If you've enetered very far into the fray of the Intelligent Design debate, you've no doubt encountered Richard Dawkins -- or, at a minimum, one of his arguments. He is one of the world's foremost atheists and Darwinists, and he is invariably highly critical of religion, God, Intelligent Design or Creationist theories or, really, anything that might lead to having some level of accountability coming in the great beyond.
So, needless to say, seeing that he was going to be appearing in Ben Stein's documentary 'Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed' intrigued me.
However, what they managed to extract from Dawkins -- what they have him on film saying -- is only slightly more entertaining to me than his response to being 'duped' into playing a part in the film in the first place.
On
his website, Dawkins writes:
In the course of this film, Mathis tricked a number of scientists, including PZ Myers and me, into taking prominent parts in the film, and both of us are handsomely thanked in the closing credits.
Tricked? Really?
The basis of this assertion is that, according to the Darwinists that were 'tricked' into participating, that the film was supposed to be called 'Crossroads' instead of 'Expelled' and that the debate was going to be about Creationism vs. Darwinism rather than Intelligent Design vs. Evolution.
The Guardian writes:
Professor Dawkins, who is speaking at the Atheist Alliance convention in Crystal City, Virginia, said in an email that had he known the film's premise he would not have agreed to take part. "At no time was I given the slightest clue that these people were a creationist front," he said. Other atheists said they were uneasy about the way they felt they had been duped.
Paul Zachary "PZ" Myers, a biology professor at the University of Minnesota and a leading critic of creationism, reproduced on Prof Dawkins' website a letter from Mark Mathis, a producer for Rampant Films. It says: "We are in production of the documentary film Crossroads: The Intersection of Science and Religion ... we are interested in asking you questions about the disconnect/controversy that exists in America between evolution, creationism and the intelligent design movement."
In other words, the end film is exactly what Dawkins and Myers thought they were going to be participating in but, clearly, renaming the movie after they shot their scenes is 'smarmy' -- and, thus, supposedly discredits the entire film.
Dawkins rambling tirade then goes on, of course, to trash the film, the filmmakers, Ben Stein, and pretty much anyone who might've ever even thought of somehow participating in or seeing this film in an effort to keep people from seeing it and -- just as Ben Stein points out in the film -- stifle debate.
And, to combat the films premise that there is a clear prejudice against anyone who disagrees with Darwinism or even suggests that the two theories should be presented side-by-side, Dawkins responds with more clear prejudice against those who would disagree with Darwinism.
So, why are the Darwinsists so upset?
Well, for one thing, Dawkins himself admits that one possible explanation for the origins of life on Earth is that it was the result of intelligent creation, but that it was more likely that it was an advanced, space-faring, alien species that did it than God.
In other words, Dawkins argument essentially boils down to this:
- People who believe that God created life on Earth? Idiots.
- People who believe that an ancient, advanced race of alien beings landed here in their spaceship and did an experiment on some mud that, after a lightning strike or two, resulted in that mud becoming man? Brilliant.
One of the other major 'sticking points' that Darwinists have is the film linking Darwinism with Eugenics in Nazi Germany.
(Eugenics also has
a shocking history right here in the United States.)
However, even a cursory understanding of the two processes and practices can lead to the films' links. Consider, for example, the following two quotes:
"We civilised men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws; and our medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of every one to the last moment. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to small-pox. Thus the weak members of civilised societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man."
- Charles Darwin
If we are to believe that Darwin was right, it is easy to, then, to say that we shouldn't help those in need -- ie: with Welfare, socialized medicine, etc. which (perhaps ironically) those who support Darwin's theories in the public classroom are also in favor of -- see a clear path towards the 'management' of our populations by those with 'higher authority' within the society itself (unless, of course, people are all indeed 'endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.')
"The stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker, thus sacrificing his own greatness. Only the born weakling can view this as cruel, but he after all is only a weak and limited man; for if this law did not prevail, any conceivable higher development of organic living beings would be unthinkable ...
"In the struggle for daily bread all those who are weak or sickly or less determined succumb. Those who want to live, let them fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live."
- Adolf Hitler in Mein Kampf
Hitler himself echoed Darwin and his stated theories with rather shocking precision, using it as an argument for the extermination of the Jews and, given that
Darwin himself was a racist, it's easy to see how he and Hitler might find common cause.
Perhaps it's just me, but I'm able to see how Ben Stein made the leap he did in the movie.
If you're interested in finding out more about the movie, you can
watch the extended trailer on YouTube or visit
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed to find a theater near you that's showing the film.
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