"In the beginning...again..."

I’m not an American, I’m not a biologist, I’m not in the movie making industry and I’m not interacting with any of those sorts of people, but I do feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place with the recent production of “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed”, which has been released in the States this last week. I’ve been reading the blogosphere for the last few weeks now as I’ve watched one after another slamming article released by the likes of PZ Myers, Richard Dawkins and others on why “Expelled” is erroneous in its scientific claims. My problem is that these men know what their talking about when it comes to biology, evolution and the way that life works. Whilst I may disagree with their tendency to then turn their scientific claims into worldviews and life philosophies, I cannot ignore the scientific conclusions that they have drawn. Doubtless their presuppositions and the ways in which they view life will massively influence the way that they carry out their science, but they are not world class scientists in their respected fields without reason.

“Expelled” seems to have lumped creationists, intelligent design-ists, theistic-evolutionists and really any scientist who believes in a personal God into one category. This is something that I abhor. Believing in a creator God does not lead to automatic conclusions as to the means by which the creation and creating occurred. There is, largely, a consensus, within Christianity, on the purpose and reason for creation, but not for the methods and means. For many years now those who have been advocates for intelligent design have tried, seemingly fruitlessly, to disassociate themselves from right-wing fundamentalist protagonists of six day creationism. The two are simply not the same, despite the many generalisations. There are many different forms that intelligent design takes and each scientist comes to the table with their own semantic background. There are even those scientists who do not believe in any sort of personal God and yet are investigating the idea of intelligent design because intelligent design does not necessitate a personal creator “god”.

So, what do those Christians, who don’t believe in six day creationism, do? What do those Christians, who’s understanding of intelligent design doesn’t sit comfortably with the semantics of “Expelled”, do? What do those Christians, who are deeply ashamed of the copyright infringement, the deception of world class scientists, the exclusivity of “open screenings” and the repeated claim that this has been done in the name of Christ, do?

My reaction has been one of embarrassment, anger, shame and increased frustration. The smoke screens of the scientific world have been provided with yet more fuel to burn, the non-existent, yet gaping, whole between science and Christianity has been massively widened and the majority of the scientific world has had itself yet more alienated from the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ by a film that purported to expose the intellectual abuse of Christians by non-Christians. It, “Expelled”, appears, in many ways, to have done the reverse, with large numbers of non-Christians, both scientific and not, being hugely offended and outraged by the biased, fallacious and inaccurate claims, apparently, made by the film.

So, what do I know? Well, I know that neither belief in evolution or intelligent design necessitates or negates belief in a personal creator God. The space-time events of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, however, do require us to investigate his claims, and the claim of the Bible, that the God who created the universe (by whatever means) does desire to have a relationship with us. However the Bible also clearly explains that the only means by which that relationship can be had is through believing and trusting in the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross. This is the clear message and true truth of the Bible that requires acceptance by all. Any feelings of being stuck between a rock and a hard place will always placated by the ultimate and liberating truth that is found in Jesus Christ.

God bless.

Dear Freedom