Ben Stein's work in his new controversial movie “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” has earned him praises and now an award from the intelligent design community.
The multi-talented star of his Comedy Central show “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” who is also known for his lead role in the film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” was named the recipient of the 2008 Phillip E. Johnson Award for Liberty and Truth, an award created to honor one of the founding fathers of the intelligent design movement.
Stein will receive the award through Biola University’s masters in science and religion program in a ceremony on March 27, one month before “Expelled” hits theaters.
In his movie, Stein explores the long-standing controversial debate between supporters of Darwinism and proponents of intelligent design. Through interviews with experts and professors from both camps, he discovers an elitist scientific establishment that punishes the scientific proponents of intelligent design because they reject some of the claims of Darwin’s theory of evolution.
“If you just stand up and question Darwinism – that’s it – your career is over,” Caroline Crocker, a former biology teacher at George Mason University, shared in the film's trailer.
She is among several professors featured in the film who claims they were ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired in some cases for discussing problems with Darwinism.
Makers of the documentary said in a recent teleconference that the movie doesn't seek to champion intelligent design as the sole truth but calls for more academic freedom, where challenges to any scientific theory including Darwinism would be fairly considered.
Biola, a private Christian university in Southern California, established the award in 2004 to honor legal scholar and Berkeley law professor Phillip E. Johnson, who was the award's first recipient. Johnson, who became a born-again Christian as a tenured professor, is the co-founder of the Center for Science and Culture of Discovery Institute, the nation's leading think tank on intelligent design.
"The award," noted Biola, "recognizes Johnson’s pivotal role in advancing our understanding of design in the universe by opening up informed dissent to Darwinian and materialistic theories of evolution."
In 2006, the award was given to British philosopher Antony Flew, once considered the most prominent defender of atheism in the English-speaking world. He argued in books such as God and Philosophy (1966) and The Presumption of Atheism (1984) that one should presuppose atheism until evidence for God proves otherwise. He later abandoned his long-held atheism on account of design arguments and after “following the evidence where it leads."
Stein will be the third recipient of the Johnson award.
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I saw the movie. It was very well presented. Each time Ben interviewed a scientist who considered Intelligent design (and they were blacklisted), he played the devil's advocate. It was a very fair movie, asking very real & honest questions. I loved it.
0-99 ticket stubs submitted = $5 per ticket stub
100-299 ticket stubs submitted = $1,000 donated to your school
300-499 ticket stubs submitted = $2,500 donated to your school
500 ticket stubs submitted = $5,000 donated to your school
so, why not, tracking schools to go. I don´t really see the problem, it´s just a way to track teachers to go there - for, if they all think like you - they are not really willing to seriously look behind different views and wont go. What if students then have questions the teacher can not answer, they might worry. I know more then one teacher who is in that problem here in my hometown. Having doubt in the evolution theory and no way out - here is a way and it is even paid well.
So keep on donating Ben, schools need the money and the education.
I'm so glad Ben Stein is finally taking on Darwin, the father of the Holocaust! Cuz' I always thought the roots of that sad episode lay more with the Blood Libel of the Catholic Church and there...you know...centuries of institutional bigotry. How dumb was I?
Way to go Ben Stein,
Now it appears they are offering $$ for people to go see their movie as they expect bad ratings.
http://iarnuocon.newsvine.com/_news/2008/02/05/1280114-create-the-controversy-expelled-movie-team-to-bribe-moviegoers
No, I also have a life (with my friends!), you sound envious....(though I may be wrong).
BW
Steve
clown...hahaha. yeah that's nothing like a jester. c'mon...is that all you've got?
Dear JITKC, I'm not sure jester is the right name I think you sholuld change it to clown. Kind regards Steve
That's so cute. stevie's got hisself a bunch of groupies. sycophants who thrill off of pretending to be christians so they can say "see! we're creative evolutionists. the best of both worlds"
I've got some close friends who are athiests who believe in the literal 6 day theory of creationism. Sounds dorky. So does your claim.
I"m sorry steve are you mad because we can refute your argument that Christian aren;t smart
Hello Tom, some of my closest friends are Christians who happen to accept evolution as an explanation for the biodiversity on this planet so I am quite aware that there are smart Christians around. Regards, Steve
prophet "Like I care."
back at you jack
citsonga,
"As an agnostic, your view of what God is seems really, really silly to me."
