We were privileged to get an invitation to view the movie Expelled – No Intelligence Allowed as a preview to the anticipated release in the spring of 2008. This screening took place in mid-December 2007. If you have followed anything concerning the debate on evolution and any form of alternate thinking, other than classic Darwinism, you’ll find this film intriguing. If you love evolution only, you’ll be rocked off your chair. Ben Stein asks the tough questions … all we need do is sit back and take it all in … it is a movie, but it is ultimately about who we are!

What are some of the characteristics of this film?

The first thing you will see is that there is creativity in the presentation. In a word, it’s ENTERTAINING! But once you get past some of the humor and quick film cuts and the switch from color to black and white photos and back to color, it hits on really CRITICAL ISSUES. What is striking is that the main issue is not just of this day, but has historical roots. And we are not talking science history alone. And this was an unexpected dimension that adds relevance beyond what you might first expect.

Then, beyond the historical thread, there are persons who are interviewed, on both sides of the evolution coin. And yes, intelligent design is the counter point. And just when you think it’s going to be all about religion, according to some, in comes the issue of FREE SPEECH and your personal freedom, not to mention the right to get at truth. In this case the truth is in the DATA from SCIENCE.

There may be other truths you’d like to know about, but for this film the idea of getting a truthful representation of basically what intelligent design is and what it’s implications are … is enough. And just when you think it’s another dogma, you’ll see some surprises. The evolutionists, the HEAVY HITTERS, get their moment and they reveal themselves for what they are. That’s sobering.

Over the course of this presentation you’ll wonder why the Darwinists get so much acceptance today. And that will leave you wondering, about them, about truth, about life, about what YOU think is a fair assessment. Time to give up being spoon fed and time to get thinking. If that’s it, then the movie has got you where you need to be, awake, aware, and thinking.

Any Down Side To This?

If the movie has one short coming it will be a need for answers to questions that will come to mind as you leave the theater. In part, the film can’t show you all there is to develop a full understanding to INTELLIGENT DESIGN (ID). In fact some well known proponents to ID, as found in the literature and media, are not in this film. Why? In part because Expelled has taken a certain approach and played it to the full. You just can’t drop in everything and stay with a certain theme. This leaves you with some exploration to do. But we live in a Google world and all you have to do is hit the Internet search engines. The other ID proponents, and their writings will show up. And then it will hit you, there is design in the universe as is evident by the math, in physics, astronomy, chemistry, simple to complex life, biology, medicine, and more. We’ve been blinded to the fact it’s everywhere. In fact, simple life forms embody complexity, and that too is evidnece for intelligent design!

Our Down Side – Can we Reverse This Trend?

Having taught university classes for several years, this writer is concerned for the public of this day. Academic environments, from grade school up, spoon feed students. This happens more in some education systems than others, the global approach to education is a patchwork. In the US, it’s “give the lectures and have the stuff parroted back” on the exam. No real room for objective or investigative personal thinking.

Can we reverse this trend? Can you take a bit of time to get more of the depth of the information that explains why ID is based on science, on data, on real investigative thinking? What if doing this offers the possibility that your entire world view of YOUR life and existence might be changed, gloriously changed!

Do you think for yourself? If you make a concerned effort to do just that, then you’ll be reversing the old trend. That’s freedom. And that is one of the underlying points to the film, don’t miss it!

Breaking Through

At the end of the day, this film is about breaking through. It may in itself be a film that is a BREAK THROUGH. The film critics who will say that must be applauded. The media itself is NOT so free to say such things. Don’t agree? Well, go see this film, because this is yet one more of the themes presented (controlled media) … and if the media is not free, then you have to FREE YOURSELF!

How do you break through? Think. Talk with people. See the film. Get others to see the film. Read. Read some more! Demand a dialog and just don’t take the first answer as the last word.

And in the meantime, even before and well after the film is out there in theaters or at the video stores, you can search the web, bookstores, libraries, blogs and explore. Do your homework now and be even more educated as to why it’s not simply a film about a concept called intelligent design. It’s about LIFE, FREEDOM, and the pursuit of WHO YOU ARE.

Visit The Window for More on ID

At Windowview we encourage our visitors and viewers to read more and to explore the depths of the issues.

Director 122007