Win Ben Stein's monkey

Evolution. Intelligent design. These are terms that can cause great consternation in the minds and hearts of many, particularly opponents of each view. Now that anxiety and debate has resurfaced in theaters everywhere with Ben Stein's new documentary, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." (To see a trailer of the movie or access its free resources, go to the "Expelled" website.)

In short, the press kit says "Expelled" "exposes the widespread persecution of scientists and educators who are pursuing legitimate, opposing scientific views to the reigning orthodoxy." In other words, the film is an expose on how academic institutions have become so pro-evolutionary that they have restricted educational learning and freedoms by excluding human origin alternatives like intelligent design, or ID (that some form of intelligence, or God, created the cosmos).

Even before its release, some neo-Darwinian critics were already denouncing the film, based upon what they say are fallacies or discrepancies in it. For example, some say "Expelled" wrongly assumes that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution paved the way for the Holocaust. Others assert that the Dover trial and ACLU are misused and misrepresented. Still others accuse that Ben Stein's auditorium speeches are contrived. Or that a scientist, whose employment was allegedly terminated because of bias against his beliefs in ID was not actually fired. Even now some are trying to silence and even expel the movie from theaters.

'Expelled' or expunged?

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I like Ben Stein. I think he's funny, creative and an insightful commentator on a host of issues. I'm not bent on defending him or "Expelled," but I'm glad he made it. I saw it this weekend, and I liked it. I think it will wake up many people to the truth. What truth? That educational arenas have become limited learning environments, because of biases against God, the Bible and creationism. Stein is correct in saying that passionate antagonism and hostility (that parallels any fundamentalist extremism) equally exists in naturalist and neo-Darwinian camps. Proof of their avid bias can be easily seen in some evolutionists' reviews of this film. Many are loaded with as much inflammatory language, intolerance and bigotry, as any hate-filled group.

I'm not endorsing the movie because it is flawless in its presentation, but because it raises issues of educational suppression. Why can't creationism or ID be taught in public schools? Naturalists answer by saying that ID is not science. Rather than debate classifications, however, I would further ask: Why can't variant theories of the origins of life be presented even outside science classes? Isn't education based upon presenting a wide array of knowledge and opinions?

Since when does science own the market on how life began? If it is based largely upon empirical investigation of present, repeatable data, then the evolutionary theory for the beginning of life stands upon no more solid ground than ID. Why? Because neither theism nor the naturalistic view of life's earliest origins are provable in a strict scientific sense. They are both past, unrepeatable singularities, which takes them out of the scientific realm of study and observation. For example, no branch of science can prove how inorganic matter produced organic cellular life. And evolution, even if accepted as factual, does not dispel a Creator because neo-Darwinism cannot definitively explain the inception of life on Earth. So, if both evolution and ID stand upon similar hypothetical platforms of discussion and possibility, why can't they both be taught in academic arenas as theories of our origins?

Again, dissenters of creationism answer these questions by classifying ID as a religion, and further saying that religion belongs in homes and churches. Says who? They answer: The First Amendment and the separation of church and state bans ID from entering classrooms in any form. What they don't realize, however, is their conclusion is a constitutional misinterpretation and bastardization of the First Amendment. It was written and adopted, among other reasons, so that Congress would neither establish a federal religion nor restrict religious or speech freedoms, which can include not barring religious instruction in the classrooms.

Yesteryear's philosophy of education

Whether theories of life's origins are classified as religion, science, philosophy or social studies, our Founding Fathers would adamantly disagree in locking any out of classroom instruction. In fact, Thomas Jefferson, who founded the University of Virginia, did so with an expectation that a spirit of freedom would flourish among alternate educational views. While he prohibited sectarian theology in that particular university to establish its distinction from other denominationally affiliated higher institutions, Jefferson did not abolish instruction or debate on providence, theism or creationism (which he even embedded in the Declaration of Independence).

On Dec. 26, 1820, he wrote to Destutt Tracy, "This institution of my native state, the hobby of my old age, will be based upon the illimitable freedom of the human mind, to explore and expose every subject susceptible of its contemplation." One day later, he wrote to William Roscoe a similar but expanded thought: "This institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it."

Most of our Founders were enthusiastic advocates for teaching religion and the Bible in public schools. Though space prohibits a more exhaustive treatment, here are a couple representative patriotic thoughts:

Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, wrote "To the citizens of Philadelphia: A Plan for Free Schools," on March 28, 1787: "Let the children who are sent to those schools be taught to read and write, and above all, let both sexes be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education."

In 1789, during the same time when the First Amendment was written, then President George Washington signed into law the Northwest Ordinance, which states, "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

Noah Webster, the "Father of American Scholarship and Education," stated, "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed. … No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people."

Is there room in your classroom?

If America's Founding Fathers espoused openness to religion being taught in schools, then it beckons the question: Why don't we? The fact is, to leave out of educative curricula the most influential text in Western civilization, including in American history, law and literature, is a blatant and biased withholding of proper public instruction.

That is why my wife, Gena, and I are on the board of the National Council of Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, which has helped 443 public school districts in 37 states to implement a course on it. Already, 210,000 students have been taught from it. You too can learn more about the curriculum, why its teaching is constitutional, and how it can be implemented in your public school by contacting:

National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools
Post Office Box 9743
Greensboro, NC 27429
(877) OnBible
(336) 272-3799
(336) 272-7199 (fax)
website

It's time for every parent, teacher and school district to answer in the affirmative the question of Fisher Ames, who assisted in the creation of the First Amendment and was also chosen but declined (for health reasons) the presidency of Harvard University in 1805, "Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book?"

Related special offers:

Ken Ham's "The Lie: Evolution"

"Thousands... not Billions: Challenging an Icon of Evolution Questioning the Age of the Earth"

"In Six Days"

"Biblical Creationism"

"Scientific Creationism"

"The Case Against Darwin"

(Chuck's column now runs in syndication through Creators Syndicate. Subscriptions can be obtained by contacting Creators Syndicate. To check out some of his non-political articles, see Chuck's WND archives.)