Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Bill O'Reilly

2008-12-02T03:12:49Z

Mikecunt: /* Views on prejudice and racism */

[[Image:Bll.png|thumb|right|Bill O' Reilly On The O' Reilly Report]]
'''Bill O'Reilly''' is a commentator and host of the show ''The O'Reilly Factor'' on the [[Fox News Channel]], which he calls the "No Spin Zone." O'Reilly often remarks that his personal [[political]] viewpoint is not captured by the modern [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party|Republican]] archetypes and would rather call himself a "traditionalist" and "independent". In this vein, he has expressed support for some positions not traditionally associated with his political supporters, instead associated with [[liberals]], including [[anthropogenic climate change]] and [[civil union]]s for both [[heterosexual]] and [[homosexual]] couples.

''The O'Reilly Factor'' is the highest-rated hour on any cable news channel. Over 2.5 million people watch the show each night and millions more listen to his own radio show.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"] Transcript 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace aired Sept. 26, 2004. </ref>

Recently [[Conservative|conservatives]] criticized O'Reilly [http://www.conservapedia.com/Fox_News_Channel#Fox_News_Channel_and_Homosexuality regarding his views in relation to homosexuality].

==Views on prejudice and racism==
Although O'Reilly has condemned white [[racist]] prejudice against U.S. blacks, some remarks he made underscoring the fact that black-owned and [[Italian]]-owned restaurants are comparable were reported by [[Media Matters]].

They took comments he made praising black restaurants in Harlem for being on par with suburban Italian restaurants as an expression of "surprise", but of course they gave no reason for this interpretation and they dismissed O'Reilly's response (again without giving a reason). [http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top]

==Criticism==
O'Reilly has often been accused of berating his guests. He is deeply disliked by many on the [[leftist|far-left]], who often accuse him of distorting facts or [[slander]]ing those unfriendly to his position. He has occasionally been criticized by conservatives on certain issues such as his stance on [[gun control]].

==Trivia==
* O'Reilly and [[Stephen Colbert]] have a friendly rivalry <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16698834/</ref>, even appearing on each others' shows.

== See also ==
*[[Conservative Links]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT: Oreilly, Bill}} 
[[Category:Broadcasters|Oreilly, Bill]]

Bill O'Reilly

2008-12-02T03:12:32Z

Mikecunt: /* Views on prejudice and racism */

[[Image:Bll.png|thumb|right|Bill O' Reilly On The O' Reilly Report]]
'''Bill O'Reilly''' is a commentator and host of the show ''The O'Reilly Factor'' on the [[Fox News Channel]], which he calls the "No Spin Zone." O'Reilly often remarks that his personal [[political]] viewpoint is not captured by the modern [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party|Republican]] archetypes and would rather call himself a "traditionalist" and "independent". In this vein, he has expressed support for some positions not traditionally associated with his political supporters, instead associated with [[liberals]], including [[anthropogenic climate change]] and [[civil union]]s for both [[heterosexual]] and [[homosexual]] couples.

''The O'Reilly Factor'' is the highest-rated hour on any cable news channel. Over 2.5 million people watch the show each night and millions more listen to his own radio show.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"] Transcript 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace aired Sept. 26, 2004. </ref>

Recently [[Conservative|conservatives]] criticized O'Reilly [http://www.conservapedia.com/Fox_News_Channel#Fox_News_Channel_and_Homosexuality regarding his views in relation to homosexuality].

==Views on prejudice and racism==
Although O'Reilly has condemned white [[racist]] prejudice against U.S. blacks, some remarks he made underscoring the fact that black-owned and [[Italian]]-owned restaurants are comparable reported by [[Media Matters]].

They took comments he made praising black restaurants in Harlem for being on par with suburban Italian restaurants as an expression of "surprise", but of course they gave no reason for this interpretation and they dismissed O'Reilly's response (again without giving a reason). [http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top]

==Criticism==
O'Reilly has often been accused of berating his guests. He is deeply disliked by many on the [[leftist|far-left]], who often accuse him of distorting facts or [[slander]]ing those unfriendly to his position. He has occasionally been criticized by conservatives on certain issues such as his stance on [[gun control]].

==Trivia==
* O'Reilly and [[Stephen Colbert]] have a friendly rivalry <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16698834/</ref>, even appearing on each others' shows.

== See also ==
*[[Conservative Links]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT: Oreilly, Bill}} 
[[Category:Broadcasters|Oreilly, Bill]]

Ex-homosexuals

2008-12-02T03:10:47Z

Mikecunt:

{{homosexuality}}
[[Image:St Paul Preaching.jpg|left|thumb|200px|St. [[Paul]] defends his preaching (Giovanni Ricco)]]
In regards to the question of whether or not [[homosexuality]] is a permanent condition, one of the earliest historical records regarding of the existence of [[ex-homosexuals]] is a letter of the [[Paul|Apostle Paul]] to the [[Corinth]]ian [[Christianity|Christian]] church.

The Apostle Paul wrote the following:
{{cquote|Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor sexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were [[Justification (theology)|justified]] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." - I Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)}}

Today people still report leaving homosexuality and becoming heterosexual through their [[Christianity|Christian]] faith.<ref name="wnd">[http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56481 'Gay'-rights leader quits homosexuality - Rising star in movement says God liberated him from lifestyle]</ref><ref name="bp19650">http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=19650</ref><ref>http://www.cwfa.org/articles/4216/CFI/cfreport/index.htm</ref><ref name="venus">http://www.venusmagazine.org/cover_story.html</ref><ref>http://www.witnessfortheworld.org/blkexgbks.html</ref> <ref>http://www.frontlinemin.org/wasgay.asp</ref><ref>http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=9019</ref><ref>http://www.apocalipsis.org/testimony.htm</ref><ref>http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=13784</ref>
[[Image:6a00cdf3a9bf0ecb8f00cd973c56934cd5-500pi.jpg|thumbnail|200px|left|Ex-Homosexual and ex-"gay rights" leader [[Michael Glatze]] speaking to the mother of [[Matthew Shepard]].]]

