Thread: Response to Ben Stein

Expelled is actually being released at my theater. God I hate it here. But, like anyone else who respects science, I am going to either d/l it, or buy a ticket for a different movie and watch it just for laughs. I will never support this piece of shit propaganda "documentary".

Awesome, couldn't have said it better myself. He makes a lot of damn good points, and I really think people who support the movie should see this video.

The key points are...
A) "I don't understand evolution, therefore it's wrong." I really like his bit about "because birds don't fall like apples, gravity is wrong" as a simplified analogy of the argument of many creationists.
And
B) "Because scientists won't listen to my baseless, absurd claims and laugh at my scientific credibility, I'm being persecuted." That was a really good point too. I almost had agreed with Stein that people weren't allowed to suggest intelligent design, but then I realized that scientists would be happy to listen to them if the people who suggest it actually provide some sort of evidence. Of COURSE people are going to laugh at you if you say "Hey... do you think pink invisible unicorns actually created the universe?" It's just retarded when you think about it.

Oh, and the video really needs a different voice... his voice is so annoying.

Is the narrator that radio show host guy? His voice sounds familiar...

Edit: Just watched all of it, thanks for posting man.. just pisses me off though that people as dumb as Stein influence so many people.

"Oh, and the video really needs a different voice... his voice is so annoying."

Originally Posted by Seismosaur

"Oh, and the video really needs a different voice... his voice is so annoying."

makes it all better.

Ben Stein is an idiot.

Ben Stein being a creationist, and the whole retarded Expelled situation bums me out. Win Ben Stein's Money was a sweet game show, and I assumed he was a pretty smart dude. Between that and his acting and his voice acting, I thought he was cool all around. I'm so disillusioned right now!

Originally Posted by Seismosaur

"Oh, and the video really needs a different voice... his voice is so annoying."

But it's that voice that everybody knows, like Gilbert Gottfried's. Seriously, "Bueller, Bueller..." ring a bell?

Ben Stein is funny i'll give him that.

Well that was the most worthless video I've ever seen. They take a few out of context quotes from stein and then crucify him. The arguments presented are weak, and this is nothing more than propaganda. An attempt to fight fire with fire?

Even if Stein is dead wrong on this, he is an extremely intelligent man. I'll reserve judgment until I see the film.

Originally Posted by 27

Even if Stein is dead wrong on this, he is an extremely intelligent man. I'll reserve judgment until I see the film.

Ya, just look at how well he pronounced "Bueller."

Originally Posted by The Cusp

They take a few out of context quotes from stein and then crucify him.

Would you care to put them into context for us, then?

Haha! That made my day. Stein makes theists look so bad.. CNN and FOX are very biased.. I would've liked to see an evolutionist debate him.

Originally Posted by The Cusp

Well that was the most worthless video I've ever seen. They take a few out of context quotes from stein and then crucify him. The arguments presented are weak, and this is nothing more than propaganda. An attempt to fight fire with fire?

Wow, that's the first time I've heard that about one of Thunderfoot's videos. His whole series (why people laugh at creationsists) is really good. And none of those quotes were taken out of context dude. I've watched EVERYTHING having do to with the expelled controversy including the interviews those quotes were taken from. None of it was out of context and Thunderfoot made some great points.

BTW, (not talking to cusp) if you like thunderf00t, check out potholer54 and cdk007. All 3 make excellent vids.

Ben Stein is a supergenius, but he uses some very old, very defeated arguments for creationism. One of them is that the universe is such a big deal that it had to have been created by a conscious being (which can only lead logically to a conclusion that there is an infinite heirarchy of Gods), and another one is that evolution does not explain how life began in the first place (Yes it does!). WRONG and WRONG. Is he broke now or something?

The sad thing is that the movie probably isn't even funny.

Is Ben Stein Christian or Jewish? I can't figure out what his relegion is.

He's crazyshitist.

Originally Posted by Universal Mind

Ben Stein is a supergenius, but he uses some very old, very defeated arguments for creationism. One of them is that the universe is such a big deal that it had to have been created by a conscious being (which can only lead logically to a conclusion that there is an infinite heirarchy of Gods), and another one is that evolution does not explain how life began in the first place (Yes it does!). WRONG and WRONG. Is he broke now or something?

Actually it doesn't. Evolution has nothing to do with abiogenesis. What he is wrong about is that it doesn't matter that evolution does not explain how life originated. It doesn't matter because evolution does not attempt to explain that, nor has it ever intended to.

"The theory of gravitation doesn't explain relativity-- Therefore gravity doesn't exist"

Originally Posted by wasup

Actually it doesn't. Evolution has nothing to do with abiogenesis. What he is wrong about is that it doesn't matter that evolution does not explain how life originated. It doesn't matter because evolution does not attempt to explain that, nor has it ever intended to.

If i may continiue where you left off, evoloution explains not the origins of life, it simply explains the DIVERSITY of life.People who subcribe to Creationism often have it backwards when it comes to that and even some people who subscribe to the theory of Evoloution aswell.

Originally Posted by wasup

Actually it doesn't. Evolution has nothing to do with abiogenesis. What he is wrong about is that it doesn't matter that evolution does not explain how life originated. It doesn't matter because evolution does not attempt to explain that, nor has it ever intended to.

Actually, there are plenty of texts on evolution that explain the evolution of protein into organisms. Evolutionary science covers the earliest organisms and how they came into being. It does not exactly pick up at fish.

For just one example: http://www.amazon.com/Cell-Evolution.../dp/0816049467

But isn't that a different "evolution" than the darwin evolution? Darwin's evolution only expalains the diversification of life, but maybe some other theory explains the evolution of the cell?

Originally Posted by Taosaur

Ya, just look at how well he pronounced "Bueller."

You obviously know nothing about Ben Stein. He was a speech writer for Presidents Ford and Nixon long before he ever took an acting job.

Even though I will probably disagree with this film, I still love Ben Stein.

Planning on seeing it later today.

Originally Posted by The Cusp

Well that was the most worthless video I've ever seen. They take a few out of context quotes from stein and then crucify him. The arguments presented are weak, and this is nothing more than propaganda. An attempt to fight fire with fire?

Crucifiction is really too good for Ben Stein. Ignorance is forgivable, willful ignorance is inexcusable, especially in the times we live in. The man has no idea what he's talking about, and he's thrilled to death about it. The very first 'ID'iot check you can run on a creationist is if they know the difference between the theory of evolution and abiogenesis. This movie is the result of the defeat of intelligent design at Dover in 2005, and does little more than try and equate evolution (social Darwinism) with Nazism. Ben Stein doesn't even have a high school understanding of biology and he's trying to teach America about the evils of evolution? Give me a break.

And Thunderf00t's videos are fantastic (and funny). Watch the entire series of 22 videos. cdk007 and ExtantDodo put out some quality videos too. I also found this one the other day, which I thought was just brilliant.