Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Ben Stein Should Be Expelled.



Ben Stein is making money off of a gullible populace. Flocks of sheep will fork out cash to see his “documentary” and leave the theatre angry at science and its methods.

Then a funny thing will happen. They’ll walk toward their cars, in shoes out of material designed by science, talking on their cell phones invented by science, passing up buildings all kept standing by science-- in fact, full of scientifically created materials-- and they’ll be angry that science won’t let them believe in god. They’ll get in their scientifically engineered cars, riding on scientifically modified rubber, and head to their jobs which will, in almost all circumstances, have a scientific element inseparable from it.

If they have a sick relative or friend, they will take them to a scientifically developed medical facility and ask for doctors to apply science in curing them. They might even fly in a scientifically designed plane to go on Holiday and play cards made coated with a scientifically designed plastic to make them shuffle easier.

The world around them will be full of scientific knowledge and technology, and they’ll use it, all the while angry and nodding their heads to Ben Stein’s decadent and obviously manipulative film, feeling woeful that science has abandoned them.

It makes me sad.

Here we are, a leading nation in the twenty first century, and we have a vague majority population that eschews the scientific method which brought us here, so that “magic” can be perpetuated as a scientific theory for the origins of everything. Now I am not a scientist, but I do understand the scientific method. You make assumptions about something. You search for evidence to prove or disprove your assumptions. You devise experiments to test and/or demonstrate your assumptions. You present your findings for the scrupulous revue of others, who attempt to duplicate your findings and either affirm or deny your assumptions. From this basic, established ritual, cancer treatments and Titan probe landings have sprouted.

Religion, especially the belief in a god, has created what? Nothing but more ritual and more belief.

Ben Stein will make a lot of money from his movie There are enough deluded people in America who will flock to it like, well, sheep. They will get angry at science for not allowing god in their damn science classes. They will disregard the scientific method which brought them almost everything they take for granted, and they will feel righteous in their indignation.

If you tell them that calling something unknown “god” is not an answer to the question-- but another way of keeping something “unknown”-- you will confuse them. If you ask them to use the scientific method to demonstrate a single supernatural “truth” they claim to know, they will get angry and demand to be excused from the scientific process. Then they’ll get on their cell phones, and call someone who cares…

10 comments:

RG said...

Via con Dios, Senor...

Jeannie said...

I believe that God and science are totally compatible. Just because I can't explain how doesn't make it not so. Belief in a rational God tends to make one believe also in an explainable universe and curious about all the amazing things around us. I don't even know anyone who is so dogmatic they don't believe in any science. So I have no clue who the tirade is aimed against. Some Old-Order Mennonites?

Tom C said...

Sigh. Snott, what did god ever do to you? There is no shame in believing.... even if you're queer.

Kidding aside Snott. What methods would you use if you were omnipotent? (new word for shirley to look up)
In the end I have Grace which may or may not mean anything. What do you have? Who is really the fool?
Grace doesn't cost me anything either.

Scott from Oregon said...

"I believe that God and science are totally compatible."

They may be able to occupy the same mind, but they are two very different ways of looking at the world.

One is based on evidence. One is based on wishing it were so.

The problem with the movie, in case you were wondering, is that it makes a ton of false claims about science. Science has brought us to where we are IN SPITE of these silly religiously based attacks on its methodology, and wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to waste time dealing with the silliness altogether?
Just think how far we could mentally go?

Think

Tom C said...

Sorry Snott. I saw you on another rant about God and kinda tuned you out before reading the whole post. Time and all as it is.... I stand by my comment though.

Anonymous said...

just saw Expelled; the fact that Ben Stein isn't trying to win any popularity contests helps to validate his message... i gather that his goal is to promote free thought, especially more thinking about the worldviews that drive American academia

RG said...

2 Kings 20: 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.' "

7 Then Isaiah said, "Prepare a poultice of figs." They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.


But of course, the host here clearly has never heard of hospitals whose technologies are the most advanced in the world such as those run by Presbyterians, Methodists, Catholics, etc, etc, etc, and etc.

RG said...

But don't dwell on God too much if you are not interested in Him. Thus, you never will recognize His being during your lifetime. The creator of man will only indisputably prove Himself to those who truly put their trust in Him.

RG said...

OK now, I better go before I have to send my woman to Oregan!

Adios!

Jean said...

I'm with you, Scott.