[[Peter LaBarbera]] is the President of [[Americans for Truth]] which is a organization which counters the [[homosexual agenda]]. LaBarbera stated the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals who reported being transformed by the power of God:
{{cquote|Another factor from my experience as a close observer of the “ex-gay” phenomenon is that many former homosexuals do not linger in “[[reparative therapy]]” programs, or participate in them at all. They attribute their dramatic and (relatively) rapid transformation to the power of God, and likely would not show up in a study of this kind. In fact, these “unstudied” overcomers would appear to be the most successful ex-homosexuals because they’ve moved on with their lives — as “reborn” Christians move on after overcoming any besetting sin.<ref>http://www.americansfortruth.com/news/landmark-study-change-for-homosexuals-is-possible.html</ref>}}

In regards to Peter LaBarbera's statement above regarding [[Overcoming Homosexuality|overcoming homosexuality]], in 1980 a study was published in the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' and eleven men participated in this study. The aforementioned study stated that eleven homosexual men became heterosexuals "without explicit treatment and/or long-term psychotherapy" through their participation in a [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] church.<ref>E.M. Pattison and M.L. Pattison, "'Ex-Gays': Religiously Mediated Change in Homosexuals," American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 137, pp. 1553-1562, 1980</ref>

Dr. Neil Whitehead is a research scientist and [[biochemistry|biochemist]] from [[New Zealand]] and his wife Briar Whitehead is a writer.<ref>[http://www.narth.com/docs/mygenes.html Book Review: My Genes Made Me Do It: A Scientific Look at Sexual Orientation
by Neil and Briar Whitehead]</ref> Dr. Whitehead coauthored a book with with his wife entitled ''My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation'' which argues that there is no [[gene]]tic determinism in regards to homosexuality (homosexuals are "not born that way") and that there is abundant documentation that individuals are able to leave homosexuality and become heterosexuals.<ref>http://www.mygenes.co.nz/download.htm</ref>

Dr. Whitehead and Briar Whitehead state in their aforementioned book the following regarding [[Homosexuality Research|studies involving homosexuals]] becoming ex-homosexuals:
{{cquote|The sexology literature reports a huge number of examples of change of all degrees from homosexuality to or toward heterosexuality. These studies have been so numerous that West (a gay man) in 1977 took an entire chapter in his classic book, Homosexuality Re-examined, to review them, and commented: “Although some militant homosexuals find such claims improbable and unpalatable, authenticated accounts have been published of apparently exclusive and long-standing homosexuals unexpectedly changing their orientation.”

West mentions one man who was exclusively homosexual for eight years, then became heterosexual...{{fact}}

Another well known author in the field, Hatterer, who believes in sexual orientation change, said, “I’ve heard of hundreds of ... men who went from a homosexual to a heterosexual adjustment on their own.”<ref>[http://www.mygenes.co.nz/Ch12.pdf From the book My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation by Dr Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead -Chapter 12]</ref>}}

The classic biblical commentator [[Matthew Henry]] wrote the following regarding the forgiveness and [[sanctification]] in Christ for those who [[repentance|repent]] of the above sins listed in the letter of Paul to the Corinthians (which includes the sin of homosexuality):
{{cquote|How glorious a change does grace make! It changes the vilest of men into saints and the children of [[God]]. Such were some of you, but you are not what you were. You are washed, you are sanctified, you are [[Justification (theology)|justified]] in the name of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]], and by the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit of our God]]. Note, The wickedness of men before conversion is no bar to their [[regeneration]] and reconciliation to God. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can purge away all guilt and defilement. Here is a rhetorical change of the natural order: You are sanctified, you are justified. Sanctification is mentioned before justification: and yet the name of Christ, by which we are justified, is placed before the Spirit of God, by whom we are sanctified. Our justification is owing to the merit of Christ; our sanctification to the operation of the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit]]: but both go together.<ref>http://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/1Cr/1Cr006.html</ref>}}

[[Lesbianism|Female homosexuals]] and male homosexuals who leave homosexuality and become ex-homosexuals are often referred to as "ex-gays" and the [[Ex-Gay Movement|ex-gay movement]] became well known in the [[United States]] in the 1970s.<ref name="xtoday">http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/6.48.html</ref>
==Ex-Homosexual Quotes==
[[Image:Schnieders.jpg‎|thumb|225px|[[Yvette Cantu Schneider]] and family]]
*Homosexuality is death, and I choose life. - Ex-Homosexual and ex-"gay rights" leader [[Michael Glatze]] <ref name="wnd" />

*I came out of homosexuality after a powerful encounter with [[Jesus Christ]] and a desire to serve and obey Him. I can say with complete honesty that I NEVER have homosexual desires of any sort - physical or emotional. - Ex-[[Lesbianism|lesbian]] [[Yvette Cantu Schneider]]<ref>[http://americansfortruth.com/news/ex-lesbian-yvette-schneider-testifies-to-complete-and-permanent-change.html Ex-Lesbian Yvette Schneider Testifies to ‘Complete’ and Permanent Change]</ref>
===Testimony of Charlene Cothran===
In regards to female homosexuals leaving homosexuality, below is the tesimony ex-lesbian [[Charlene Cothran]]:
{{cquote|Over the past 29 years of my life I have been an aggressive, creative and strategic supporter of gay and lesbian issues. I’ve organized and participated in countless marches and various lobbying efforts in the fight for equal treatment of gay men and lesbians. I have kept current on the issues and made financial contributions to those organizations doing work about which I was most passionate.

As the publisher of a 13 year old periodical which targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to ‘come out’ and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community.

But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believer of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us.<ref name="venus" />}}

==2006 Survey Finds Men Seek to Become Ex-homosexuals Often Do So to Heal Emotional Pain or For Spiritual Reasons==
A 2006 survey finds men [http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/06071302.html seek to leave homosexual lifestyle to heal emotional pain and for spiritual reasons rather than outside pressure.] In addition, there is [[Homosexuality and Mental Health|other data]] that supports the above 2006 survey findings.

==Reparative Therapy==
In regards to studies regarding homosexuals becoming ex-homosexuals, on September 13, 2007 [[Christianity Today]] published an article entitled ''An Older Wiser Ex-Gay Movement'' and below is an excerpt from that article which focuses on [[Reparative Therapy|reparative therapy]]:
{{cquote|Since its beginnings in the 1970s, the ex-gay movement has engaged gay advocates in a battle of testimonies. Transformed ex-gay leaders are the best argument for their movement. Likewise, those who've left the ex-gay movement in despair and disgust are the best counterargument. The debate continued this June, when Exodus International held its 32nd annual conference in Irvine, California, featuring dozens of speakers and seminar leaders who have quit homosexuality. Down the road outside the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, a news conference featured three former Exodus leaders saying "ex-gay" is a delusion.

New research may change the terms of debate. Psychologists Stanton Jones of Wheaton College and Mark Yarhouse of [[Regent University]] released today a book detailing their findings from the first three years of an ongoing study. They are investigating participants in 16 different ex-gay programs associated with Exodus, the largest ex-gay ministry group.<ref name="xtoday" />}}

The study started out with 98 people with 72 of them being men and 26 of them being women.<ref name="bp26429">http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=26429</ref> Some of the participants quit the study because they believe they had positively changed and didn't see a need to continue while others quit because they decided they didn't want to change from a homosexual to a ex-homosexual. <ref name="bp26429" /> As a result, 73 subjects completed the study.<ref name="bp26429" />

According to the Baptist Press here are the results: 15 percent of subjects experienced substantial change; "23 percent said their conversion was successful and that homosexual attraction was either missing or "present only incidentally or in a way that does not seem to bring about distress." They were labeled "success: chastity."; 29 percent of subjects experienced modest success; 15 percent of subjects experienced no change and were undecided about what to do next; "4 percent had not changed and had quit the change process, but had not embraced the "gay identity."; "8 percent had not changed, had quit the process and had embraced the "gay identity."; and malfunctions in the taping of the interviews accounts for the remaining 5 percent. <ref name="bp26429" />

