Wednesday, April 30, 2008

John Derbyshire has Bill Buckley rolling over in his grave

If you believe the rhetoric from ID critics about the lack of integrity on the part of the producers of "Expelled," you ought to check out the reviewers. John Derbyshire at National Review has written a negative review of Ben Stein's "Expelled"--without actually having seen the movie! So far no outrage from the Darwinist Truth Patrol, which, of course, would pounce on the same indiscretion if an ID proponent committed it. In fact, Ed Brayton gives it a nod of approval.

I wonder what Brayton would do if someone posted a criticism of Darwin's Origin of Species without ever having read the thing.

But isn't there a level of hypocrisy to which even the critics of ID will not descend in the criticism of the movie? For example, certainly the National Center for Science Education, which runs a site called "Expelled Exposed" to criticize the shortcomings it sees in the movie would think it was just a little too blatant a move to include the review on its site. But no, it's there too!

My only regret in reading Derbyshire's review is that I cannot now criticize it without having actually read it.

In fact, I know the anti-ID putties will find some way of defending Derbyshire, and I'm fine with that. But here are rules: I will not accept any comments on this post unless you haven't read it (this post that is). I will only approve it if your comments are based exclusively on what others have said about this post. Got that?

Okay, let's see what you can do.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Men are from Mars, women from Venus. Martin is from the dwarf planet Pluto.

Martin Cothran said...

I have allowed this comment on this post because it meets the criterion I have laid down: its author displays no evidence of having actually read the post.

Congratulations.

Anonymous said...

You are from the dwarf planet Pluto.

And you think like your brains were frozen a long time ago.

Martin Cothran said...

Another one makes it in! And one more intelligent than many others I have seen from anonymous commenters on this blog.

Things are looking up.