Like I care.
jesus4me "No wonder our wold is going upsidedown: Here is the equation- The US Supreme Court rules for the first time in favor of using case law to remove prayer from public schools in 1962"
Oh yes, Before 1962 the US was a grand and wonderful place, no racism, no poverty, no disease, no war, no hatred, no STD's, no abortions, no divorce, no homosexuals, no murders, no lynchng, no pollution, no alcoholics, no drug addicts, no fornication.......the US was a grand and glorious place. If only we had prayer in schools , the US would again be a perfect plce.....LOL .....LOL...........LOL
Dude, get a clue...........
Tom "He [God]wants His people to put Him first to worship Him"
Wow, God expects lowly humans to worship him. Does God have a fragile ego and is in need of worship and praise by the lowly human animal on a little speck of a planet in a galaxy made of billions of star systems in a universe made up of billions of galaxies. Surely, if God had the power and ability to create the cosmos , then God would have much better things to do than to expect the lowly human animal to sit around and tell him how great he is. I'm sure God-creator of the universe, if God exists, already knows he is pretty great. Dont think God needs his creation telling him that.
As an agnostic, your view of what God is seems really, really silly to me. I will say this though, your posts are interesting in showing me how religious folks view the world. As a scientist, I cant relate to it at all- makes no sense what so ever.
Religious belief is really rooted in science- the field of genetics. Some folks, such as you may be predisposed by genetics to be religious, thats a survival mechanism for you. I dont seem to have the religiosity genes.
What is it that bothers you atheists? If God does not exist to you, then why do you feel threatened with the evidence for a creation, and a Creator? If there is no threat, then you will not be bothered by it, but because the Truth is coming out and impacting many, many scientists who are forced to push failed Darwinianism into the feeble minds of our youth, we are having this debate. I'm so happy someone like Ben Stein is coming out with a factual documentary on the double standard that exists in today's scientific community, liberal academia, the news media, and in the once Christian university's which are now secular humanistic university's. No wonder our wold is going upsidedown: Here is the equation- The US Supreme Court rules for the first time in favor of using case law to remove prayer from public schools in 1962. Count down from 1962 all the way till today and see if there are more numbers of illegitimate children, STD's, lack of a moral compass because of situational ethics, etc., check out the rise in illegal drug use, promiscuity, AIDS, broken homes, etc. You be the judge. On another note, there is hope in Jesus Christ. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near. When Christ comes back for His Church, and God's wrath is poured out on sinful, rebellious, and stubborn unrepentant humanity, don't blame God, and don't blame His messengers the Christians. We have tried to show you the way to Christ, yet you are blind in your "knowledge" and "wisdom".
1 Corinthians 1:18
[ Christ the Power and Wisdom of God ] For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:17-19 (in Context) 1 Corinthians 1 (Whole Chapter)
1 Corinthians 3:19
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”;
1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (in Context) 1 Corinthians 3 (Whole Chapter)
I"m sorry steve are you mad because we can refute your argument that Christian aren;t smart or are you just throwing out words meant to hurt, kind of like throwing a temper tantram because we have called you on it and you have been found wanting. It isn't right because of mught, it is right because the evidence shows it to be. Sorry. Gods Blessing on ya both
In Christ Tom
There you go danny, thousands if not millions smarter than you have believed so it must be true because might makes right !!
:-p
Steve
It is funny Danny at the hate you are spilling out, by your ignorance i suppose. I could name you hundreds if not thousands if not millions of people smarter then yourself or me, (If we had time) who over the years did not give up there ability to think as they accepted this Creator, this Savior, in fact it increased there intelligence not dimished it as they relied on the one who does know it all in stead of relying on ones self. Hmmmm I think it may be true what it says in His word "only the fool says in his heart there is no God" Danny I sincerly wish that God will become very real to you. So real that you will not be able to deny that He exists. reject him, your choice, but not be able to say that He doesn't exist. I think you will have a great testimony when or if you bend the knee and accept Jesus as Lord. I pray that you do. Gods Blessing on you and yours.
