Review of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008) by Lorig. — 22 May 2008

So I take it Yesman that you'd give high marks to Leni Riefenstahl's films even though they were blatant Nazi propaganda (though well edited, shot, written, etc.)? For me the message is part of the overall package.

If it doesn't entertain or inform, but rather obfuscates, it's a bad film. So 9s and 10s, this is about free speech (not evolution)? What gave you the idea we have free speech in this country? There are words you can't say on TV.

You can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater, and you can't say libelous things. Speech is free in its appropriate context, and rightfully so. Who's preventing the filmmakers from releasing this film? Or you from commenting about it? I don't imagine it will be used in a biology class, though, except to point out the inanity of the non-scientific opinion.

(But I can certainly anticipate that many right-wing churches will buy hundreds of copies of the DVD to indoctrinate their children). A scientist who continues to espouse an unsupported view SHOULD be fired, let go, denied tenure, or in the case of some of the "injured" interviewees in this film, simply not have their volunteer status renewed.

Just as someone teaching a comparative religion class who continued to insist that there was no creation story in Christian religions, despite any historical or literary evidence, should be let go. That's not stifling free speech, that simply framing the view correctly in its context.

And to those who argue that ID is not creationism (another point this film adds confusion to), you're right. They're not exactly the same thing. They're simply very nearly the same thing.

ID is just a straightforward extension of creationism (and the term was substituted for "creationism" in the IDers own literature, so even they thought of them as remarkably similar). So, it could be space aliens in addition to "God"? Then where is your evidence for space aliens, or flying spaghetti monsters, etc.

? ID is fundamentally similar to creationism in that it is a religious point of view (i.e. relies on belief, not hard data). It is therefore not science, and doesn't belong in the context of a science class.

Period. This movie sheds no new light (data) on that view and therefore doesn't have a leg to stand on. Therefore a "1" from my perspective (yeah, at least they tried - probably not the cameraman's fault this is a fundamentally flawed piece of tripe).