Previously, Dr. [[Robert Spitzer]] published a study in the journal ''Archives of Sexual Behavior'' performed using reparative therapy had some subjects experiencing change.<ref>http://www.narth.com/docs/evidencefound.html</ref>
===Conservative Criticism of Reparative Therapy===
Although many conservatives approve of reparative therapy there are many that do not which will be elaborated on shortly. Conservative Christians believe that a homosexual can choose to become an ex-homosexual, however, the point of difference is whether it was chosen in the first place. The Pew Research Center states the following regarding Americans' views on how homosexuality first originates:
{{cquote|Asked why some people are homosexual, 42% say it is "just the way that some people prefer to live," compared with 30% who think homosexuality is something people are born with and 14% who believe it develops because of the way people are brought up. The view that homosexuality is innate is more prevalent now than in 1985, when 20% believed that homosexuality is something people are born with.<ref>http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=764</ref>}}

Author and ex-lesbian Alma Kramer takes the position that [[Homosexuality and Choice|homosexuality is a sin and sin is a choice]] when she wrote the following:
{{cquote|I made a choice in my life that put me in bondage for 20 years. While it is true that there were certain things in my childhood that happened or didn't happen that influenced my choice, I still made a choice.

I Corinthians 6:9-11 proves that sin is a choice and that you can change. The New International version says, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." WOW!! I am so glad we can change. I can remember the time when I thought that there was no way out.<ref>http://www.setfree1.com/2.html</ref>}}

Dr. [[James Dobson]] and other advocates of reparative therapy do not believe that homosexuality first originates as a result of choice.<ref>http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20061125_james_dobson_identifies_homosexuality/</ref>

==Oprah Winfrey and the Claim of "Born Gay"==
Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]] of [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia]], a former homosexual, states the following regarding Oprah Winfrey and the issue of people supposedly being "[[Homosexuality and Genetics|born homosexuals]]":
{{cquote|On thing we have learned about homosexuality: it produces acute rudis indigestaque moles in some people. When Heche and Degeneres appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss their newfound relationship, Heche stunned everyone (including Oprah) by stating, "I was not gay before I met her." You know Oprah; she was just going to be Color Purple honest. "That confuses me," she quickly confessed. Considering the amount of time and energy gay activists put into pressing "born gay" templates, I'm sure that's not exactly what Oprah was expecting to hear. She was so baffled by the remark that she dedicated her next show to whether or not gays can change....

Heche has now chosen to be heterosexual and to prove it she got married on last Saturday to Coleman Laffron, a Hollywood cameraman she met while working on a project with then lover Ellen. Was she secretly dreaming of a white, heterosexual Christmas while she was with Ellen? If she was, then can we theorize that many gay people really do want to be straight, but just haven't found the right cameraman/woman yet?<ref>http://ww.witnessministries.homestead.com/cm14.html</ref>}}

==Ex-Homosexuals and Former Sexual Abuse==
The are studies which suggest that [[Sexual Abuse Being a Contributing Factor for Homosexuality|homosexuals are sexually abused disproportionately in their childhood compared to heterosexuals]]. Dr. Whitehead and Briar Whitehead state in their previously mentioned book:
{{cquote|“Ex-gay” support groups...report that between 50 percent and 60 percent of homosexual men coming for help have been abused sexually. This is confirmed by various researchers.... Ex-gay groups report high levels of male sexual abuse (up to 85 percent) in female homosexuals who come for help.<ref>[http://www.mygenes.co.nz/Ch3.pdf From the book My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation by Dr Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead - Chapter 3]</ref>}}

==Religious Liberty Versus Exgayphobia==
[[Image: PstrDLF1.jpg‎|thumbnail|225px|right|Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]]]]
Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]], a former homosexual, states the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals and their duty to speak out:
{{cquote|We can step out and advocate for our beliefs (which is our right as taxpaying citizens) or we can remain silent and hidden, thereby giving credence to a false idea that there are no former homosexuals. The problem with the last option is our spiritual mandate to share our faith and our experience of change to the glory of God. In the church, we have yet to adopt a unified expression which identifies us in a non threatening way.<ref>[http://www.witnessfortheworld.org/xgay.html Understanding Exgay: People or Politics?]</ref>}}

The African American ex-homosexual Christian ministry of [[Witness for the World]] states the following in a press release:
{{cquote|Gay activist, Wayne Besen, who suddenly found himself at the epicenter of a new career playing CIA with the lives of formerly gay men and women, says the book which features first person testimonies by former homosexuals urges gays to “go back into the closet.”....

“Wayne Besen is the nation’s foremost carrier of a debilitating social disease I call exgayphobia," said Pastor Darryl Foster of Atlanta. “It seems his entire life has been consumed by a fear that Americans will hear the true stories of change by former homosexuals like myself and bring an end to his phobic-laden gravy train.”

Foster, who wrote the foreword to Closing the Closet heads Powerful Change Ministry Group International, a fellowship of 14 national and international ministries to homosexuals in communities of color who seek change from unwanted homosexuality...<ref name="witness">http://www.witnessfortheworld.org/pr091004.html</ref>}}

The Witness for the World Press release also states regarding homosexual activists Wayne Besen the following:
{{cquote|“This man is borderline lunatic, he has become so obsessed in his fear,” said Foster. “If the book is about exgays, why would you use anyone else but an exgay? Besen should know better. As a Jew, he should know that the Nazis hated the testimonies of the Jews who escaped from the death camps. Their first hand testimonies of the atrocities heaped upon them were the only links the world had to the truth. Likewise, our stories and experiences as homosexuals are true. We tell them because we want people to know what happened to us, how we escaped and what others can do to get out. It’s absolutely ludicrous for Besen to say that my story is a lie when I am the one who lived it. He seems to have forgotten his own history.”

Exgayphobic homosexuals like Besen fear that the message of exgays, when it finally reaches the average American will make sense and people will support the choice for change for homosexuals. What that means says Foster is that the grinding money machine mental health professionals have been making off victimized gays for decades will come to a screeching halt. Besen is simply a cog in that well oiled wheel. For such professionals who give big money to homosexual rights organizations in exchange for their "professional" opinions about homosexuals, keeping exgays silent and hidden has become an obsession.<ref name="witness" />}}

==Ex-Homosexuals and the Documentary "I Do Exist"==
The Baptist Press wrote the following regarding the ex-homosexual documentary "I Do Exist":
{{cquote|Can homosexuals change? A new documentary says "yes" and includes interviews with people who say they've made the switch.

