Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Today at the Design of Life blog: Is intelligent design ready for prime time?

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Well, whether it is or not, that’s where it is going, in April, when the Expelled film opens.

DESIGN OF LIFE: You interviewed 150 scientists for your film. I wonder if that’s a record. I gather an effort has been made to discredit the film on the grounds that the anti-ID folk were misrepresented, basically that you tricked them into taking part.

MATHIS: … But they’ve become very used to only one side. Apparently they didn’t understand that we were really going to do just what we said we were going to do.  

Part One: Intelligent design hits Hollywood in April. Will Hollywood hit back?

Part Two: Questions? Real journalists ask no questions!

Part Three: Doubts? Real scientists never have doubts!

Since I’m here anyway, and so are you:

Today at the Mindful Hack

Belief in free will keeps us honest

Fearful universities: Why be afraid of the thinking mind?

Denyse O’Leary on the God exclusion. Trying to construct reality without God.

People helping people: Why is it a puzzle?

Many scientists too gullible about materialism, Spiritual Brain reviewer says

When religion and politics go to lunch, religion is on the menu

Review in Charleston Post and Courier

Negative campaigns: Why can’t they all lose? Why can’t we all win?

Comments
tyke and SH, I think you will be very surprised to find that the movie has done a very good job of keeping the argument, and therefore the story, focused. The people who are "expelled" are all, I think, associated with ID -- if even very remotely. Thus, "non-overlapping magisteria" arguments and rhetoric is avoided. I disagree that the target is "Christian groups" although I would agree that Christian groups are being engaged to help get the message out. The target is thoughtful people, people who understand that a sneer is not an argument. The target is people who know that ideas have consequences and like to be challenged to see how that works itself out in everyday life. I could go on, but I think you'll see that the target is very broad. BTW, Ben Stein is a fantastic guide for such a journey. The tone of the movie is not ID v. Darwinism (although watching Dawkins whine "Its not science" is precious), but more generally the loss of freedom of scientific inquiry because of a materialism-at-all-costs attitudes in academia. ID is the whipping boy, but at some point America will want the whipping boy to get over if they sense that what has been done is unfair. Whether or not the movie paints a clear enough picture, whether it is succesful, is for now open to debate. I would caution anyone who claims that they are "muddying the waters of the role of religion", though, the movie does nothing of the sort.Tim
February 5, 2008
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Denyse I thought this might interest you. It's about scientists changing their mind about something big. http://www.edge.org/documents/press/publico.htmlduncan
February 5, 2008
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tyke, I think you are right. The film looks to be about what happens when you criticize Darwinism regardless of whether you are promoting ID or not.StuartHarris
February 4, 2008
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From what I've seen of the trailer and from what I've read, I would say that the movie will have little to say on the subject of Intelligent Design. It certainly isn't going to provide much of a primer on the details of ID theory. If anything, it looks as though its going to further muddy the waters regarding the role of religion (and in particular the Judeo-Christian tradition) as the anti-materialism driving force behind Intelligent Design, hyping up the politics and lightening up on the science. Given that the target audience of the movie is obviously ID-friendly Christian groups--churches and schools--then it might do okay at the box office, but I think those who believe Expelled will shunt ID into "prime time" will be disappointed.tyke
February 4, 2008
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Any news as to whether or not The Design of Life might become the companion book to Expelled?GilDodgen
February 4, 2008
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