Charles Darwin film 'too controversial for religious America'

The reason we know who Darwin is came about due to the fact that the rich white upper crust of the day found his theory to bolster there belief that the white european race was superior and more evolved than other races.

Darwin was used as a poster child of the elite to add what they hoped the public could be convinced was "SCIENTIFIC PROOF" that the more evolved superior white race had the right to dominate or eliminate the lesser races.

If Darwin had not been used to further a racist agenda we most likely would not know his name.

I'll tell you what I wonder about is what else dont that 61% believe?
I wonder how many of them dont believe that a lack of sex education leads to unwanted pregnancy, which in turn promotes poverty, for instance. I wonder how many of them dont believe that releasing the energy stored over millions of years in fossil fuels is heating up the biosphere. I wonder how many believe that it ultimately doesn't matter what they do, as long as they believe in Jesus, because they'll soon be whisked bodily into heaven when the world ends in The Rapture.
Yeah, that 61% worry me.

I have to say I think those numbers are skewed, what did they take that poll in Kansas? I have lived, in NY, LA, Miami and Phoenix, and I have yet to meet ANYONE who doesn't believe in evolution.

Originally posted by Bunken Drum
I'll tell you what I wonder about is what else dont that 61% believe?
I wonder how many of them dont believe that a lack of sex education leads to unwanted pregnancy, which in turn promotes poverty, for instance. I wonder how many of them dont believe that releasing the energy stored over millions of years in fossil fuels is heating up the biosphere. I wonder how many believe that it ultimately doesn't matter what they do, as long as they believe in Jesus, because they'll soon be whisked bodily into heaven when the world ends in The Rapture.
Yeah, that 61% worry me.

Anyone else you care to take a swipe at today that you don't like? If you are through with your rant about people with different views then your own how about coming back on topic?

Originally posted by refuse_orders


Wow... Just wow...

I really don't know what to say, this is just incredible. Is the US really that messed up?

Yes we are, the original subtitle title of Harry Potter was the "philosophers stone", but they changed it in America to the Sorcerers stone, because they had to "dumb it down". Evidently focus groups took offense at the word "philosopher"

I don't "believe" in evolution, i "know" about evolution theory and I'm convinced that it is scientifically sound and is probably the strongest scientific theory out there.
Saying that you believe/don't believe in evolution is like saying you don't believe in gravity.

Evolution is a FACT, we know that it occurred due to DNA evidence, fossil evidence, vestigial organs, microevolution actually being observed, etc.
The "theory" comes to how exactly did the process take place, when did certain species branch out, etc.

I feel sad for the U.S., the country I live in, that showing a movie about about Charles Darwin is deemed too controversial. This speaks volumes for the low level of scientific knowledge that our country suffers from.

However, the U.S. has no problems with showing all those movies about christianity and divine intervention in the cinema at every chance they get.

This is saddening, really. I think I have lost a bit more of my fate on humanity reading that even the U.K. thinks we are dumb in the states.

Originally posted by scorand
reply to post by Stylez

 

the childish meanderings and these so called tactics are usually reserved for ... well lets just say some should practice what they preach

I do scorand, and if you can cite something where I mocked YOU, please do, otherwise, why do you cast aspersions?

reply to post by HunkaHunka


There wasn't any focus group and nobody took offense to the original title. It was the publisher Scholastic and Rowling who decided to change the title. The change was because in the US one does not associate a philosopher with a magician or witch. They chose a word that a child(who the books are made for) could associate with a witch.

www.imdb.com...

Hope this stops you from talking out the wrong end.

reply to post by GTORick

Anyone else you care to take a swipe at today that you don't like? If you are through with your rant about people with different views then your own how about coming back on topic?

The OP is about a majority of Americans not believing something which is accepted by all respected science. There is nothing OT about speculation as to what else they do or dont believe, particularly since it seems that religion plays a role in those beliefs which often follow a pattern.
Ultimately, it matters not if Americans accept evolution, except in terms of their own education. However, some of their other beliefs may have an impact on the world. So, to answer your question, I'm not finished swiping. How about the belief that preaching abstinance will help reduce the spread of AIDS in Africa? Actually, in Uganda, since this policy has overtaken the provision of condoms, the infection rate has doubled.

Originally posted by refuse_orders

Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as "a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder". His "half-baked theory" directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to "atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering", the site stated.

As for this quote, I'm just astonished, who ever wrote this is insane. Does science mean nothing to these Christian nutjobs?

Let's see who's the nutjob here...I went to Movieguide.org, did a quick search on charles darwin...up came a BOOK REVIEW of a book bashing darwin...sure they gave the book 4 stars, BUT the quote is ABOUT THE BOOK.

The first paragraph in full is: "REVIEW: DARWIN'S RACISTS - YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW exposes the real Charles Darwin: a racist, a bigot and 1800's naturalist whose legacy is mass murder. This well written book shows that Adolf Hitler, along with other genocidal mass murderers, was influenced by Darwin's half-baked Theory of Evolution. This book exposes Darwin's Theory of Evolution for what it is: an elitist and racist dogma that has infiltrated our every area of culture thereby undermining sense and sensibility."

Although the website surely agrees with the book, but I believe the quote is very out of context and should not be used as a generalization for all christians.

www.movieguide.org... eview-darwins-racists-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

We all have seen plenty of shows about evolution on TV here in the states as well as in newspapers, magazines, DVD's, you name it - so I have to call this headline bunk. I think someone is also cherry-picking which poll to cite in order to feel superior to the "American dummies".

reply to post by bagari


I think they cherry picked their stats because the film is probably not that great and US distributors didn't want to invest in it. The makers are feeling angry and want to lash out.

