Advanced Screening of Expelled (the Movie)

I have seen an advanced screening of the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, and it is amazing!!! Every thinking person must see this movie! Not only is the information very compelling, but the way in which it is presented is engaging and keeps you interested. It is no secret that documentaries can be either boring - or - largely fictitious and contrived (as is the case with one very well-known “documentarian”); however, neither is the case with Expelled.

I am pleased to be able to reprint this article about the upcoming movie written by one of our great friends; Dr. Ray Bohlin - the President of Probe Ministries.

Editor’s (Probe) Note: In the land of the free, who would dream of well-reputed scholars—even tenured ones—being expelled from their own institutions? But those who dare to even cite evidence contrary to Darwinian evolution (www.redeeemingdarwin.com) are often pilloried, even terminated. A new documentary, featuring actor, lawyer, economist, former presidential speechwriter and author Ben Stein, blows the whistle on this travesty of academic and scientific freedom…

Most Christians would admit to feeling persecuted in one way or another. We may quickly add that, of course, it’s not like being thrown to the lions like the early Christians. But we see the culture undergoing decay and we perceive our perspective on ethical issues being marginalized. Occasionally we hear of people being harassed in their jobs for being a Christian.

But most of us would expect that in certain spheres of society, such viewpoint bias is quickly admonished and freedom is protected. Our universities are paragons of something called academic freedom. University professors need to be free to express themselves about wherever their research and thinking has led them.American society prides itself in allowing such ideals as freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and even religious freedom. That is a part of what has made our country a refuge for many over the centuries.

In the academic community this is even more highly prized because research is about discovering new ideas and testing them. Researchers need a generous amount of freedom to see where their ideas may lead without being restricted just because a department head doesn’t like their idea.

We tolerate even objectionable ideas like Communism in our universities precisely because it is in hearing all viewpoints that students can best discern the truth. Having been educated as a graduate student in biology departments in two different universities, I can tell you firsthand that not everybody gets along and there are frequent disagreements, both privately and publicly.

But this is seen as necessary because that is how we learn. Ideas need competition. That is how truth is pursued in our human context. During my time in the 70s and 80s as a biology graduate student I was even able to be free about my faith and my doubts about Darwin.

Such freedom is not available today. If a friendly professor learns of your doubts about St. Darwin, he or she will likely tell you to keep it to yourself if you want to graduate.

But what about professors and highly published researchers? Surely they are given a little more latitude? Guess again. Coming [April 18] to a theater near you is an explosive film… Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed starring Ben Stein which chronicles the persecution of highly trained and published scientists simply for doubting or denying Darwin.

A double Ph.D. in biology and evolution was locked out of his offices and all of his research privileges were denied. He was eventually terminated. When a U.S. Senator began asking questions, he was told it was all a mistake. Eventually, his superiors said he was making it up. When an official report came out documenting the abuse, they admitted it but claimed he deserved it.

A highly lauded university biology instructor was demoted and fired for simply including evidence contrary to Darwinism as well as evidence for it. She was told she was teaching creationism even though her lecture outlines were freely available online and the words Creator, Designer, or Higher Power never left her lips. Even the lawyer who volunteered to freely pursue a lawsuit was pressured to drop it.

A highly successful and well-published astronomer has been denied tenure even though he has published over four times the necessary peer-reviewed articles. The reason? He is open and receptive to the theory of Intelligent Design even though it has never been introduced into his courses.

Some are still fighting, some have taken early retirement. Some are blacklisted and can’t find a job. Clearly, some ideas are more tolerated than others.

Got your attention? This is really just the tip of the iceberg of these and other stories this film will explore. Plan now to attend when Expelled hits…

Stay Tuned!

For other great articles on this topic please visit www.redeemingdarwin.com