Movie deceptive against science

The film, EXPELLED (Fencepost 5/5) is a sleazy movie filled with propaganda, hyperbole and inflammatory rhetoric. The Christian organization, Reasons to Believe, cannot recommend the film. Ben Stein and the producers are guilty of distortion, deception, dishonesty, and deviousness.

The nation's various scientific organizations take very seriously complaints of "academic freedom" discrimination and have investigated each of the "expelled" cases concluding the film has "lied" to the viewer by misrepresenting the truth (www.expelledexposed.com).

The evolutionary scientists (all atheists) interviewed were deceived (NY Times, 09/27/07) as to the title and the emphasis of the film with Associate Producer Mark Mathis telling them he was "…on the side of science." Instead, the film is an insult to science and scientists. Their answers to random questions were quote-mined to misrepresent their views. When asked why no Christian evolutionary biologists were interviewed for the movie, Mathis replied, "…[they] were deliberately excluded from the movie because their views would have confused the film unnecessarily."

The filmmakers have been sued for violating the copyrights of Scientific Animation XVIVO and of Lennon's song "Imagine." A federal judge has issued an injunction against further distribution of EXPELLED.

EXPELLED portrays evolution as an atheistic enterprise but doesn't mention that of the 470,000 life and earth scientists in the U.S., 50 percent people of faith, 99.8 percent accept evolution as the foundation of modern biology, modern medical research, and the best natural explanation for the complexity and diversity of life. To suppose a conspiracy and a "party line" of that many people is laughable.

David Thiessen

Woodstock