Many people want to know how I “snuck in” to the Christian subculture. The answer is, I didn’t. In every encounter I had with people (with one exception), I was completely open about who I was, what I was writing about, and what approach I was taking. It was gratifying that in almost every situation I was welcomed with open arms, despite whatever disagreements I might have had with the people I was writing about. No doubt a few people were suspicious of me, but I think they appreciated my honesty and were willing to engage me because of it.
In the one situation where I was a bit sneaky -- going undercover as an extra in a Passion play -- my deception, and my mixed feelings about having stooped to it, became a part of the story itself. So even though I was dishonest with some of the people I met, I am always honest with my readers -- even about my dishonesty. And when writing the book, I took care to represent people’s opinions and ideas accurately, even if I thought they were crackpots.
So you can imagine my disappointment to see the evangelical community I was so straightforward with embracing the deceptive anti-evolution film Expelled, whose producers lied about their agenda in order to get interviews and then edited those interviews to make their subjects look stupid. They even lied to get music rights.
Rapture Ready! was written from an outsider’s perspective, and I had other folks like myself in mind when I wrote it, but I’ve been very pleased by the warm reception its getting from people inside -- or at least on the fringes of -- the Christian subculture that I wrote about. I can only imagine how furious they would have been if I’d pulled the kind of stunt that they seem to be just fine with coming from Ben Stein and his pals.
They’re just pissed that Michael Moore had the idea first.
That seems to be exactly right, Dan. Leaving aside the fact that ID is quackery and Stein is a clown, how is what “Expelled” is doing any ethically different than Michael Moore or Sasha Baron Cohen’s oeuvre?
Dan,
I disagree. Ben Stein did a marvelous job in exposing the anti-intellectualism and anti-science censorship of the radical evolutionists. I suggest you watch it sometime and learn about the censorship and persecution scientists face if they dare question any of the tenets of Darwinism and think for themselves. I also suggest you read Thomas Kuhn’s Structure of a Scientific Revolution. This book will give you understanding into the irrational behavior of the evolutionist power brokers and why they can’t allow free thought and debate about their religion.
The evolutionists do not want to debate. They enter into dramatic inconsistency, usually with a British accent, in their defense.
Hi Dan,
I agree and was disappointed when I heard that underhanded tactics were used in making “Expelled”...and I’m a big advocate of ID. However, I should clarify that I’m an advocate of actual ID theory at its core, not all the young earth creationists and fundamentalists who’ve latched on to it. I wish more people on both sides of the debate knew what actual ID claims consist of. This is where at I thought “Expelled” could’ve done a much better job. Every opponent AND proponent of ID should be forced to read Ken Miller’s critique of it as well as William Dembski’s “The Design Revolution”...which I would argue is the best defense of the philosophical validity of ID theory at its core.
BTW, I loved Rapture Ready and have been recommending it to members of my congregation and other Christian friends. I’m going to write a quick blurb about it on my ministry blog (gsdisciple.blogspot.com) and would be tickled to have you stop by and leave a comment or two. :)
An Evangelical within a Mainline denomination who loved your book,
JMS