Kenneth R. Miller, Brown University's tireless defender of science education, has written a review of "Expelled" in The Boston Globe.
"Expelled" is a shoddy piece of propaganda that props up the failures of Intelligent Design by playing the victim card. It deceives its audiences, slanders the scientific community, and contributes mightily to a climate of hostility to science itself. Stein is doing nothing less than helping turn a generation of American youth away from science. If we actually come to believe that science leads to murder, then we deserve to lose world leadership in science. In that sense, the word "expelled" may have a different and more tragic connotation for our country than Stein intended.
Miller is referring to the following statement:
Here is the full quote:
(speaking of the Holocaust)...that was horrifying beyond words, and that's where science - in my opinion, this is just an opinion - that's where science leads you.
...Love of God and compassion and empathy leads you to a very glorious place, and science leads you to killing people.
...Love of God and compassion and empathy leads you to a very glorious place, and science leads you to killing people.
With this statement, Ben Stein has openly embraced his role as an anti-science propagandist. He will apparently say anything to demonize his opponents, no matter how ridiculous it makes him sound. Not surprisingly, Stein's cheap shot has provoked widespread condemnation from people all across the political spectrum.
Unfortunately, I have yet to see a single Intelligent Design promoter criticize Stein for this outlandish statement. I have seen a few who have tried to claim that he was actually referring to something else, but Stein has yet to issue a retraction or clarification.
A question for ID promoters:
Who thinks Ben Stein was wrong to say that science leads you to killing people?
Anyone?
Anyone?
posted by Jeremy Mohn