One only has to look at the recent release of this movie to see that, if good, it would have been picked up here.

www.imdb.com...

[edit on 13-9-2009 by jd140]

reply to post by AnonymousMoose


If you had taken your time to read a couple more posts...

Originally posted by refuse_orders reply to post by StevenDye

 

I was not trying to have a dig at all Christians, sorry if it came off like that. I know its not all of you guys who think this way, I come from a Christian family, they accept evolution.

It really saddens me that so much anger can manifest through something so innocuous as a scientific theorem. One poster said that this should be debated as an adult, but then went on to point out another poster who's first line was:

Originally posted by John Matrix

Evolution is the biggest conspiracy/scam ever perpetrated on the public.

Which, seems more that a little inflammatory to me. Actually, I have heard that exact same thing said about christianity and organized religion in general. I don't think that those numbers in the OP reflect the American people to such a degree as they claim it does. Even so, I have to agree with the one poster who said that they probably couldn't find a outlet for it here in America, so they people involved simply decided to slam Americans, in some, misguided attempt at revenge for a perceived slight. I myself have alot of issues with 'modern' science, in that they seem stepped in their own version of dogma, and seem to be turning into a self-serving pseudo-religion that tolerates no breach in the 'official stories.' Hmm, kinda sounda a bit like most governments there...

Until science as a whole can get it's act together, and quit with the infighting regarding different theories, then they really have no right to tell others how to run their house. I don't agree with alot that religion teaches, but so too do I have issued with science. This whole OP is interesting, but much ado about nothing, I'm afraid.

Chrono

I lost any belief I may have had in religion a long time ago. I kind of have to say the same thing about science; except it is probably a more recent thing.

Once we get a little bit of information about something we seem to want to jump to absolute conclusions rather too quickly. Maybe its just that we want to think we have solid ground under us and not quicksand, but I think the reality about a lot of things still eludes us.

Much of what I learned in university I had to unlearn as I found through experience that a lot of it just didn't fit with reality.

As I begin to explore new concepts and ideas I find myself once again looking to spirituality for answers that science has been unable to provide.

As we face these realities; instead of fighting for one side or the other, a day may not be too far away when we will find scientific and spiritual theories beginning to find common ground.

Its not really one way or the other. Truth has to encompass both.

reply to post by John Matrix


You are right. "God Dunnit" doesn't need supporting evidence, and it can explain everything. It's just that you can't build cars and computers and houses with "god dunnit" You need some testable theories like current running from - to + and theories on gravity, static, combustion, metallurgy etc etc etc for that.
And you can't make bananas, seedless grapes, cows that give more milk than they would ever need for a calf etc. without evolution. Because you would be stuck at "god didn't make those, so neither can we"

A little reminder: Gravity is just a theory. According to hitchhikers guide to the galaxy the trick to flying is to fall at the ground and miss. So, why don't you find yourself a very high cliff and test wich of these two is correct? (Remember, gravity is just a theory) I will visit you in the hospital with seedless grapes, i promise.

It doesn't say anywhere in the article that this film hasn't found a distributor because of religious America. That is assumed by the Producer.

There has been a saturation of English victorian era movies like The Queen and whole pile of other movies. Maybe America is just a bit tired of English period pieces right now?

And I think trying to stir up Christian and religious animosity to get a film extra attention has been used so many times over the last decades that it no longer works.

I'm sure a lot of British films didn't get a release in America either. Is that because of religious America too?

With movies like the Saw series and other horror and macabre movies showing in U.S cinemas all the time, it's almost laughable that these industry types still keep trying to make out that the religious christians have any power over what gets released to cinemas and what doesn't these days.

I fail to see how the religiously-inclined can believe evolution is anything but God's will.

If I were some supreme, omnipotence, omniscient superbeing, who could see the past, present and future...you'd want to do something, anything that you didn't predict.

Originally posted by crw2006
Im not buying it, Im sure they could find a distributor, maybe because the film is garbage. Remember the producer said they couldnt find a distributor. Anyway who cares, its just a movie, I really dont think people would be freaking out about a movie.

are you kidding?? the religious right KILLS PEOPLE!!...it kills abortion doctors (9), it kills homosexuals, it has bombed thousands of family planning clinics with hundreds of people injured. in the south and midwest they beat people up who publicly proclaim they are atheists. in towns they will make sure you don't get a job, they throw stones through your windows, with messages saying "get out of town"... there is so much animosity toward non-religious people that it doesn't even get recognized, due to the fact that it is not a "big" enough story for the news media. i wouldn't live in the south, because i would fear for my life, because i am an atheist.
somebody getting beat up, run off the road, having their kids bullied at school is happening all the time. and it's a 10 second blip on the news, if it gets any play at all.
and if you don't think this is happening, you need to take a road trip through americas freedom-loving bible belt.

Originally posted by John Matrix
Evolution is the biggest conspiracy/scam ever perpetrated on the public.
It's impossible for even one branch of evolution, let alone the thousands of parallel evolutions that would have had to take place for us to have the thousands of so called evolved species.

Remember, It's government funded scientists that are the evolutionists. They believe in evolution because that's where the money is, and they don't have to accept accountability to a creator for their actions and deeds.

Also remember, it's the government funded scientists that revived or cloned the Spanish flu. Just another retarded move by morons that won't accept the obvious I.D. from a creator.

However, I would like the video to be shown here in North America so creation scientists can debunk it.

[edit on 12/9/09 by John Matrix]

Bravo, Exactly what it is, a scam , an DeRailing from the Truth...
Time is closing in on this, more and more people will start to question these 'official' theories, and it will be blown wide open...