The 48-minute video, dubbed "I Do Exist," is intended for use as a discussion-starter in churches, schools and universities. It includes the stories of five homosexuals -- three women and two men -- who once were involved in homosexuality but are now heterosexual. Along the way, psychologists and psychiatrists give their thoughts as to why they believe change is possible.<ref name="bp19650" />}}
==Supporters of Homosexuality Are Doing Harm==
Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]], a former homosexual, states the supporters of homosexuality are doing harm:
{{cquote|As I have said many times before gays and their lovestruck supporters are masters at changing and refining everything that convicts them. This is no surprise as the [[Apostle Paul]] taught us that they would even redefine the very image of God. They need a "god" who is "okay" with their wayward and disobedient sexuality. Flunder works hard to help people kick the drug habit, yet hypocritically allows gays and lesbians to continue in a [[Homosexuality and Health|proven path of destructive living]].<ref>http://www.witnessfortheworld.org/cm21.html</ref>}}
==Regarding Ex-Homosexuals Falling Back Into Homosexuality==
[[Image:Peter.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[Peter LaBarbera]]]]
[[Peter LaBarbera]] states the following regarding ex-homosexuals falling back into homosexuality:
{{cquote|To homosexual and gender-bending activists, any ex-”gay” testimony threatens their central propaganda myth that some people are intrinsically (born) “gay,” bisexual or “transgender.” Some homosexual activists like Wayne Besen and the fellows at “Ex-Gay Watch” have dedicated themselves to discrediting ex-”gay” change by hyping the cases of people who have returned back to homosexual behavior. (Yes, change is difficult, but why focus exclusively on failed attempts? Imagine if someone tried to “prove” that overcoming drug addiction was impossible by popularizing only those cases of addicts who tried to go clean but fell back into their drug-abusing lifestyle.)

As you read on, give thanks that high school student “John” was transformed by Jesus Christ (rather than by modern secular psychiatrists) and will not have to suffer the severe emotional confusion and deep loneliness inherent to “transgender” delusion. “John” is truly free now — to experience gratitude for his body, to fall in love with a woman, to enjoy sex in marriage, to accept the natural blessing of children and grandchildren, to worship and serve his God, to know joy.<ref>http://americansfortruth.com/news/why-we-need-americans-for-truth.html</ref>}}

==Hostility Towards Ex-Homosexuals and Ex-Homosexual Groups==
Homosexual activists and [[liberal]]s have become angered in regards to ex-homosexual events and activities. Below are some incidents that have taken place.
===Matt Ott===
In addition, the Center for Reclaiming America cited the following account of how a [[hate crime]] statute was egregiously applied to an ex-homosexual:
{{cquote|In Madison, Wisconsin, a recovered homosexual who had left the “gay” lifestyle to start a family got into a heated discussion with an open homosexual about homosexuality at a gas station. The ex-“gay” man, David Ott, was holding his child in his arms during the entire incident, and neither man touched the other. The homosexual activist later told police he had felt threatened by Ott, and local prosecutors charged the man with “disorderly conduct” with a “hate crimes” enhancement.

The “hate crime” aspect, stemming from Ott’s belief that homosexuality is morally wrong, raised the potential fine from $1,000 to $10,000, and jail time went up from a possible 90 days to one year. Fearing the possibility of substantial jail time, Ott settled, and received 50 hours of community service plus a mandatory attendance at “tolerance” sessions conducted by [[lesbianism|lesbians]] at the [[University of Wisconsin at Madison]]. A ground rule for the session was the premise that homosexual behavior is not immoral.

The entire process cost Ott almost $7,000 in legal fees.<ref>http://test.reclaimamerica.org/PAGES/fastfacts/HateCrimes2.pdf</ref>}}
===Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) - Arlington County Fair Incident===
[[Image:Rev. Louis P. Sheldon Photo.jpg|thumb|right|140px|Reverend [[Louis Sheldon]], Chairman of the [[Traditional Values Coalition]] and author of ''The Agenda: The Homosexual Plan to Change America'']]
The [[Traditional Values Coalition]] reported the following:
{{cquote|Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) hosted a booth at the Arlington County Fair in Arlington, Virginia. PFOX has had an exhibit at this fair for the past four years.

And, every year, intolerant homosexual activists have done everything they could to disrupt PFOX’s display. This year, they screamed obscenities, threw PFOX materials on the ground and demanded that PFOX leave the fair. One PFOX volunteer was hit because he is an ex-homosexual.

Eventually, PFOX had to call in a police officer to eject one activist who was harassing their volunteers. According to PFOX, “This is not the first time that PFOX has had to summon the police for protection from gay activists."<ref>http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3129</ref>}}

===Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) - Virginia School Counselors Incident ===
The [[Traditional Values Coalition]] also reported the following Incident:
{{cquote|Parents and Friends of Ex-gays and Gays (PFOX) was booted from a Virginia School Counselors Association annual convention last weekend. PFOX had been officially registered at the convention and had set up a booth to distribute materials showing that homosexuals can change.

The head of the counselor’s group asked to meet with PFOX leader Regina Griggs and told her that several of the items in the booth were offensive to school counselors. Among them was NARTH President Dr. Joseph Nicolosi’s book, A Parent’s Guide To Preventing Homosexuality. After offering to remove any offensive materials from the booth, Griggs was told that PFOX should leave anyway because it wasn’t worth their time to only distribute two brochures at the convention.

Griggs told [[WorldNetDaily]]: “Some members didn’t want us there at all. They didn’t want an alternative opinion to the teaching they were having that afternoon.”<ref>http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2666</ref>}}

==Existence of Ex-Homosexuals is an Argument that "Gay Rights" Does Not Achieve Civil Rights Status==
[[Image:Alvedaking.jpg‎|right|thumb|200px|Dr. [[Alveda King]]]]
Dr. [[Alveda C. King]] is the founder of [[King for America]], Inc. which is a faith based organization. <ref name="king">http://www.kingforamerica.com/index.htm</ref> Dr. Alveda C. King is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. [[A. D. King]].<ref name="king" />

Dr. Alveda C. King stated the following to the Massachusetts General Assembly regarding the existence of ex-homosexuals is an argument that "gay rights" does not achieve civil rights status:
{{cquote|Thirty-nine years ago, my great-uncle, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered to mindful citizens of America a prophetic dream which envisaged all of this great nation's people living in the full exercise of all rights granted to them by the U.S. Constitution. My forebear's dream was deeply rooted in the American dream wherein the Founders of our Union saw every lawful citizen standing in dignity outfitted by unalienable rights from God to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness free from the tyrannies of personal whim and ideology handed down by kings, dictators, political groups, and yes, some institutions of democratic government....

Yet, there is a larger body of science represented even by the above scientists that agrees that mature behavior patterns rely much more on social shaping and choices than genetic predisposition, such that these behaviors may be successfully modified by a variety of means. The food addict may eat responsibly, the alcoholic may drink responsibly or not at all, and the homosexual may live according to a wide range of choices as well. Thus, binge drinking, overeating, cocaine abuse and other behaviors do not have to be granted public latitude as a matter of right in this great nation. Certainly, these and other mutable behaviors may be practiced; they may be under constitutional protection in fact (under our privacy clauses), but they may not be granted civil rights or public protection.

