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page summary
Dark Christianity - PZ Myers gets 'Expelled'
Exploring and Exposing Dominionist Christianity
09:35 am March 21st, 2008
idragosani
[info]dark_christian
[info]idragosani
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PZ Myers gets 'Expelled'
One of my favorite blogs is Pharyngula, written by Dr. PZ Myers, an associate professor of developmental biology at the University of Minnesota, Morris campus. He is also an atheist, and while I don't agree with everything he writes about regarding religion, I enjoy his writings immensely, and he is a top notch scientist.

A year or so ago, he was duped into interviewing for a movie supposedly called 'Crossroads'. What he didn't know was the movie was really going to be called 'Expelled', and features Ben Stein (a former Nixon speech writer and a character actor with a monotone voice) who explores the 'fight' against 'Big Science' to get Intelligent Design into science classrooms under the auspices of 'academic freedom'. Dr. Myers, and others, were furious about the lies they were told to get them to interview for the movie.

Last night a special private screening was held in Minneapolis, and PZ Myers and his family and some special guests were on the guest list to attend the screening.

What happened then was both disconcerting and hilarious:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/255237483/expelled.php

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/255379827/a_late_night_quick_one.php
14 comments or Leave a comment
Comments
Thread started by Ashley
virginia_fell From: [info]virginia_fell Date: March 21st, 2008 03:04 pm (UTC) (Link)
I heard about this!
(Reply) (Thread)
idragosani From: [info]idragosani Date: March 21st, 2008 03:06 pm (UTC) (Link)
And it's the same weekend as the 'Blog against theocracy' blogswarm... how convenient!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Comment by Now with more crafty!
dimethirwen From: [info]dimethirwen Date: March 21st, 2008 03:08 pm (UTC) (Link)
I saw the first post last night and I laughed for, like, ten minutes straight.
(Reply) (Thread)
Comment by The Implausible Michael Crichton
chaotic_nipple From: [info]chaotic_nipple Date: March 21st, 2008 03:16 pm (UTC) (Link)
"Furious" isn't quite right, I'd say "annoyed/amused/contemptuous".
(Reply) (Thread)
Thread started by Phatchick
ladybrigid From: [info]ladybrigid Date: March 21st, 2008 03:35 pm (UTC) (Link)

*Snicker*
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brains don't always = Common Sense as James Randi (one of my heros) often says. The fact that Myers was "escorted" out and Richard Dawkins (who, IMO, is much more recognizable) was allowed to attend is an act of massive cosmic irony. IMNSHO, there IS a god and he has a truly warped sense of humor :).

To give you an idea of what's going through these people's heads, this is a quote from a blog on the movies website. I'm not going to quote the whole thing, it's too long but read it if you want a good laugh. http://www.expelledthemovie.com/chronicle.php?article=11

"*SPOILER!! Proceed and highlight text below only if you want to know more about the film’s specific content.
Many scenes are centered around the Berlin Wall, and Ben Stein being Jewish actually visits many death camps and death showers. In fact, Nazi Germany is the thread that ties everything in the movie together. Evolution leads to atheism leads to eugenics leads to Holocaust and Nazi Germany."

(Reply) (Thread)
anycah From: [info]anycah Date: March 21st, 2008 04:21 pm (UTC) (Link)

Re: *Snicker*
Gotta love a movie based on a bad slippery slope!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
mmoneurere From: [info]mmoneurere Date: March 21st, 2008 08:00 pm (UTC) (Link)

Re: *Snicker*
OTOH, if the ID people go on record as taking the position that any ideology associated with Nazi Germany must be false...
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
fiat_mare From: [info]fiat_mare Date: March 21st, 2008 11:27 pm (UTC) (Link)

Re: *Snicker*
The reason for the Nazi correlations is not to argue that it's false, but to imply that it's dangerous. You know, like any view taken to extremes. Like the Crusades.

Oops, look what I did. I better clean that up...
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
crazyjane13 From: [info]crazyjane13 Date: March 23rd, 2008 03:13 am (UTC) (Link)

Re: *Snicker*
Two words ... Godwin's Law.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Comment by Steve Hutchison
foomf From: [info]foomf Date: March 21st, 2008 06:23 pm (UTC) (Link)
I wish I had film.
(Reply) (Thread)
Comment by Kandel Schwartz
kandelschwartz From: [info]kandelschwartz Date: March 21st, 2008 07:02 pm (UTC) (Link)
If I had a stupidly anti-intellectual idea I was trying to sell to the public to I could get it taught in schools alongside real idea, I'd probably resort to underhanded tactics, as well.

Or not, since I'm a good person and not a pathetic loser like the ID crowd.


How much of their shenanigans did they use to purposefully drum up an audience for the movie, though? I'm almost tempted to see it, though I'll probably refrain just to keep from giving money to creationists and because PZ Myers's friends have mentioned that the movie isn't even all that entertaining.
(Reply) (Thread)