Missouri state representative Wayne Cooper introduced a bill that would allow teachers the freedom to offer alternative evidence, such as intelligent design to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.   Joe Ortwerth, Executive Director of the Missouri Family Policy Council says while the bill does not promote any religious doctrine…

“It’s simply trying to assure that educators, both in elementary and secondary schools, in science classes, and at the higher education level and universities uh have the discretion to explore the subject and to do so without fear of any retribution uh that they are legally uh permitted to uh to examine this subject objectively.”         

Ortworth says some three dozen Missouri lawmakers saw a preview of Expelled and were greatly impacted by it.  The film thoroughly deals with fear of retribution.  Ben Stein points out "the movie is about about people who have tried to bring up intelligent design in colleges and universities and research entities, and have gotten kicked out, their grants taken away, humiliated, ostracized.” 

Stein explains why those who oppose debate on intelligent design get so upset. “If you say there is an intelligent designer, and if it’s God, then people have to say, ‘I might be morally responsible for my actions.”           

Walt Ruloff, CEO of Premise Media produced Expelled and says in the field of bio-tech you had better not ask certain questions.

“If want to get funding from the NIH, the National Institute of Health, if you want to get funding from the National Science Foundation, if you to have endorsements, if you want to have key people working for your bio-tech company, because it’s a very collaborative environment, you have to “toe the party line.”           

Expelled opens in one thousand theatres across the nation on April 18th.