In Christ
Tom
Sorry citgonga wrong again what he is saying to people like you is that your supposed intelligences and/or wisdom is just plain silly to Him and His wisdom and Intelligence will make yours look foolish. He does say in His word that the fear of the Lord is the beginng of all wisdom. and the funny thing is if you look at history since at least the 1st coming of Christ, Thousand of very intelligent people confessed that this God, this Jesus is real. Hmmmmm have we as a people gotten ah less intelligent as time goes by? Seem to me that is what happen when we rely on our own ah wisdom? Yes He wants His people to put Him first to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, Are you ready to accept this Jesus who is the Way and the Truth and the Life. To be able to have a Wisdom beyond anything man could ever imagine? If you are then you need to Believe and accept Jesus as Lord and to repent of your sins to trun away from the sins you are walking in now. He, Jesus said that He came to set the captive free. People like your self. He said if I (Jesus) set you free you will be free indeed. Are ya ready, We will be praying for ya.
Gods Blessing
In Christ
Tom
danny
God loves you danny. May He help you.
citsonga,
No. lol. Not even near to being frustrated. My part is to speak the truth. That's all God told me to do. I cannot change hearts, only He can. He merely told me to speak, which I do faithfully. So, there is no frustration on my part. But thanks for your concern.
Tom "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligetent I will fustrate."
Doesn't make any sense. So lets see what your saying: Gods plan is to destroy those that are intelligent- only interested in people that dont do a lot of thinking? Sounds like something along the lines of dictatorships to kill off the intelligentsia. Is your god interested in only a theocracy- where only monolithic beings go around worshipping the creator?
I am sorry I don't believe citsonga is looking for answers just arguments. But you know the Bible does say the He,God said I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligetent I will fustrate. Seem it is coming true in todays world.
Oh well we will keep praying.
In Christ
Tom
star2, I respect the fact that you admit that you dont have an answer for me yet. Rather than ignore my post, you resonded to it. Most times when I pose difficult questions, they go unanswered.
hawk49
I would recommend using quotation marks when refering to creationism as science, as "creation science". As far as i can tell there does not seem to be much science involved.
prophet,
I sense a very frustrated person in you in that you cant get the world to go along with your faith based world view. I consider myself an agnostic (that does not mean atheist). I use observation and logic. Albert Einstein and Werner Heisenberg used logic and observation -science, to formulate the two most important theories of the 20th century to help describe the nature of the universe. Theologians and philosophers have been debating the nature of the universe for centuries with nothing to show for it. You use mysticism and magic to explain the world, its simply not credible in the 21st C to describe the world (say the supposed flood) as supernatural events. If that works for you to get through life, I say thats really good for you. Your views and attitude are the perfect reason though to keep religion out of the public domain- schools, government and the courts.
Star2; Here's one last thought for you.
Ken Ham's Answers in Genisis website and the Henry Morris' Institute for Creation Research have loads of scientific discussions about the flood and Noah that supports the reliability of scripture.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
http://www.icr.org/
If citsonga is truly seeking answers these should be the sites for him to explore as well. They are based on creation science so he probably will have a natural aversion to the thought.
Prophet,
You're right. The Word cuts deep through our witnessing, but it has to be the Holy Spirit that does the transformation within a listener. If the person won't listen then the effort won't work. These discussions may be of benefit in the long run if some of these nonbelievers come here seeking. Most seem to come to CP just to taunt. We are challenged, however, to destroy false philosophies.
Our God is an awesome God but too many will deny Him and pay the ultimate price for that denial.
I do believe this thread has run it course. Meet you and Star2 at another thread one of these days.
God Bless
Citsonga said "There are too many problems with flood scenario for there to be any truth in it other than a story. "
What you forgot to include in your figures is divine intervention. We are talking about God. And He doesn't fit in neatly within our very narrow view of creation. He's outside of our measley wisdom and knowledge. He made a donkey speak. He caused the earth to quit spinning for a short time, and even caused it to spin backwards at one time. He caused skeletons to rise up from the ground, and skin, muscles, organs, and such to be recreated on them and caused them to live again. He healed the blind, lame, deaf, and even raised the dead. I'm sure the small "problem" of taking care of His animals during the flood was well within His capabilites.