Again, if behavior or other aspects of personhood may be altered, then those aspects fail to meet civil rights status. Homosexual practice clearly falls into this category. As my mother, Alveda C. King has said, "I have met many ex-homosexuals just as I have met many ex-husbands, ex-wives, ex-drug addicts and ex-lawyers. Yet I have never met an ex-Negro, ex-Caucasian or ex-Native American." The politics of preference does not jibe with civil rights legitimacy...<ref>http://www.kingforamerica.com/jrellis-testimony.htm</ref>}}

==Senator John Kerry Comment Insults Ex-Homosexuals==
[[Image:John-kerry.jpg‎|right|thumb|160px|[[John Kerry]]]]
[[Cybercast News Service]] stated the following regarding Senator [[John Kerry]] comment which insulted ex-Homosexuals:
{{cquote|Sen. John Kerry's declaration Wednesday that homosexuals don't have a choice about their sexual orientation has enraged individuals who identify themselves as "ex-gays."...

Shortly after Kerry made the remark Wednesday, reaction started pouring into [[Warren Throckmorton]], a professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. Throckmorton said ex-homosexuals expressed outrage to him about Kerry's comment.

"Kerry's views, unfortunately, present a view of homosexuality that science does not support," Throckmorton said. "Bush, wisely, has reserved judgment and his views are closer to where science has progressed to at this point. I'm concerned that Kerry misled the country."

Throckmorton, considered an authority on sexual orientation research, recently released his own documentary, "I Do Exist," which chronicles the lives of ex-homosexuals.<ref>http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5Carchive%5C200410%5CCUL20041015b.html</ref>}}
==Judge Prohibits Public Schools from Implementing Anti-ex-homosexual Curriculum==
The organizaion [[Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays]] (PFOX) reported the following:
{{cquote|Montgomery County, Maryland – A United States District Court has granted the request of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX.org) for a temporary injunction prohibiting the Montgomery County, Maryland public schools from implementing an anti-ex-gay sex ed curriculum.

U.S. District Court Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. ruled that the curriculum threatened PFOX's constitutional rights, including the First Amendment freedom of speech.

In his opinion, Judge Williams noted some of the curriculum's biased statements against ex-gays, including statements claiming that `[t]rying to change one's sexual response to straight or gay is usually unsuccessful,' and that `[i]n fact, it is often societal homophobia that forces people to attempt to change.'<ref>http://www.pfox.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=41&sid=3f6326facd8169669d328749f4c1cbe8</ref>}}

==See Also==
*[[Overcoming Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality and Choice]]
*[[Teen Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Ex-Homosexuals]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28799 An article about Ex-Homosexuals

Bill O'Reilly

2008-12-02T03:08:24Z

Mikecunt: /* Trivia */

[[Image:Bll.png|thumb|right|Bill O' Reilly On The O' Reilly Report]]
'''Bill O'Reilly''' is a commentator and host of the show ''The O'Reilly Factor'' on the [[Fox News Channel]], which he calls the "No Spin Zone." O'Reilly often remarks that his personal [[political]] viewpoint is not captured by the modern [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party|Republican]] archetypes and would rather call himself a "traditionalist" and "independent". In this vein, he has expressed support for some positions not traditionally associated with his political supporters, instead associated with [[liberals]], including [[anthropogenic climate change]] and [[civil union]]s for both [[heterosexual]] and [[homosexual]] couples.

''The O'Reilly Factor'' is the highest-rated hour on any cable news channel. Over 2.5 million people watch the show each night and millions more listen to his own radio show.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"] Transcript 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace aired Sept. 26, 2004. </ref>

Recently [[Conservative|conservatives]] criticized O'Reilly [http://www.conservapedia.com/Fox_News_Channel#Fox_News_Channel_and_Homosexuality regarding his views in relation to homosexuality].

==Views on prejudice and racism==
Although O'Reilly has condemned white [[racist]] prejudice against U.S. blacks, some remarks he made underscoring the fact that black-owned and [[Italian]]-owned restaurants are comparable were deliberately misinterpreted by the far-left group [[Media Matters]].

They took comments he made praising black restaurants in Harlem for being on par with suburban Italian restaurants as an expression of "surprise", but of course they gave no reason for this interpretation and they dismissed O'Reilly's response (again without giving a reason). [http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top]

==Criticism==
O'Reilly has often been accused of berating his guests. He is deeply disliked by many on the [[leftist|far-left]], who often accuse him of distorting facts or [[slander]]ing those unfriendly to his position. He has occasionally been criticized by conservatives on certain issues such as his stance on [[gun control]].

==Trivia==
* O'Reilly and [[Stephen Colbert]] have a friendly rivalry <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16698834/</ref>, even appearing on each others' shows.

* O'Reilly has never received a [[peabody award]], though he often claims to have.

== See also ==
*[[Conservative Links]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT: Oreilly, Bill}} 
[[Category:Broadcasters|Oreilly, Bill]]

Bill O'Reilly

2008-12-02T03:06:04Z

Mikecunt: /* Criticism */

[[Image:Bll.png|thumb|right|Bill O' Reilly On The O' Reilly Report]]
'''Bill O'Reilly''' is a commentator and host of the show ''The O'Reilly Factor'' on the [[Fox News Channel]], which he calls the "No Spin Zone." O'Reilly often remarks that his personal [[political]] viewpoint is not captured by the modern [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] and [[Republican Party|Republican]] archetypes and would rather call himself a "traditionalist" and "independent". In this vein, he has expressed support for some positions not traditionally associated with his political supporters, instead associated with [[liberals]], including [[anthropogenic climate change]] and [[civil union]]s for both [[heterosexual]] and [[homosexual]] couples.

''The O'Reilly Factor'' is the highest-rated hour on any cable news channel. Over 2.5 million people watch the show each night and millions more listen to his own radio show.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/23/60minutes/main645202.shtml Bill O'Reilly: "No Spin"] Transcript 60 Minutes with Mike Wallace aired Sept. 26, 2004. </ref>

Recently [[Conservative|conservatives]] criticized O'Reilly [http://www.conservapedia.com/Fox_News_Channel#Fox_News_Channel_and_Homosexuality regarding his views in relation to homosexuality].

==Views on prejudice and racism==
Although O'Reilly has condemned white [[racist]] prejudice against U.S. blacks, some remarks he made underscoring the fact that black-owned and [[Italian]]-owned restaurants are comparable were deliberately misinterpreted by the far-left group [[Media Matters]].

They took comments he made praising black restaurants in Harlem for being on par with suburban Italian restaurants as an expression of "surprise", but of course they gave no reason for this interpretation and they dismissed O'Reilly's response (again without giving a reason). [http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210007?f=h_top]

==Criticism==
O'Reilly has often been accused of berating his guests. He is deeply disliked by many on the [[leftist|far-left]], who often accuse him of distorting facts or [[slander]]ing those unfriendly to his position. He has occasionally been criticized by conservatives on certain issues such as his stance on [[gun control]]. He has been accused of sexual harrasment, and has written a controversial erotic novel.

==Trivia==
* O'Reilly and [[Stephen Colbert]] have a friendly rivalry <ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16698834/</ref>, even appearing on each others' shows.

