Expelled: I.D. Rakes it in and Gets Rake in Face

Posted 4 February 2008 by PvM

Aaron Elias, sophomore student in English, writes in the New University (University of California of Irvine) the following:

Every so often, a group will try to promote its cause and give itself the proverbial rake in the face. The pointy end of the rake came up when the makers of “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” started bribing fundamentalist schools to organize mandatory field trips forcing students to watch the film. Bribery? Great publicity move! That garners about as much credibility as a Republican politician in a bathroom stall.

and that's not all... Noting how ID and Creationism seem to be awfully similar (Did Aaron apply a successful design inference here?):

So intelligent design and creationism sound just a bit similar, don’t they? While upholders of intelligent design claim that the two views are separate, intelligent design is continuously criticized for being suspiciously similar to creationism and having very little credibility within the scientific community. The fact that countless creationist organizations support intelligent design does nothing to help their argument.

and concludes that

Between the lying, bribery and lack of objectivity, the only way this movie will become a blockbuster is if the Discovery Institute starts bribing public schools to see its movie-length infomercial. Then again, I wouldn’t put it past them.

Seems that Intelligent Design's message is properly received.

12 Comments

Frank J · 5 February 2008

So intelligent design and creationism sound just a bit similar, don’t they? While upholders of intelligent design claim that the two views are separate, intelligent design is continuously criticized for being suspiciously similar to creationism and having very little credibility within the scientific community. The fact that countless creationist organizations support intelligent design does nothing to help their argument.

I have zero disagreement with that, but if we keep ending it on that note, and leaving out the good part, we will be the ones facing the pointy end of the rake. The "good part" is this: The public thinks of "creationism" as an honest belief in one of several literal interpretations of Genesis. Most don't even know that there are several mutually contradictory versions (and I don't mean Gen 1 vs. Gen 2, but YEC, OEC, etc.). And ID is not that. ID is creationism, however, per the definition used by critics, which is "arguments that promote unreasonable doubt of evolution and a design-based alternative non-explanation." ID advocates bait-and-switch the 2 definitions, and by advocating a "don't ask, don't tell" approach, cover up the fatal flaws and contradictions in the alternative accounts that are promoted by "classic creationism." Thus ID is not just creationism, but the "kind" of creationism that knows that creationism failed - not just in the courts, but more importantly, as science.

Venus Mousetrap · 5 February 2008

I have a suspicion that this movie will mostly be watched by pro-science people for comedic value. I know that's why I'm going to see it, if it comes out over here. I'm preparing a creationist bingo card :)

Frank J · 5 February 2008

I have a suspicion that this movie will mostly be watched by pro-science people for comedic value.
— Venus Mousetrap

I hope you're right. But between the pro-science people (10% of the population if we're lucky) and the 20-30% who are so compartmentalized that they don't even need this movie, there are is a huge group of conspiracy junkies that uncritically eats up any sound bite against "big bad science."

raven · 5 February 2008

VM: by pro-science people for comedic value. I know that’s why I’m going to see it, if it comes out over here. I’m preparing a creationist bingo card :)

Don't pay to see this movie. See it for free. It is a low budget propaganda film and was never supposed to make money. The reviews indicate that it is like the Coral Ridges abomination, From Darwin to Hitler only worse. They also blame Darwin for communism, the USSR, Stalin, and the Berlin wall among other things. It will be shown in fundie churches for decades, in fundie Xian schools for decades, and on fundie TV stations for decades. The fundies don't have that much real programming and a propaganda film like this is destined for perpetual reruns.

Jason Fiales · 5 February 2008

Venus Mousetrap,

Be careful not to give them any of your money. Buy a ticket for a different film, then sneak into see Expelled. That way, we get our laughs, they still go broke.

Stanton · 5 February 2008

Jason Fiales: Venus Mousetrap, Be careful not to give them any of your money. Buy a ticket for a different film, then sneak into see Expelled. That way, we get our laughs, they still go broke.

I plan to see it when clips of it are leaked into Youtube

Frank J · 5 February 2008

Note, Comment 142,206 may be confusing. I mean that the conspiracy junkies come mainly from a 3rd group between the other 2 on a "science appreciation scale." Not that they are sampled from a union of the 2 groups.

Mike Elzinga · 5 February 2008

There seem to be many inconsistencies that are being brushed under the rug by these ID/Creationsts. In their zeal for witnessing to the world about their sectarian religion, they are actually driving people away.

If these religious zealots are coming across as ignorant, self-righteous, and intellectually lazy as they are, and if that causes others to reject the revolting sectarian religion represented by these zealots, shouldn’t the “loving and just” god of these zealots be sending them to hell instead of the repulsed infidels? Who would want the god of a jerk? Why would a just and loving god blame the poor infidel for the bad behavior of its own representatives? Evidently these zealots are so smug in their beliefs that they don’t consider their attitudes, behavior, and education as being relevant. Spending and eternity with a bunch of these zealots would actually be a pretty good approximation of hell.

Basically the attitude of preaching to the world in order for people to hear the “word” and either accept or reject it doesn’t take into account the stupidity of the proselytizers themselves. Apparently they can be as nasty and ignorant as they please; their sectarian god will still forgive them but not the infidel who is revolted by their behaviors.

These idiots are their own worst enemy. On the other hand, maybe it isn’t about religion at all; just political power and absolute control.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if hell was wherever the god’s representatives showed up? That would be a god with a sense of humor. Don’t read “holy books”, study the universe instead; otherwise you end up in hell.

David vun Kannon · 5 February 2008

Another opportunity to see it for free will be when they bury all the unsold DVDs in an Arizona landfill, right next to Atari's E.T. cartridge. Dig one up and take it home!

Bruce Thompson GQ · 5 February 2008

David incorrectly located Atari’s dumping in Arizona when in reality it was New Mexico. Both in the desert southwest and hotter than hell. Perhaps an apt final resting place for the movie.

Delta Pi Gamma (Scientia et Fermentum)

Karen Hall · 5 February 2008

Creationist bingo card-I want to play, too!!!

Venus Mousetrap: I have a suspicion that this movie will mostly be watched by pro-science people for comedic value. I know that's why I'm going to see it, if it comes out over here. I'm preparing a creationist bingo card :)

Jason Wise · 6 February 2008

Yeah, I hope Venus will share her card with the rest of us.