Filed under: Future Harm, Pseudoscience, Religion | Tags: Ben stein, creationism, evolution, expelled, Florida, inelegant deign
Thanks to John C. Devorac at devorak Uncenserd I bring you thus.
A local state lawmaker who is pushing Florida to adopt an “academic freedom” law — one that would protect teachers who are critical of evolution — has invited members of the Florida House to a private screening of the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.
The controversial documentary, staring Ben Stein, is supported by the Discovery Institute, which advocates for Intelligent Design and has been pushing for academic freedom laws to protect those who share its views.
The invitation to see Expelled on Wednesday was sent to all members of the House by Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, according to his legislative aide.
Hays filed a bill very similar to a sample one posted on the institute’s website. It would give teachers the right to present “the full range of views on biological and chemical origins.” That bill, plus a companion one in the Senate filed by Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Brandon, were filed after the State Board of Education last month adopted new science standards (ones lauded by many scientists) that required the teaching of evolution.
Whats the harm? It allows ignorant teachers to bash the scientific theory with the same old pseudo-scientific propaganda and thus diminish already bad Florida schools and make it harder for any student that wants to become a scientists or biologist and make our country look even more stupid.
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For those of you reading this blog who think that Ben Stein was in any way the motivating force behind this movie, please reconsider.
From the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Texan interview with Logan Craft (executive producer of Expelled):
http://www.sbtexan.com/default.asp?action=article&aid=5533&issue=2/4/2008
TEXAN: How did Ben Stein come to be involved in the film?
CRAFT: Well, John (Sullivan, producer of Expelled) had a real insight, we believe, into the necessity to have a person, first of all, who wasn’t overtly Christian or overtly religious…
Ben Stein is a hack!
This film is a manufactured argument, cleverly crafted to advance a conservative christian agenda. ID at this point, after almost 20 years and millions of dollars tossed at it by the Discovery Institute, is still merely a vague idea. It has not yet even been fleshed out into a valid scientific hypothesis, and certainly hasn’t developed into a viable or testable theory.
So at this point, the ID/creationist movement is merely a well-funded public relations effort trying to rally public support promoting “science = evolution = atheists”, rather than offering any positive evidence of the “designer”, or “design”.
“Tens of millions of Americans, who neither know nor understand the actual arguments for or even against evolution, march in the army of the night with their Bibles held high. And they are a strong and frightening force, impervious to, and immunized against, the feeble lance of mere reason.”
Comment by Benjamin C. March 11, 2008 @ 11:37 am—Isaac Asimov
No one said Ben Stine was behind the movie but he is famous and (cause of his game show) people think he’s smart (I did, now I don’t) and if he says “this is true” or “this is false” in the public arena people listen to him.
Your right, the whole “intelligent design” movement is nothing more them using the wedge strategy to get there religion into the schools. When it comes to spreading there religion, “thou shalt not lie” doesn’t count.
Grate quote.
Comment by Lone Wolf March 11, 2008 @ 1:57 pm