== See also ==
*[[Conservative Links]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT: Oreilly, Bill}} 
[[Category:Broadcasters|Oreilly, Bill]]

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

2008-12-02T03:02:54Z

Mikecunt:

'''''Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed''''' is a supposed [[documentary]] film and DVD charging rational thinkers with suppressing and persecuting irrational thinkers who disagree with them in order to avoid having to explain science to those who believe in [[intelligent design]]. [[On_the_Origin_of_Species_by_Means_of_Natural_Selection | Origins of Species]] explains [[evolution|the theory of evolution]].<ref>Stein told O'Reilly,

"This whole problem is about violation of the First Amendment. There are many scientists - many - who have been expelled from their jobs, who have had their web sites shut down, who have been denied grants [or] tenure because they wanted to question the limits and boundaries of Darwinism ... that's not how society has progressed." </ref> .
The film's premise is that scientists have been met with harsh opposition and/or received punishments from schools, universities and the scientific community merely for daring to ask inconvenient questions.<ref>[http://www.expelledthemovie.com/news.php Expelled the movie website]</ref>
The documentary is co-written and hosted by [[Ben Stein]] and was released in America on Friday, April 18, 2008.

*This movie follows Ben Stein as he seeks to determine whether Intelligent Design is a pseudo-science trying to undermine evolutionary biology or whether it is legitimate science being suppressed by a scientific establishment that is hostile to any deviation from the status quo. <ref>http://www.wingclips.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16857&category_id=778</ref>

In the film's trailer, Stein states that there are "people out there who want to keep science in a little box where it can’t possibly touch God" and that "freedom of thought and freedom of inquiry have been expelled from publicly-funded high schools, universities and research institutions."<ref name=nyt>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/science/27expelled.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2</ref> This also refers to privately funded science institutions as well.

Perhaps most infuriating for design opponents is the way the film links Darwin's ideas to [[Social Darwinism]] and destructive materialistic ideologies such as Hitler's [[National Socialism]] and [[Marxist]] [[socialism]].<ref> [http://www.wingclips.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16681&category_id=778 Expelled - Implications of Neo-Darwinism (4:15)] - Doctors and Scientists explore how the belief in Neo-Darwinism affects our society.</ref>

The film argues that [[scientist]]s and [[educator]]s who promote intelligent design are persecuted by the scientific establishment.<ref name=pressrelease>{{cite web |author=Lesley Burbridge-Bates|publisher=[http://www.premisemedia.com/ Premise Media]|date=[[2007-08-22]] |url=http://www.premisemedia.com/EXPELLED-PressRelease_08-22-07.pdf |title=''Expelled'' [[Press Release]] |accessdate=2007-09-29 |format= |work=}}</ref>
Examples given by the film include [[Richard Sternberg]], a [[biology|biologist]], journal editor, and research associate at the [[National Museum of Natural History]], and [[Guillermo Gonzalez]], a pro-[[intelligent design]] [[astrophysics|astrophysicist]] denied tenure at [[Iowa State University]] in 2007.<ref name="nyt">[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/science/27expelled.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin Scientists Feel Miscast in Film on Life's Origin], New York Times, 27 September 2007</ref>

* The film opens with documentary footage of the Berlin Wall going up and closes with it coming down. The day Darwinism and intelligent design can be fairly discussed without fear of reprisal represents the removal of a barrier even greater than the Berlin Wall.<ref>[http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=27872]</ref>

==Summary==

The film exposes the ulterior motives of [[intelligent design]] opponents who have taken the lead in suppressing mention of ID in classrooms and scientific journals, based on the theory's ideological implications. The implication being that if ID is true, naturalistic evolution as a causation for all life on the planet is false, which removes the ground on which one of the most successful arguments for atheism is built. The film documents why advocacy for atheism is one motive to suppress ID and raises awareness to those who do not understand the underlying philosophical culture war.

The film attempts to describe how the current status quo of the educational system is a ''de facto'' endorsement of atheism as a state religion. As a result of this state sponsored perspective, those teachers, professors and academics who speak publicly to oppose atheistic dogma are denied access to funding, tenure and other benefits of participation in academia. The film does not argue to replace the state religion of atheism with any religion or belief in God.

Rather, the film argues that all viewpoints should be included in discussion because of the intrinsic benefits of freedom. To describe the current situation, the film uses the metaphor of a wall erected between [[Darwinism]] and all other alternate explanations, similar to the [[Berlin Wall]] which the Communists erected to prevent communication and movement within the city. Rather than permit students to be exposed to weaknesses and flaws in evolutionary doctrine, the establishment suppresses alternate ideas and destroys the careers of academics and even journalists who openly question it.

The film shows how opposition to ID is chiefly based on fervent support for [[atheism]]. ID theory says that a purely naturalistic explanation of the first appearance of life is not as likely as the idea that it was designed. This leads ideologically to questions about an intelligent designer with supernatural powers, just as surely as Darwinism's "survival of the fittest" leads to [[Social Darwinism]] and [[Eugenics]].

* Those who are horrified at the [[Holocaust]] perpetrated by the Nazis condemn Darwinism for providing Hitler with ideological justification for his "[[Final Solution]]".{{fact}}

==Darwinism==

The movie describes [[Darwinism]] as a brilliant theory for the 19th century, but hints at some of the many holes in Darwin's work. One example the films mentions is that modern science has uncovered some aspects of the staggering complexity of the cellular and subcellular mechanisms. The film claims that armed with even a limited knowledge of the inner workings at the cellular level, the idea that this life randomly designed itself almost defies credulity. This is a material fact of which [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]] was wholly unaware.

But the film does not point to the problems with Darwin's work to prove that evolution is false. In fact, the film accepts that over time, species really do adapt or evolve as described by Darwin. The film pays tribute to the brilliance of Darwin, who correctly described adaptation, natural selection and some evolutionary processes.

The film's criticism is not so much with Darwin, but rather with the atheistic dogma that has become attached to Darwinism. The film points out that others have used Darwin's ideas as a panacea to neatly resolve the question of the origins of life. Through brief examples, the film illustrates why the Theory of Evolution as an explanation for the origins of life requires a leap of faith in atheism that is at least as problematic as the leap required to believe the reverse. This sets up the main thrust of the film. Darwin's theory of Evolution by means of natural selection does not address the issue of the origins of life.

==Academic Freedom==

Another point the film makes is that science is never served by a strict adherence to dogma. No question in science should be off the table. Therefore, a scientific mind must allow for the possibility that anything not falsifiable is possible. Contrary to this thought, forces in our culture today are fully invested in an atheistic concept of the universe and thus their interpretation of the theory of evolution and the ''Origin of Species'' is above reproach. These forces are fully entrenched in academia and it is policy at many institutions of learning to brook no dissent when it comes to the idea of intelligent design.

The open mind begs the question: if we cannot establish with certainty whether the life was created or whether it appeared from sheer luck, then why are we forcing one of these two choices upon our academia?

Just as [[Einstein]]'s [[Theory of Relativity]] obliterated and at the same time upheld [[Isaac Newton]]'s work in Physics, the film implies that there is perhaps a great deal to learn by asking questions about the origins of life. The film shows why Darwin's work is important and in many respects valid. That said, Darwin's works should not be used as philosophical works to describe the nature of God or the origins of life.

