Atheist Scientists in Uproar over Movie Showing Intolerance of Evidence for Intelligent Design

LifeSiteNews.com ^ | October 5, 2007

[monomaniac]

Atheist Scientists in Uproar over Movie Showing Intolerance of Evidence for Intelligent Design

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed Coming to Theatres in February 2008

LOS ANGELES, October 5, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) -  Atheist scientists who have become famous for attacking those who disagree with them are now loudly complaining about supposedly being mistreated in a film they haven't seen.

Oxford zoologist, Richard Dawkins, has made a lot of money and fame calling people who believe in God "delusional." Yet he is now grumbling that the producers of EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed "tricked" him into doing an interview. EXPELLED exposes the intimidation, persecution and career destruction that takes place when any scientist dares dissent from the view that all life on earth is the mere result of random mutation and natural selection.

"Some of these people -- especially Mr. Dawkins -- spend a lot of time insulting the millions of folks who disagree with them, so you would think they would have a little tougher skin," said Mark Mathis, one of the film's producers. "The funny thing is they are whining about the fact that the film is going to allow them to insult people on a much larger stage."

Other notable scientists who claim they were "deceived" by the producers of EXPELLED include Eugenie Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education and PZ Myers, a biologist at the University of Minnesota, Morris, who devotes much of his time to his popular science blog.

Myers has attacked the film several times on his blog since EXPELLED announced its arrival in theaters in February 2008.

EXPELLED's producers say they aren't surprised by the academic uproar over the film because it is consistent with what happens on university campuses when students or professors question atheistic materialism.

"There is some serious mistreatment and downright reprehensible behavior going on here, but I can assure you it's not coming from us -- we're just the ones exposing it," said Executive Producer, Walt Ruloff. "When our audience sees the stories of the real victims of scientific malpractice they're going to be outraged."

The producers of EXPELLED are particularly amused by Dawkins's complaint that the name of the film was changed from "Crossroads" to "EXPELLED" suggesting that this re-naming was a deception. Dawkins is well aware of the fact that movie titles change. When he was interviewed for EXPELLED he made the comment that the title of his anti-religion documentary, "Root of all Evil?" was chosen as a replacement for the original title late in the process.

Additionally, Dawkins participates in the documentary "A War on Science," which is an attack on Intelligent Design (ID). Producers of that film presented themselves to the Discovery Institute as objective filmmakers and then portrayed the organization as religiously-motivated and anti- scientific.

"I've never seen a bigger bunch of hypocrites in my life," said Mathis, who set up the interviews for EXPELLED. "I went over all of the questions with these folks before the interviews and I e-mailed the questions to many of them days in advance. The lady (and gentleman) doth protest too much, methinks."

"Both Myers and Scott say they would have agreed to be interviewed under any circumstances, so why are they complaining?" said Ruloff. "In fact we had a second interview set up with Eugenie Scott, which she cancelled once rumors about EXPELLED began to circulate."

The legal releases all of the interviewees signed were quite explicit in regards to editorial control and transferability, something that is standard in the film business. Dawkins, Myers, Scott and many other scientists were paid for their interviews (Scott's check went to her organization, the National Center for Science Education).

EXPELLED's producers have made it clear the film will portray the scientists interviewed in a way that is consistent with their actual viewpoints or other public statements.

EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed is scheduled for release in February 2008. For more information on Ben Stein's journey visit http://www.expelledthemovie.com/

[Coyoteman]

Further, the Supreme Court has ruled that the 10 commandments, above EVERY other set of principles which were based on MAN’S ideas, is the one true set of rules from the one true God.

I don't recall a Supreme Court decision that found that the 10 commandments were "the one true set of rules from the one true God."

Would not the legal interpretation that the 10 commandments represented religious belief be more likely?

[BuckeyeForever]

You wrote: “For much of history God had a rule about such servitude, not allowing it to go on in perpetuity.”
________________________________
My response: I don’t find such a rule recorded in the Bible. I don’t think you do either, and I assume you are simply attributing the abolition of slavery in some societies to divine intervention. If so, there is no basis for the attribution. Of course, slavery continues in some areas of the world. My primary point on this point remains that the God of the Bible is concerned with whether we mix wool and linen, eat bacon, work on the Sabbath, or covet our neighbors’ property (donkey, ox, wife, and slaves), but apparently not with whether we or our neighbor has a slave.
_______________________
You: “As to your remaining point, it is most clear the 10 commandments were delivered. They appear in a book that was written millenia ago, so it’s not something we just made up a few years ago to adorn our courthouses to make the ACLU mad.”

