I had the opportunity to view Ben Stein's new documentary, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. I had no expectations, but I was delightfully surprised how it leads to the Biblical view of Creationism as the explanation of the origin of life. Stein's goal was not to promote a religious or political agenda; he simply pursued inconsistencies in the academic establishment. It was unbelievable to see the ways many universities (in particular their science departments) and other organizations have gone to keep Darwinism as the unquestioned explanation of the origin of species despite legitimate questions raised by many in the Intellectual Design (ID) camp. As Stein interviewed those who are staunch defenders of Darwinism, there was an absolute unwillingness to question it. Their ruthlessness was unbelievable as it even destroyed careers of those who were simply willing to entertain basic questions about Darwinism and ID.
There were a few things I particularly liked about the film. First, the film's purpose was more about exploring the censorship of ID philosophy, rather than defending the ID philosophy with a bunch of science. I thought this was highly effective because it appears that there is something to hide by an unwillingness to answer questions about Darwinism. Second, I appreciated Stein's attempt at finding the reason why there was such a staunch defense of Darwin. He found that at the core, clashing worldviews (Atheism vs. Theism), was what drove these men and women. This was probably one of the saddest portions of the film because of the "testimonies" of many of Darwinist scientists explained that they had once had faith in God in their past. Each of them deny the possibility of ID, and the hopelessness is either explicitly expressed or obvious in their comments and expressions. This portion of the film caught my attention along with the connections between Social Darwinism ("survival of the fittest") and the Nazi regime. That was very thought provoking and continues to show the hopeless worldview at the core of Darwinism.
The one thing that I take away from this film is not absolute proof that Darwin was false or even that my belief in the Creation account is proved through a few interviews. What is shown more than anything is the value of integrity and honest questioning. First Chronicles 29:17 says, "I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity." God honors integrity and isn't afraid of tough questions. Even if I cannot find the answer, it doesn't mean that it isn't out there. I hope I have the integrity to dig into every tough question asked of my own worldview - that there is an intelligent designer, God of the Bible. I am confident that I will come out with even more confidence and faith, "because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:3).
I encourage you to visit the official website: www.GetExpelled.com
Support this film - it is great!
There are lots of great articles on the topic at the Answers in Genesis (AiG) website.
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