.

You know it, I know it, bet the media will say different.

[FourtySeven]

LOL! WHEE, a soon to be 500+ post thread which, out of these 500 replies, probably 1% will actually address the points.

Point 6 actually might be a popular one, if only to say, “Well, of COURSE it’s the godless CATHOLICS that would accept eevil-loution!”, over, and over, and over again.

But oh well, we can’t have anyone taking the words of Scripture metaphorically at times, especially when there are so many one handed, one-eyed people out there that are in danger of loosing their other appendages. (cf Matt 5:30, Matt 18:8, Mark 9:43, Mark 9:45)

[theBuckwheat]

>>
Evolutionary theory explains what happened after that. Abiogenesis is the theory that explores the origins of life. No “artful dodge” about that. Just your misunderstanding.
<<

Not at all. I see it very clearly, more clearly than those advocates in denial.

[trumandogz]

It seems Ben Stein went to the Michael Moore School of “Documentary” Making.

[LS]

Looks as if Ben Stein has hit a home run, judging from the nature of the whiney criticisms. It's a FILM. I think he has a right to "stage" a lecture for a MOVIE.

And having worked on dozens of books, there are lots of times that the title of the book or even some of the direction changes a little after you get into the information.

[theBuckwheat]

Thank you for exactly proving my point.

[mnehring]

I’ve never seen any contradiction in finding that the theory of natural selection explains how life evolved on Earth, and that this is the method by which God achieved His purposes.

Ditto, at that, even the Bible supports this if one looks close enough. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation.... The land produced vegetation...And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures...

[Shryke]

Not at all. I see it very clearly, more clearly than those advocates in denial.

I can see even more clearlylierliest - you are wrong.

[Boxen]

Looks as if Ben Stein has hit a home run, judging from the nature of the whiney criticisms.

Hehe. Worst argument ever.

[Squawk 8888]

Their theory depends upon life appearing spontaneously from non-living matter

Strawman alert!

No scientific theory in any field addresses the issue of a creator in any way because any such assertions would be scientifically unprovable. The theory simply states that non-living material became living material- which BTW the Bible also states. Evolutionary biology only deals with the process, not whether it was consciously directed.

[mnehring]

I love what CS Lewis said about the subject.

Science teaches us how God created the world; the Bible teaches us why.

[LS]

Lessee, “The” most prestigious science magazine around has to launch a point-by-point criticism of a movie by an actor who is most famous for the line “Bueller?” Yah, I’d say he touched a nerve.

[steve-b]

Hillary must get even bigger props from you, then.

[absolootezer0]

only six points, some as dumb as “that wasn’t a real audience”?
still has more truths than any moore or gore “documentary”

[savedbygrace]

It’s very kind of you to provide all this free advertising for the film. Lots more people will go see it as a result, I’m sure.

I almost never go to the theater to see films, but after seeing how intently the pro-evos are slamming it, I’m seriously thinking of seeing it this weekend.