Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

I really hadn't heard that much press about the film, but it turns out that (surprise!) the media doesn't always promote nice little gems.

Essentially, Ben Stein attempts to shed light on the debate between Intelligent Design (ID) versus Darwinian theory of evolution. Just to give fair warning to Christian and non-Christian alike, this documentary is not out to claim that ID is specific to the Judeo-Christian God (i.e. Creationism) or any other god for that matter. It merely is a theory claiming that the created have a creator (my weak paraphrase).

The film is also not out to stake claim on which theory is correct. It instead shows the academic bias and lack of freedom in being able to even consider ID as a valid theory; read: politics. Nevertheless, Ben interviews several prominent researchers, scientists, and authors from both sides of the theories. Some of the scientists of the ID persuasion discuss how coming out as ID has left them jobless and unemployable. Still others were interviewed on the condition of anonymity and did so because of the potential implications. It is still difficult for me to believe that a gifted researcher could be fired simply for believing in ID, but sadly it is true. Stein claims that in today's scientific world, there is a complete lack of freedom for expressing ideas that challenge the status quo. Interestingly enough, he speaks with a Polish researcher who firmly believes that this is more of an American struggle instead of within the scientific community as a whole.

Stein also spent a considerable amount of time interviewing Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion, a NY Times bestseller), a staunch Darwinist and atheist. It was very informative to hear his personal thoughts regarding his beliefs in Darwin's theory and his own atheist views. (I'll be praying for him).

Ever since viewing the film, my mind has had much to chew on and I'm appreciative of that. On a philosophical level, this film did an amazing job of providing connections between Darwinism, atheism, Hitler, eugenics, and Planned Parenthood. Yes, all of those items are extremely controversial, and I would fail horribly to explain those connections, so I highly suggest you view the film instead. If you have already seen Expelled (or after you have seen it), please leave comments because I would love to discuss it with you.

Click here to visit the site for Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. Cool feature: a discussion guide for free

Here is Pluggedin Online's review of the film