==Not dogmatic about intelligent design ==

Ben Stein told Bill O'Reilly,

: Intelligent design is an attempt to fill in the gaps; it might be totally wrong. <ref>[http://www.expelledthemovie.com/video.php Film trailer]</ref>

While makers of the documentary say the movie doesn't seek to champion intelligent design as the sole truth, they say it calls for more academic freedom, where challenges to any scientific theory including Darwinism would be fairly considered.<ref> [http://wingclips.com/cart.php?target=main&page=newsworthy_articles28&pageID=0 'Expelled' Approaches DVD Release Date]</ref>

==[[Eugenics]]==

The film shows the historical connection between the ideology of "[[survival of the fittest]]" and the [[Holocaust]]. By the 1920s, German textbooks were teaching evolutionary concepts including heredity and racial hygiene. The Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics was founded in 1927; in 1933, Germany passed the Law for the Protection of Heredity Health. [[Josef Mengele]] studied [[anthropology]] and [[paleontology]] and received his Ph.D. for his thesis entitled "Racial Morphological Research on the Lower Jaw Section of Four Racial Groups." In 1937, Mengele was recommended for and received a position as a research assistant with the Third Reich Institute for Hereditary, Biology and Racial Purity at the University of Frankfort, and subsequently became the "Angel of Death" for directing the operation of gas chambers of the [[Holocaust]] and for conducting horrific medical experiments on inmates in pursuit of [[eugenics]]. [[Evolutionist]] [[Stephen Jay Gould]] wrote: "The [[Nazi]] racial hygiene program began with involuntary sterilizations and ended with [[genocide]]."<ref>http://www.georgetown.edu/research/nrcbl/scopenotes/sn28.htm</ref>

*One academic says in the film, "While I would never want to indict a theory for how someone misused it ... [yet] views of human nature that lower our estimation of what we are have consequences to how people treat each other." <ref>http://www.wingclips.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16681&category_id=778</ref>

*Steven C. Meyer said, "In Darwinism there's a denial of any intrinsic dignity for human persons. We are the result of undirected natural processes that did not have us in mind"<ref>Meyer is alluding to a statement by Harvard paleontologist [[George Gaylord Simpson]].</ref>

While the film takes pains to point out the theory of evolution is not solely responsible for the Holocaust, one Jewish group felt the tie-in between Darwin's theory and the Holocaust went too far.<ref name=ADL> [http://adl.org/PresRele/HolNa_52/5277_52.htm Anti-Evolution Film Misappropriates the Holocaust]</ref> However, writers such as [[Hannah Arendt]] have uncontroversially (among researchers on this topic) pointed out the linkage between Darwinism and Hitler's [[Eugenics]]-based program of mass murder.<ref>Weikart, Richard, [http://www.uncommondescent.com/expelled/was-it-%E2%80%9Cshameful%E2%80%9D-for-expelled-to-connect-darwinism-and-nazi-atrocities Was It Shameful for “Expelled” to Connect Darwinism and Nazi Atrocities?] 3rd May, 2008.</ref>

==Filmmaker statements==

{{quotebox|"If you acknowledge this idea that [[design]] can be detected scientifically in the universe, then you open up the door to saying, 'Maybe this [[atheist]]ic view isn't true,' [and] the entire worldview of people who are atheists crashes down around them," Mathis said. "This is a foundational concept for people who believe this way. So they defend it with incredible vigor."<ref>[http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/bpnews.asp?id=27761 Intelligent Design foes no match for Stein in 'Expelled'] - Baptist Press </ref> }}

==Positive reception==

In ''National Review'', [[David Klinghoffer]], a Senior Fellow at the [[Discovery Institute]], describes the [[Darwin-Hitler connection]]:
* Expelled touches on [[Darwinism]]’s historical social costs, notably the unintended contribution to [[Nazi]] racial theories. That part packs an emotional wallop. It also happens to be based on impeccable scholarship. <ref name=dk>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=Mjg1NDg2ZDM5YTMwMGFiZGNhNTU5M2MwOTQ2NGE1Mjc=]</ref>
* "The key elements in the ideology that produced [[Auschwitz]] are [[moral relativism]] aligned with a rejection of the sacredness of [[human life]], a belief that violent competition in nature creates greater and lesser [[races]], that the greater will inevitably exterminate the lesser, and finally that the lesser race most in need of extermination is the [[Jews]]. All but the last of these ideas may be found in [[Darwin]]’s writing."

Tom Bethell, a [[conservative]] journalist for the ''[[American Spectator]]'', wrote:
:The film, a documentary, is about scientists and researchers who acknowledge the scientific evidence for the intelligent design of life and who have been ostracized or denied tenure as a result. In a word, they have been "expelled" from the academy. <ref>http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=12759</ref>

[[Carl Wieland]], the managing director for [[Creation Ministries International]], wrote:
{{QuoteBox|This powerful documentary is all about the persecution and censorship of any scientist who dares to oppose the Darwinist paradigm, by even suggesting the relatively modest hypothesis that the universe shows detectable evidence of design.<ref>Wieland, Carl, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5638/ Cracking the wall in science] 20th February, 2008, (Creation Ministries International).</ref>}}

[[Richard Dawkins]] "posits a creation theory of his own that fits the parameters of the film's working definition of intelligent design" in [[Expelled]], but claims the movie is "dull, artless, amateurish, too long, poorly constructed, and utterly devoid of any style, wit, or subtlety."<ref>http://www2.nysun.com/article/74583</ref>

In his quest to attack Ben Stein, Kluger puts words in his mouth, and then commits the [[strawman fallacy]]:
{{QuoteBox|"[Stein] makes all the usual mistakes nonscientists make whenever they try to take down evolution, asking, for example, how something as complex as a living cell could have possibly arisen whole from the earth's primordial soup. The answer is it couldn't--and it didn't...<ref>Kluger, Jeffrey, [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1729703,00.html Ben Stein Dukes it Out with Darwin], April 10th, 2008, <i>Time</i></ref>}}

The movie does not criticize Darwinists for saying the cell "arose whole" but for arguing "that life arose from a primordial sea on a lifeless planet through a chance collision of chemicals". This is the typical pro-evolution device of pretending that critics don't understand what evolution is saying. But it backfires, because the movie comes with a leader's guide which shows that Kluger is the one in error.

A victim of the sort of discrimination the film documents, [[Russell Humphreys]] said of the film that:
{{QuoteBox|...it kicked me in the gut. It made me see—no, feel—that I’d grown accustomed to the intolerable. I’d been taking the censorship as something in the natural order of things, and as the suppression increased, I just adjusted to it, like the proverbial frog in hot water. But the movie made me realize that our God-ordained right of free thought and speech is under systematic and increasing attack. By controlling the public “microphone”, as Phil Johnson says, the Darwinists have been hoodwinking our minds.<ref name="RH">Humphreys, Russel, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5975 Not too old to be Expelled] 29th August, 2008 (Creation Ministries International)</ref>}}

== Box Office Reception ==
''Expelled'' opened on April 18, 2008, on 1000 screens in America. It grossed $2.97 million US, $2,824 per screen, in its first weekend<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=expelled.htm Box Office Mojo]</ref> and after three weeks had grossed $6.9 million US.<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=expelled.htm Box Office Mojo]</ref> It continued to make over $1,000 per screen in its third weekend<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2008&wknd=18&p=.htm BOX OFFICE MOJO, WEEKEND BOX OFFICE, May 2–4, 2008]</ref> The producers claim that it was pulled from American theaters due to a lawsuit by Yoko Ono. After the movie won a victory in the lawsuit, a second run release was announced<ref>[http://expelledthemovie.com/rerelease.php Expelled Re-Released]</ref> Initially, Expelled grossed a domestic $7.7 million on a $3.5 million production budget. The promotional budget is unknown. After winning the lawsuit filed by Yoko Ono, ''Expelled'' also began opening in international theaters.