Me: There are a lot of things that appear in books written millenia ago. You are impressed by ancient literature? How do you know which ancient literature you believe, and does there have to be any proof of the claims in the literature? Maybe you are a little too quick to reject Thor or Zeus?

You: “Further, the Supreme Court has ruled that the 10 commandments, above EVERY other set of principles which were based on MAN’S ideas, is the one true set of rules from the one true God.”

Me: I didn’t realize the Supreme Court had confirmed the existence of a supernatural entity. I’ll bet that was one interesting Daubert hearing in that case.

[beefree]

The Compact Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Publishing House:
Slave, Slavery (bondslave, servant). “While the Hebrew and Greek words are very common in the Bible, the English word slave is found but twice (Jer 2:14; Rev 18:13) and the word slavery does not exist at all in King James Version, because both the Hebrew and the Greek word involved are more often rendered ‘servant’.” In Revelation 18:13 the slaves belong to Whore Babylon.

[CharlesWayneCT]

beefree's response indicates what I said about the word "slavery" being misconstrued.

For your question about the rule regarding non-perpetuity of slavery, see for example Leviticus 25:10:

Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.

You could be indentured to another family, but at the year of jubilee your servitude would end and you would return.

Note also that a family could temporarily give up their inheritance, but that too returned to the family on the year of jubilee.

I was in fact not trying to attribute the abolition of slavery to some passage of the bible. The Bible concerns itself much more with our slavery to sin, and the freedom from bondage offered by our Creator. We aren't meant to have perfect lives here on earth, and slavery is just one of MANY bad things that happen to people. For example, people are enslaved by injury, and God does not offer all healing.

As to the Supreme COurt and what they really ruled, I would note that you are literally correct, as they haven't used the words, and I am being somewhat facetious. But they in fact have not given such prominence to any other religious writings. In fact, for most religions the Supreme Court has been happy to let slide the strictures on "establishing religion", which suggests that there is something less "authentic" as far as the SC goes with those religions or religious symbols or religious writings.

[I'm ALL Right!]

Ah...controversy. Always good publicity before a release...

[TASMANIANRED]

I’m totally lost Bob...Don’t know where you were trying to lead me.

[NicknamedBob]

In regard to books and their sanctity:

I was suggesting, casually, that one third of the world, the Christians, and another third, the Mohammedans, would each suffer torment more gladly than to see their respective Holy Books desecrated.

[TASMANIANRED]

Re books and their sanctity....

Mohammedans don’t have a problem with their holy books being desecrated...They do it all the time...They just don’t want anyone else to do it.

Similarly they have no problem blowing up the mosques belonging to other Islamic sects...Neither to they have a problem using them as a sniping nest or an arsenal.

Re: Christianity....Where exactly have you ever seen war re the desecration of a book.

Wars were waged re: content of dogma but not content of the book...And then not in 200-300 years...and despite the outward appearance of the wars being religious they were really the typical political power grab.

[NicknamedBob]

"Re: Christianity....Where exactly have you ever seen war re the desecration of a book."

http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~aahobor/Lucy-Day/Images/Covers-50/Guns-Germs-and-Steel.jpg

The events depicted on the illustration of Mr. Diamond's book, "Guns, Germs, and Steel" spring to mind.

Supposedly, because the Holy Bible was not treated with proper deference and awe, about seven thousand "government workers" were slain in an orgy of violence.

[TASMANIANRED]

Not familiar with the book.

Not familiar with the topic and can’t tell from the cover.

However I would like to mention another book that caused the slaughter of 80-100 million over the course of a century.

Das Kapital

[NicknamedBob]

"...I would like to mention another book that caused the slaughter of ..."

Let me be clear, I am not blaming the Bible, I am simply answering the question posed.

"Re: Christianity....Where exactly have you ever seen war re the desecration of a book."

[TASMANIANRED]

Ok....

Bob, it is always a pleasure to engage you...No matter the subject.

Witty, polite and you usually leave me with a thing or two to think about.

