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I finished watching Ben Stein's "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" documentary. I thought the documentary was good, in that it talked about otherwise reputable

by prat 17y ago

I finished watching Ben Stein's "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" documentary. I thought the documentary was good, in that it talked about otherwise reputable scientists/teachers being expelled from their institutions because their name appeared in the context of ID where they did not vehemently reject it. Even if they didn't support or believe in ID, if they wrote an article merely wondering out loud about it, they were expelled. Interesting part is that in most cases authorities denied that that was the reason for the firing - eventhough their termination letter mentioned it.

mani824 17y ago
These people deserve to be bashed. The next thing they'll say would contradict another established scientific theory and then they would ask to include it in curriculum.
- prat 17y ago
  That statement could be made about anyone contradicting any well established theory. I am not putting the ID guy on a pedestal with Galileo or some such sacrificed truth seeker. All I am saying is that beleif in ID is not like child molestation for which one should be expelled from job.
  - bbgm 17y ago
    Would you fire someone for teaching that the earth is at the center of the universe? Because ID pretty much falls into the same category. What people should be doing is being upfront about the reasons for firing rather than trying to hide them. Clarification: Firing is only relevant if they are actually teaching life sciences. If they aren't then it is a personal belief and doesn't really matter
    - prat 17y ago
      Your clarification was actually my next point. Many of them were in fields not remotely connected with biology.
tptacek 17y ago
Ebert handled this film better than any of us can: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/12/win_ben_steins_mind.html http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/12/win_ben_steins_mind.... (He's not a fan). I agree with you that it's wrong to fire someone for believing in I-D, and I also find Ebert's take compelling.
tdedecko 17y ago
I tried watching Expelled a week ago. I approached it with an open mind trying to be able to see an alternate perspective. Unfortunately, I found it to be nearly unwatchable. I didn't like it because the presentation made it impossible for the documentary to even present an argument. Cuts during interviews were so rapid that I could barely understand the context of any statement. Furthermore, the rapid cuts symbolize an intention to mislead or misinterpret what people say. I got to point where Ben Stein visits the concentration camps. I was so perplexed by this I just turned the movie off. As for the information contained in Expelled. It was hard to interpret because it was filled with so much opinion. Nothing was hard fact enough for me to consider that the professors were fired for an invalid reason.

by prat 17y ago

mani824 17y ago

These people deserve to be bashed. The next thing they'll say would contradict another established scientific theory and then they would ask to include it in curriculum.

prat 17y ago
That statement could be made about anyone contradicting any well established theory. I am not putting the ID guy on a pedestal with Galileo or some such sacrificed truth seeker. All I am saying is that beleif in ID is not like child molestation for which one should be expelled from job.
- bbgm 17y ago
  Would you fire someone for teaching that the earth is at the center of the universe? Because ID pretty much falls into the same category. What people should be doing is being upfront about the reasons for firing rather than trying to hide them. Clarification: Firing is only relevant if they are actually teaching life sciences. If they aren't then it is a personal belief and doesn't really matter
  - prat 17y ago
    Your clarification was actually my next point. Many of them were in fields not remotely connected with biology.

tptacek 17y ago

Ebert handled this film better than any of us can: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/12/win_ben_steins_mind.html http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2008/12/win_ben_steins_mind.... (He's not a fan). I agree with you that it's wrong to fire someone for believing in I-D, and I also find Ebert's take compelling.

tdedecko 17y ago

I tried watching Expelled a week ago. I approached it with an open mind trying to be able to see an alternate perspective. Unfortunately, I found it to be nearly unwatchable. I didn't like it because the presentation made it impossible for the documentary to even present an argument. Cuts during interviews were so rapid that I could barely understand the context of any statement. Furthermore, the rapid cuts symbolize an intention to mislead or misinterpret what people say. I got to point where Ben Stein visits the concentration camps. I was so perplexed by this I just turned the movie off. As for the information contained in Expelled. It was hard to interpret because it was filled with so much opinion. Nothing was hard fact enough for me to consider that the professors were fired for an invalid reason.