Expelled from Expelled

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Now, I'm not trying to attack Christians with this posting, but this story was simply too funny to keep to myself.

 

First, the original posting from Pharyngula:

 

EXPELLED!

 

Category: Creationism

Posted on: March 20, 2008 8:26 PM, by PZ Myers

 

There is a rich, deep kind of irony that must be shared. I'm blogging this from the Apple store in the Mall of America, because I'm too amused to want to wait until I get back to my hotel room.

 

I went to attend a screening of the creationist propaganda movie, Expelled, a few minutes ago. Well, I tried

[Gorgon]

I hope you don't mean to suggest that offending creationists is the same as offending christians, because that would just be blatantly offending, to christians.

 

On a side note, I hate having to worry about who I offend all the time. If people just grew tougher skin we would all get along so much better.

Edited March 24, 2008 by Gorgon

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I hope you don't mean to suggest that offending creationists is the same as offending christians.

 

I know they are not the same, but I thought I would put a disclaimer anyways.

[walkerguy]

*yawns* This guy is as bad as Stein. What a little ass and whiner. Whoever made the movies were idiots to be sure but this guy doesn't need to be a drama king over some stupid documentary. What is meant to be funny anyway? Expelled from Expelled? The lord privy joke? I'm being perfectly open, but I don't see the humor.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I'm being perfectly open, but I don't see the humor.

 

Well, I guess that it's funnier if you know the backstory - I'll try to find a good summery.

[Gorgon]

When you are crying about persecution it helps not to indulge in it yourself, makes the whole exercise a bit more believable

[Deadly_Nightshade]

When you are crying about persecution it helps not to indulge in it yourself, makes the whole exercise a bit more believable

 

Are you talking to me, or were you explaining to Walkerman?

[walkerguy]

Also: Next person who posts a thread with " " for an icon will be shot.

[Tigranes]

Oh, I think of plenty of Christians, myself included, and Creationists, can see the funny (and sad) side in this, DN.

 

It's difficult of course to comment on the event without hearing from Mathis' point of view or seeing the film (for all we know it could be the doctors who have an agenda - Dawkins certainly has difficulty keeping out some of his more sarcastic and aggressive side against ID in his blog entry), but it does seem like a classic case of shooting in the foot to me.

 

It's amazing how so many creationists and evolutionists all shoot their own feet.

[walkerguy]

I truly cannot see humor, Tigranes.

[Sand]

It all boils down to what is plausible and what the evidence shows. Is it plausible some great invisible entity created the universe and life on earth in six days ten to fifteen thousand years ago, all the while evidence points that it took much longer than that and the Earth is millions and millions of years old? I will side with the science over some religious mumbo jumbo trying to hide itself.

[Tigranes]

Heh, I missed some posts while I was posting that one. Walkerguy:

 

Whoever made the movies were idiots to be sure but this guy doesn't need to be a drama king over some stupid documentary.

 

I think if you were interviewed extensively for a film, then you find out that the film is not what you were told it was going to be, then your words, your appearance and your reputation was effectively hijacked; furthermore, removing Myers as crudely as he says he was, is simply rude and deserves the derisory laughter of the blogging world indeed. I am not saying Myers is right and is telling the truth without bias; I am saying though, if we believe his version of events, then he has a lot of cause for complaint and to be a 'drama king'. Just saying 'it's just a stupid documentary' is.. well, I don't even know what it could be.

 

Anyway, I think it's funny because in all the ID/evolutionist debates I've seen, there have been so many instances where they all shoot themselves in the foot through poorly constructed or badly presented arguments, and their hate for each other gets in the way so much that instead of debate, we often have a game of insults. Quite apart from the question of which one is correct, it's both sad and funny.

 

edit: Also, the Sandbomb has landed, this thread is now about evolution v. creationism, and Those That Want to Prove Sand Wrong.

[Sand]

In truth we cannot know with any degree of certainty of how we came to be. All we have is to look at the evidence before us and make a best guess out of what is most plausible.

[Tigranes]

See?

[walkerguy]

(In a singsong voice) Plausible is a perspective- an opinion- not a- faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaact!!

[Sand]

I never said that it was fact, Walker.

 

What I see here about the scienctist being expelled from Expelled is the fact that the Intelligent Design people do not wish to have a debate based on scientific evidence.

Edited March 24, 2008 by Sand

[Pidesco]

Hey walkerguy, what, exactly, are your religious beliefs?

[Meshugger]

I can see the irony of this: The guy who was most vocal about his opinion had been hijacked for filming this movie "Expelled" (An anti-darwinist film, i gather), was expelled from the screening. All along while his friend, the very famous Richard Dawkins slips in. You simply can't make this up

 

And now, now. No need to make this thread into a anti-christianity thread. Many of the very best scientists, who happen to be religious, are the most proponents of the theory of evolution.

[Dark_Raven]

Oh yes jesus saves!

[Krookie]

this kind of irony calls for a short giggle. not "OH MY GOD I CAN'T EVEN WAIT TO GET BACK TO MY HOTEL TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT IT!"

[Walsingham]

I don't care what you killjoys say. If you thank a guy for being in your film IN THE FILM, and then call the cops to stop him attending a screening then YOU LOSE!

 

Irony points all round, and a gin gimlet for me.

[thepixiesrock]

Maybe we just all had to be there or something?

 

It just seems to me that the only way this kind of thing could super funny is to one of those people that thinks they're better and smarter than everyone else, and just go through everyday looking for people that disagree with you on something so that they can get a chance to prove how "smart" they are.

[Gorgon]

mm, yes, and being smarter than a creationist is not really that impressive. He's like kicking someone who is lying down by default.

[Pidesco]

mm, yes, and being smarter than a creationist is not really that impressive. He's like kicking someone who is lying down by default.

 

 

Not quite. A creationist is more like the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

[Gorgon]

If by smart you mean completely immune to logic, then yes.