The film is planned to be released on DVD in October 2008.<ref name="RH" />

== Viewer Reception==
Because of the blackballing of the film by people who had never seen it, it is sometimes hard to tell what actual viewers thought. Removing the almost obligatory '1' ratings that detractors of the film give even if they haven't seen it, 1600 voters on the IMDB website gave it a 8.5 rating on a scale from 1 to 10.

Visitors to the Box Office Mojo website gave it a "B-" rating, but this was an average of 266 "A" ratings, 17 "B" ratings, three "C" and "D" ratings each, and 135 "F" ratings, strongly supporting the idea that people's views of the topic affected their view of the film.<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=expelled.htm Expelled], on Box Office Mojo.</ref>

== Negative Reception==

Before the film opened, pro-[[evolution]] opponents of the film were heavily critical of its premise.

The pro-[[evolution]] magazine ''[[Scientific American]]'' criticized the film, calling it "intellectually dishonest," and detailed their objections with the film and intelligent design in a series of inflammatory articles.<ref>http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=sciam-reviews-expelled</ref>

[[NCSE]] used the film's release to launch a fresh attack on ID, repeatedly calling it "creationism" as part of their strategy to demonize scientific critiques of evolution. The gist of their defense of Caroline Crocker's dismissal was (1) she wasn't "fired" (because that means only immediate termination in their book) but merely let go at the end of the semester as is common practice when a teacher is no longer needed on the faculty; and (2) each mention of intelligent design in class was an unauthorized addition to the curriculum. Apparently, only pro-evolution information is allowed in evolution class, and its weaknesses are not to be revealed if you want to get [[tenure]]. <ref>http://www.expelledexposed.com/index.php/the-truth/crocker</ref>

John Derbyshire, a columnist at the [[conservative]] [[National Review|National Review Online]], wrote a surprisingly critical review, ''despite not having seen the film'', and confused [[intelligent design]] with [[creationism]]. He said that "[[creationists]]" have been "morally corrupted" and engage in "willful act[s] of deception." He concludes that attacking "science" (i.e. [[evolution]]) is equivalent to attacking [[Western Civilization]].<ref>http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZGYwMzdjOWRmNGRhOWQ4MTQyZDMxNjNhYTU1YTE5Njk=</ref>

As expected for a movie that is not '[[politically correct]]', critics paid to rate movies have been harsh with only 3 positive reviews out of 33 on the website Rotten Tomatoes, and a 20 out of 100 rating on the website Metacritic.

== Issues surrounding the film ==
Allegations have been made that the producers of the film [[Premise Media|used copyrighted material without permission]] at multiple points in the film. Yoko Ono, owner of the rights to John Lennon's songs including the one sampled in the film, "Imagine", has sued Premise Media for copyright violation. The Executive Producer and Chairman of Premise Media Logan Craft replied, "The fair use doctrine is a well established principle that gives the public the right to freely use portions of copyrighted materials for the purposes of commentary and criticism. While some may not like what we have to say or how we say it, we have the free speech right to do so - just as other political and social commentators have been doing for years."

The film's star Ben Stein was perhaps a bit more caustic in his response, "So Yoko Ono is suing over the brief Constitutionally protected use of a song that wants us to 'Imagine no possessions'? Maybe instead of wasting everyone's time trying to silence a documentary she should give the song to the world for free? After all, ' ''imagine all the people sharing all the world...You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the World can live as one.' ''" <ref>[http://motiveentertainment.createsend.com/viewEmail.aspx?cID=EEA85C4C1D1CCF47&sID=99BDE890D78CA9CD8A54066AFB113747&dID=5CB9CB5A1CE688CE ] Premise Media Press Release</ref> On June 2, 2008, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein (no relation to Ben Stein) ruled in favor of the filmmakers under the "fair use" provision.<ref>http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN0231537020080602</ref>

[[Atheism|Atheist]] [[professor]] [[Paul Zachary Myers|PZ Myers]] attempted to attend a pre-release screening of the film, but was prevented from entering by security officials. However, [[Richard Dawkins]], who had accompanied Myers, was able to get in by using his rarely used real first name, "Clinton."<ref>Dean, Cornelia, [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/science/21expelledw.html No Admission for Evolutionary Biologist at Creationist (sic) Film], ''The New York Times'', 21st March, 2008</ref>

[[Theory of evolution|Evolutionist]] [[Richard Dawkins]] claimed he was tricked into appearing, indicating that he had been told it would be a movie named ''Crossroads'' that would be focused on "exploring the controversy." (Two others who similarly claimed to have been deceived said they would have appeared anyway.) In response, Ben Stein said that no one he interviewed asked what the film would be about, and the co-producer Walt Ruloff said at the preview that interviewees were paid and were even told ahead of time what the questions would be.<ref>Bethell, Tom, [http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=12759 No Intelligence Allowed] ''The American Spectator'', 19th February, 2008.</ref>

*Regarding claims by Dawkins and Myers that filmmakers were tricked into being interviewed for the film, Ruloff has denied any wrongdoing. "There is some serious mistreatment and downright reprehensible behavior going on here," said Ruloff, "but I can assure you it's not coming from us. We're just the ones exposing it." [http://wingclips.com/cart.php?target=main&page=newsworthy_articles28&pageID=0]

==Film Clips==

WingClips provides several free glimpses into "Expelled".
*[http://www.wingclips.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16680&category_id=778 Expelled - Genetic Mutation (2:23)] - Scientists discuss how the evolutionary theory of random genetic change contradicts what really occurs in nature.

== See also ==
*[[Origins debate]]
*[[Theory of evolution]]
*[[Creation-evolution controversy]]
*[[Design detection]]
*[[Suppression of alternatives to evolution]]
*[[Premise Media]] (Producers of the film)

== External links ==
* [http://www.discovery.org/a/4689 Michael Shermer’s Fact-Free Attack on <i>Expelled</i> Exposes Intolerance of Darwinists towards Pro-Intelligent Design Scientists]
* [http://expelledthemovie.com/theaterap.php Theater locator for North America]
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/expelled_no_intelligence_allowed/ Reviews of 'Expelled' on Rotten Tomatoes.]
* [http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/reviews/2008/expelled.html Christianity Today review of 'Expelled']

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Documentary film]]
[[Category:Intelligent Design]]
[[Category:Evolution]]