The Expelled Rigamrole

Well, this post was supposed to be done a few days ago, I don't know what happened. So the news is old, in the modern understanding of old news.

As many people know, Mark Mathis, the producer of Expelled in a fit of hypocritical irony expelled Professor PZ Myers out of the waiting line to see the movie. But, apparently did not recognize Richard Dawkins, whom PZ Myers had listed as an invited attendee. Dawkins sums up the events in a post named Lying for Jesus?

First the basic premise of evolution, all life on earth (including mankind) have a common ancestry and we have inherited traits passed to us from previous generations is correct. Teach the controversy is a misnomer. Intelligent Design is better understood under the apt and accurate description, "Creationism in a Cheap Tuxedo".

The "controversy" is nothing less than the attempts by those with an agenda of pushing biblical account of the creation of the earth and man. It's been well documented under the "Wedge Strategy" and comments and columns by ardent ID supporters like Bill Dembski (If ID and creationism aren't the same why all the references to god and the bible?).

One of the funniest and disheartening things about the Evolution "controversy" is basic ignorance of reasoning and logic. Let us postulate Evolution is false, does that make Intelligent Design true? The answer is no, there could be a third or fourth or n number of other mechanisms currently unknown to the minds of mankind which account for the origin of life.

I always recommend reading all viewpoints and not prejudging things without watching them for yourself. But I'm reminded one should have an open mind but not so open as one's brains fall out. Rehashing the same tired attempts to link Darwin and Hitler is not a theory I need to rebut again. Having Ben Stein claim "god did it" is not science. Julia Sweeney has some comments on her view of the intellectual Ben Stein. And worst of all, invoking Galileo who was forced to recant his scientific views by Religious Authority is tawdry. I'm not going to watch the Expelled movie, but don't say I didn't warn you about your brain slurping out of your ear canal if you choose to...

Anyway the Expelled brouhaha continues to be laughable. Over at the Uncommodescent blog, the Intelligent Designers decided to add an new level of guesswork to their fantastical imaginations. DaveScot postulated why PZ Myers was expelled: An RSVP system was in work and "I’d guess it’s because Myers was vigorously exercising his anti-religious potty mouth loud enough to offend other guests and someone complained while the other members in Myers’ anti-Christ crusader party were exercising a modicum of discretion."

And there it is. I guess. Awesome. DaveScot doesn't have any evidence to support his slander about PZ Myers behavior he just guesses. It works perfectly to describe intelligent design as well. Slander, lie and guesses.

Update:
Here is an extended trailer for Expelled.