[The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind] Umm... Your Message Was What Again?

Now, I hate to do this, but I'm going to lift this little story directly from PZ Myers himself. It's just too precious and hilarious, and there is absolutely no way I could ever summarize it well enough.

There is a rich, deep kind of irony that must be shared. I'm blogging this from the Apple store in the Mall of America, because I'm too amused to want to wait until I get back to my hotel room.

I went to attend a screening of the creationist propaganda movie, Expelled, a few minutes ago. Well, I tried … but I was Expelled! It was kind of weird — I was standing in line, hadn't even gotten to the point where I had to sign in and show ID, and a policeman pulled me out of line and told me I could not go in. I asked why, of course, and he said that a producer of the film had specifically instructed him that I was not to be allowed to attend. The officer also told me that if I tried to go in, I would be arrested. I assured him that I wasn't going to cause any trouble.

I went back to my family and talked with them for a while, and then the officer came back with a theater manager, and I was told that not only wasn't I allowed in, but I had to leave the premises immediately. Like right that instant.

I complied.

I'm still laughing though. You don't know how hilarious this is. Not only is it the extreme hypocrisy of being expelled from their Expelled movie, but there's another layer of amusement. Deep, belly laugh funny. Yeah, I'd be rolling around on the floor right now, if I weren't so dang dignified.

You see … well, have you ever heard of a sabot? It's a kind of sleeve or lightweight carrier used to surround a piece of munition fired from a gun. It isn't the actually load intended to strike the target, but may even be discarded as it leaves the barrel.

I'm a kind of sabot right now.

They singled me out and evicted me, but they didn't notice my guest. They let him go in escorted by my wife and daughter. I guess they didn't recognize him. My guest was …


Richard Dawkins.

Honestly? I don't even know where to begin. Like an onion, the myriad of ironic layers are just piled upon one another, and the moment one is peeled away, an even more body-rattling level of hilarity is uncovered.

PZ Myers is actually in the Expelled movie, and he's actually thanked in the movie's credits. And still, they refused to allow him entrance to see the film for reasons known only to those behind this ridiculous film's production.

Even funnier is that one of the movie's "messages" deals quite heavily with censorship of those critical of evolution in the academic community, yet, by keeping Dr. Myers out, it's patently clear that those behind this film are guilty of the same level of censorship which this silly movie seeks to expose?

To make things even sillier: PZ Myers is viewed as an undesirable, but Richard freakin' Dawkins isn't?!? He's perhaps the planet's most well-know atheist and one of the most ardent critics of creationism and religion in general. I mean, that's like keeping Hitler out of Heaven, but letting Satan in (Hey! I didn't start it. This film, and Ben Stein, actually try to conflate those teaching evolution with Nazi's).

I don't think I've ever seen a more elegant display of hypocrisy and irony. And they just seem to keep piling more and more boulders upon this pyre of their own gleaming ignorance and dishonesty. Unfortunately, eventually it's going to crumble beneath its own weight as reality always wins in the end.

Regardless of Expelled and however many other movies littered with public figures and celebrities spout the message, creationism is not science, and it never will be. To call it a theory is to force it to undergo a level of scrutiny which it is wholly incapable of withstanding (why do you think astrology isn't taught in school). Appeals to the superstitious or the paranormal in pursuit of an answer or proof is an erroneous and laughable approach to scientific discovery. Moreover, those who endorse or prescribe to such an endeavor, will never accomplish anything more than setting mankind back by continually being an unnecessary obstacle to humanity's intellectual progress. We deserve better than to have an educational system clotted with beliefs which belong in the Dark Ages.

-DP


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Posted By Dan to The Wisdom of a Distracted Mind at 3/21/2008 09:13:00 AM