Ben Stein – Expelled – Is American Education Free?
Posted by Orrin Woodward on March 15, 2010
Laurie and I sat down and reviewed the movie Expelled, featuring Ben Stein, a couple of nights ago. Tonight, we plan on having our four children watch the show with us, hoping to teach through a rational discussion on the importance of freedom in all pursuits. I am shocked by the neglect if not outright hostility to freedom in our culture today. Even if someone completely disagrees with your position, how can you know you are correct without understanding his position? I have many friends who take positions on issues that are different than my own, but that doesn’t end our friendship. Laurie and I have been married for nearly 17 years and we don’t agree on every single issue, but we respect and love one another enough to give grace in these areas.
What disappointed me most upon watching the movie Expelled was the lack of grace displayed by so many experts on both sides. Can anyone honestly state they are so intelligent that they need not even listen to others who might disagree? Does any scientist really have a monopoly on all of the data and interpretation of the facts? Isn’t one of the biggest explosions of growth in the world today the increased dialog permitted by the Internet? I don’t care which side of the political, religious, economic or other spectrum you are on, the key is that you consider the facts honestly. To reject the facts without hearing them can only be done to your own detriment. As a leader, I actively seek opinions counter to my own from people with results, weighing the pros and cons of each thought, making decisions with my eyes wide open to each conflicting opinion.
Freedom is not free and leaders around the world must unite on freedom even if they disagree with each other on what direction that freedom should take. Isn’t the worst of all worlds one that is not free to disagree? Truth does not need censorship as the truth is its own best defense. When people attack others with hate mail because they disagree with their opinion, doesn’t that only display a fear that what they believe may not be defend-able? Ben Stein is clearly a very intelligent man and courageous enough to insist upon academic freedom for all. Here is the Expelled trailer. I would encourage you to buy the video as it is a keeper! God Bless, Orrin Woodward
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGCxbhGaVfE]
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