But these are the issues we are dealing with here:
1: You don't believe in God. Thus, any supernatural intervention or event does not register to you. You do not believe in God, so you do not believe in anything the Bible, or Christians, say He's done.
2: Well, there is not #2.
You look for physical evidence in a faith-filled religion. You do not believe in God. No amount of humanistic arguing or evidence will sway you otherwise. We try to convince you of God's existence using the humanistic, non-faith avenue. It does not work. Without faith you will not believe. So be it.
I'm tired of these endless games of trying to persuade someone who has no intentions whatsoever of hearing. You have no faith, nor do you want any.
citsonga
There is an answer but I don't know what it is yet.
Evolution is full of problems much more than you can find with creationism.
star2 "I can't really answer your questions about the sea animals and their water habitats (salt or fresh) right now."
Thats only one of many problems associated with the noahs ark story. There are too many problems with flood scenario for there to be any truth in it other than a story.
danny,
Yes, your atheism and belief in Darwinian evolution (some call this scientism)constitutes a religious worldview such as Marxist or secular humanism.
The only mechanicsm the evolutionists have is a combination of random variation and natural selection. This Dawinian mechanism has never been shown to be capable of creating new genetic information or new complex body parts such as wings, eyes, or brains. Without a mechanism that can be demonstrated to be capable of the necessary creation, the theory of evolution is just a fantasy (ie: faulty belief system) with no real scientific basis (ie: scientism).
danny, no. Are you denying man's infantcide?
danny
Re:My religious worldview?
If you think science and/or atheism is a religion, then you are a total waste of time.
Will you just please leave the CP?
danny,
you appear to have a difficult time dealing with truth that differs from your religious worldview:
The uniformitarian orthodoxy could not ignore the work of J Harlen Bretz, so a series of rebuttal papers were issued by some of the world’s foremost glacial geologists. A bitter debate among geologists occurred, spanning four decades. Bretz was the solitary champion of the flood hypothesis.
The persistence of Bretz throughout the decades of debate paid off. Geologists did begin to see that the “approved” uniformitarian agents were incapable of accounting for the size, position, and actual existence of landforms of eastern Washington. A turning point in the debate came in the 1960s, when the International Association for Quaternary Research did an extensive tour of the Channeled Scabland and Lake Missoula. In 1965, a busload of geologists sent J Harlen Bretz a telegram: “Greetings and salutations….We are now all catastrophists.”
danny
You said the following:"All debates are a waste of time, especially when there's a creationist in it. Creationists are not interested in learning anything. Also, they don't seem to have the ability to learn anything."
Then why don't you leave the CP?
Danny,
Well, humans are no better with the massive infantcide that continues on today. Innocent babies having their brains sucked out in the name of convenience.
danny
Re:I just stopped believing in the sky fairy because I figured out it was a myth just like any other childish myth like the tooth fairy.
When and how did you figure this out?
citsogna
Re:OK star2, thanx for the feed back. What about fish and other water creatures? Was the flood made up of fresh water or sea water? What happened to the fish and other water dwelling animals that cannot survive in one type of water or the other?
Genesis 7:21-22 tells us that everything on dry land that had breath in its nostrils died.
I can't really answer your questions about the sea animals and their water habitats (salt or fresh) right now.
OK star2, thanx for the feed back. What about fish and other water creatures? Was the flood made up of fresh water or sea water? What happened to the fish and other water dwelling animals that cannot survive in one type of water or the other?
citsonga
Re: Question: were all of the animals on earth put on the ark?
This is what the Word of God says in several different places in Genesis 7:
Genesis 7 (King James Version)
1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.
2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.
3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.
5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.
Noah did not select the animals and put them in the Ark himself. God selected the animals and commanded them (placed in their hearts) to go into the Ark.
I asked God about the kind and size of the animals. He said that it was every kind that He had made and that they were small.
God loves you citsogna.
Question: were all of the animals on earth put on the ark?
danny
Have you read up on the archaeology finds of Noah's Ark?
Here are the Web sites
http://www.wyattarchaeology.com/noah.htm
www.wyattmuseum.com
The belief in magic that one creature magically transformed into another, that magically transformed into another.....
There's some magic for ya.
danny
Evolution is not real science. It is the kind of science you read about in science fiction novels.
