Why Focus is Promoting 'Expelled'
We believe this documentary, starring Ben Stein (famous as the droll school teacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), is critically important to our culture because it exposes the close-minded atmosphere that has currently taken hold in our public education system—and which threatens to squelch critical thinking in America’s classrooms.
Stein, who also has a distinguished law career and was a speechwriter for U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, is cast in the hero’s role, fearlessly confronting the prejudice that exists in the science establishment against anyone who dares to question consensus views on Darwinian evolution.
The movie exposes the fact that scientists and professors who acknowledge evidence of Intelligent Design are actually fearful of losing their jobs and feel like they are being professionally bullied and black-balled. The film also challenges the assertion—taught as indisputable fact in most of our public schools today—that the case is completely closed in favor of Darwinian evolution. Expelled presents compelling evidence to the contrary. Overall, there are several themes highlighted in this movie that Focus believes are extremely important to our society, which we have listed below--and which you can use as talking points when discussing the movie with friends and colleagues.
Academic Freedom
One of the key points made in Expelled is that attempts to suppress ideas and shut down scientific debate ultimately destroy academic freedom and undermine the true purpose of education. If schools are really interested advancing critical thinking and free inquiry, then students should be allowed to hear all the evidence – and teachers should have the free speech right to teach the controversy. Students and professors should have the freedom to discuss the evidence and follow it wherever it leads.
So it’s hard to understand all of the vehement outcry against those who espouse the intelligent design theory—and their extreme efforts to shut down debate (as the movie reveals, professors have lost career opportunities over this issue and even had Web sites shut down). After all, intelligent design advocates are not asking for any viewpoint to be censored or kicked out of the classroom. They are simply asking for a free and open debate. So the question is, why are people so afraid of just allowing discussion in the classroom?
Focus on the Family hopes this movie will result in more protections for the First Amendment rights of educators—both at the high school and university level—who want to explore both sides of this issue without fear of retribution.
Suppression of Ideas
In many American classrooms and universities, teachers are in danger of being ostracized and even fired for simply suggesting that evolution is a theory, not a fact—and may have some weaknesses and flaws. Through compelling interviews with scientists and professors (some of whom wanted their faces blacked out because of the harassment they knew they would face), this movie reveals that close-minded climate.
These teachers and professors feel they are facing the same climate that Galileo did when talking to a flat-earth society. In this day and age, scientists and teachers shouldn’t have to fear losing their jobs, tenure or grants—simply because they want to question a theory. The fact that this is happening in America cuts at the heart of the freedoms this nation holds dear—like free speech and the right to express controversial ideas without fear of punishment.
But ultimately it’s the students who suffer most. This kind of oppressive climate hurts those who lose the opportunity to have an intellectually stimulating debate, not to mention giving them a terrible example of a police-state atmosphere. It’s unfortunate that the views of these respected scientists, as Ben Stein puts it, are being “expelled” from the classroom.
The Debate’s Not Over
What’s more, the public education system, mainstream science associations and the majority of textbooks are all asserting that Darwin's theory of evolution is indisputable and fully explains the complexity of living things. The public has been assured that all known reputable scientists agree with this. But that’s far from the truth.
In fact, more than 700 scientists have signed their names on a petition (launched by The Discovery Institute in 2001) stating their skepticism that natural selection can sufficiently account for the complexity of life. The statement calls for “careful examination” of the Darwinian theory and says that “There is scientific dissent” that “deserves to be heard.” Some nationally acclaimed signers include:
o James M. Tour, professor of chemistry at Rice University
o Rosalind W. Picard, director of a computing research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
o Philip S. Skell, emeritus professor of chemistry at Pennsylvania State University, also a member of the National Academy of Sciences
The Double Standard
What’s really ironic—as the movie points out—is that many Darwinian evolutionists are trying to shut down any discussion of intelligent design by claiming that it’s just religion in disguise.
But as Ben Stein interviews them, it becomes shockingly clear that the top defenders of Darwinism are actually the ones making religion an issue—in fact, many of them have switched from defending evolution to attacking religion. Evolution supporters in the movie show their cards by calling religion a bunch of “fairy tales” and even “evil.” Subsequently many of them have been writing scathing reviews of the documentary. It’s no wonder they are vehemently opposing Expelled. It exposes the underbelly of die-hard Darwinists—gross intolerance.
But the scientists who want the freedom to investigate intelligent design argue that this debate is not about science v. religion. This is about science v. science. This is about people having the right to ask a very basic question—is there or is there not scientific evidence of design in the universe?--and then having the freedom to examine the empirical evidence regardless of where it may lead. People should be able to freely ask questions and examine evidence—just as Galileo questioned the status quo thinking of the day, examining whether the earth was indeed really flat.
The truth is, none of these scientists are asking for religion to be promoted in public classrooms. They are simply asking that honest, academic debate and critical thinking based on actual evidence be allowed. Evidence for intelligent design should not be censored simply because it could lead to someone concluding there is a God—just as evidence for evolution should not be censored because it could possibly lead to atheism. There should not be a double standard.
Recent polls reveal that a majority of Americans (69 percent) want students to receive objective classroom instruction on this issue—both information for and against evolution to be presented. So why isn’t this happening? Focus on the Family supports the right of students and teachers to have an open and free discussion regarding the evidence for and against both sides of this debate. What kind of conclusions people reach as a result of that debate is up to them. But the bottom line is that evidence should not be suppressed simply because we don’t like the conclusions people may or may not draw from it.
Social consequences of Darwinism
Last but not least, this movie benefits our culture by bringing home the practical consequences of a dogmatic Darwinian worldview. It boldly asks the question: What are the social consequences when people are taught that life is random and purposeless and that there is no inherent dignity to a human soul?
Ben Stein, who has a Jewish heritage, visits Nazi execution camps and explores how Darwinian thought influenced the atrocities committed there. These scenes drive home the point in a moving and evocative manner. The movie also addresses how Darwinist thinking influenced the development of eugenics—a branch of science that tried to improve the human race by preventing the breeding of those deemed to be flawed or weak. (The movie also briefly touches on abortion and euthanasia.) We can’t afford not to ask these questions. We owe it to society to have an honest discussion about the consequences of a worldview that is taught as indisputable in most public school classrooms.
For more information, visit:
- In Darwin's Own Words
- What's the Difference Between Darwinian and Intelligent Design theories?
- Is There Scientific Evidence for Intelligent Design?
Candi Cushman is the Education Analyst for Focus on the Family's Government and Public Policy division.
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