[editor-surveyor]

It’s hard for the blind to see anything, good luck!

[editor-surveyor]

"That's not creation. That's mutation."

Yes, but is it 'intelligent mutation?' ;o)

[editor-surveyor]

"they had God himself in charge and couldn’t figure out the Earth wasn’t the center of the Universe."

Nobody has ever proven that the earth is not at the center of the universe, although an entire cosmological model was made mathematically unworkable (the big bang) by inserting into it the provisio that the universe be unbounded, solely so they could declare that nothing could be at the center. In order to support this house of cards, they now have had to also insert the unobserved phenominon of 'dark energy' in an attempt to add some glue for their house.

[editor-surveyor]

Ping!

[GodGunsGuts]

Want a good laugh. Watch this video...hehe.

http://cedros.globat.com/~thebrites.org/News/InformationSource.html

[editor-surveyor]

Unfortunately, the audio on that is muddy and indistinct.
They should clean it up digitally.

[NicknamedBob]

The book "Guns, Germs, and Steel" is a very interesting and insightful treatise. I had checked it out from the library, but I will add it to my personal library when I can.

Here is a lengthy excerpt from chapter one, which lays out most of his well-reasoned speculation.

Here is a better depiction of the scene Mr. Diamond chose for his cover.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/4972-large.jpg

Capture of the Inca emperor Atahuelpa by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532

And this link leads to an interesting tale of unimaginable deceit and treachery: Pizarro's seizure of the Incan emperor Atuhualpa.

It was near the hour of sunset when the procession reached the city, several thousand Indians marching into the great square, borne high above whom was the Inca, seated in an open litter on a kind of throne made of massive gold, while a collar of emeralds of great size and beauty encircled his neck and his attire was rich and splendid. He looked around him with surprise, as there was not a Spaniard to be seen, and asked, in tones of annoyance, "Where are the strangers?"

At this moment Pizarro's chaplain, a Dominican friar, came forward, with Bible and crucifix in hand, and began to expound to him the Christian doctrines, ending by asking him to acknowledge himself a vassal of the king of Spain. The Inca, when by aid of the interpreter he had gained a glimpse of the priest's meaning, answered him with high indignation, and when the friar handed him the Bible as the authority for his words, he flung it angrily to the earth, exclaiming,

"Tell your comrades that they shall give me an account of their doings in my land. I will not go from here till they have made me full satisfaction for all the wrongs they have committed."

Picking up the sacred volume, the friar hastened to Pizarro, told him what had been said, and cried out,

"Do you not see that while we stand here wasting our breath in talking with this dog, full of pride as he is, the fields are filling with Indians? Set on, at once; I absolve you."

Pizarro waved a white scarf in the air, the signal agreed upon. A gun was fired from the fortress. Then, with the Spanish war-cry of St. Jago and at them!" Pizarro and his followers sprang out into the square. From every avenue of the great building they occupied poured armed men, horse and foot, and rushed in warlike fury upon the Indians. Taken utterly by surprise, the latter were hurled back in confusion. Their ranks rent by the balls from cannon and musketry, hundreds of them tram-pled under foot by the fierce charges of the cavalry, pierced by lances or cut down by swords, they were driven resistlessly back, falling in multitudes as they wildly sought to escape. The massacre went on with especial intensity around the Inca, his nobles, none of them armed, struggling with what strength they could in his defence. "Let no one who values his life strike at the Inca!" shouted Pizarro, fearing his valued prize might he slain in the wild tumult. Fiercer still grew the struggle around him. The royal litter swayed back and forth, and, as some of its bearers were slain, it was overturned, the monarch being saved from a fall to the ground by Pizarro and some others, who caught him in their arms. With all haste they bore him into the fortress and put him under close guard.

With the capture of the Inca all resistance was at an end. The unarmed Peruvians fled in terror from the fearful massacre. The soldiers in the fields were seized with panic on hearing the fatal news, and dispersed in all directions, pursued by the Spanish cavalry, who cut them down without mercy. Not till night had fallen did Pizarro's men cease the pursuit and return at the call of the trumpet to the bloody square of Caxamalca. In that frightful massacre not less than two thousand victims, perhaps many more, were slain, the most of them unarmed and helpless.

[GodGunsGuts]

The point is, he can’t answer what should be an easy and obvious question if evolution were true.