The laws of genetics will never allow evolution to happen. That is why you have never observed it in nature nor in the lab. It is mathematiclly impossible for it to have ever happened. I showed you that last night.
To believe that life came about by evolutionary means when it is mathematiclly impossible and when it has to violate the laws of genetics requires a tremendous amount of faith and a whole bunch of magic.
Magic - Isn't that what fairy tales are all about?
When are you going to be honest with yourself and admit evolution is bad science and a lie?
Danny cuts and pastes from his sources, and it's truth. If a Christian cuts and pastes for their source it's a lie. Go figure.
I wonder what Danny will do when the Ark is discovered. Probably claim that those people who discovered it cut and pasted from their lying sources.
OhioJJ; you proclaim hollow bluster. Creationism and ID are founded on two totally different philosophies. ID is solid science as demonstrated by many peer reviewed articles.
In addition, numbers don't mean very much with an emerging hypothesis or theory. Galileo was only one contending against the dogma of the other astronomers of his day. ID appears to be going through the same process
"Editors's Note: Critics of intelligent design often claim that design advocates don’t publish their work in appropriate scientific literature. For example, Barbara Forrest, a philosophy professor at Southeastern Louisiana University, was quoted in USA Today (March 25, 2005) that design theorists “aren’t published because they don’t have scientific data.”
Other critics have made the more specific claim that design advocates do not publish their works in peer-reviewed scientific journals—as if such journals represented the only avenue of legitimate scientific publication. In fact, scientists routinely publish their work in peer-reviewed scientific journals, in peer-reviewed scientific books, in scientific anthologies and conference proceedings (edited by their scientific peers), and in trade presses. Some of the most important and groundbreaking work in the history of science was first published not in scientific journal articles but in scientific books—including Copernicus’ De Revolutionibus, Newton’s Principia, and Darwin’s Origin of Species (the latter of which was published in a prominent British trade press and was not peer-reviewed in the modern sense of the term). In any case, the scientists who advocate the theory of intelligent design have published their work in a variety of appropriate technical venues, including peer-reviewed scientific journals, peer-reviewed scientific books (some in mainstream university presses), trade presses, peer-edited scientific anthologies, peer-edited scientific conference proceedings and peer-reviewed philosophy of science journals and books.
We provide below an annotated bibliography of technical publications of various kinds that support, develop or apply the theory of intelligent design...." Discovery Institute
Intelligent Design is exclusively rooted in fundamentalist religion (not all religion, but the fervent 'born again' types). Having once been a believer in intelligent design (and not coincidentally, scientifically illiterate at the time, even though I was a blow hard and thought I knew what I was talking about), I know it is a sham. Saying "May God bless you with the truth" and "I love Jesus with all my heart" will not make ID the "truth". Millions of other Christians disagree with those who think ID is science. Millions of other Christians know what science is, and not coincidentally, they don't support ID. Also, the fact that escaped me when I was n ID supporter, and seems to escape current ID supporters, is that evolution is not a controversy with those who know what science is, namely, scientists. If you point to 50% of the general public supporting ID, I can point to over 99% of those who know what science is (namely, scientists) who know it's a sham. It's demonstrable.
danny
Re:That's OK because science doesn't require faith.
To believe in evolution requires faith. It is mathematically impossible for evolution to have produced life.
Re: Unlike your religious myths, scientific ideas have evidence.
There is no evidence for evolution.
Re: Unfortunately, you don't understand what scientific evidence is, you don't understand science, and you never will understand science.
Can you say that you do?
Good night to you danny. May God bless you with the truth.
danny
Re:With all due respect you're a complete waste of time.
I do not feel that way about you.
danny
Go to the following link for proof that Noah's Ark existed: http://www.wyattarchaeology.com/noah.htm
As for evolution: No one has ever seen macro evolution in the lab or in nature. They have observed micro evolution but they have never witnessed it to produce macro evolution. I have shown you mathematically that it is impossible for evolution to happen.
Show me the evidence that macro evolution has taken place. Agentorange's human chromsome 2 fusion and the 7 identical ERVs between the chimp and the human is not proof. It neither prove or disproves evolution. Nor does it prove or disproves creationism. Prove to me mathematically that evolution can happen. If you can't, then to continue to believe in a theory that cannot happen is to believe in fairy tales.