Inherit the Wind

[jkrndlph]

I just saw this movie about the Scopes trial. It was a very interesting film about teaching evolution. One thing though, they made the guy defending creationism into a total fanatic nut. He actually died in the courtroom on a rant about the bible. Did that really happen? Anyway, what i don't understand is that science and religion are always butting heads and in retrospect, science nearly always is remembered as right and the dogma is always presented as fanatical or backwards. What gives?

 

[busterdog]

I just saw this movie about the Scopes trial. It was a very interesting film about teaching evolution. One thing though, they made the guy defending creationism into a total fanatic nut. He actually died in the courtroom on a rant about the bible. Did that really happen? Anyway, what i don't understand is that science and religion are always butting heads and in retrospect, science nearly always is remembered as right and the dogma is always presented as fanatical or backwards. What gives?

The creationist at that time was a super-star in his time. Very eloquent and powerful. As the story goes, he became ill during the trial, was never the same and died shortly afterwards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Jennings_Bryan

The case was apparently set up to be the show that it was. The left wanted to showcase its theories in a trial.

Notably, Scopes lost this case and was justly convicted. But, unfortunately, they didn't hang him.

Just kidding. Really.

By the time Inherit the Wind was made, lots of secular ideas had infiltrated academia and American culture. Even at the time of the Scopes trial, Hollywood had an agenda. Partially, the agenda was clean living/family values, which was fitting bait for another agenda. But, God was just "God." He was just a higher power, and certainly not Jesus. He was imperial and uninvolved. Sort of like Zeus, not coincidentally, who only occasionally descended for sex or other favors. So, Inherit the Wind is no surprise. It fits the communist agenda that McCarthy quite rightly persecuted!

Just kidding. Am I? Maybe not.

By the time that Patton was filmed, it started with an expose of Patton's reincarnation. In the middle of the case, when the issue of the defense of Bastonge was seriously affected by the weather. Patton apologized to the Chaplain for asking for a prayer for a little favoritism with God on the weather! So bizarre.

 

[MatthewDiscipleofGod]

Answers In Genesis has a few videos out about that movie. The movie is far from accurate. Here are a couple articles that give you more information.

Inherit the Wind: an historical analysis

Scopes Trial facts v Inherit the Wind fiction

 

[mark kennedy]

The Scopes Monkey Trial is one of those things you just have to look into if your into Apologetics along with the Witch Hunts of Salem and the Inquisition. I read a book years ago the described the actual event that led up to the trial. No one paid much attention to those laws on the books about teaching evolution, Scopes taught Darwinism and no one cared. There was a guy who attended the funeral of a young boy of 12. After the funeral they were all at the mothers house and she was talking to a preacher. The preacher said because the kid had never confessed Christ or was baptised he was burning in Hell. Someone there knew Scopes and asked him if he would consider having himself arrested to start a test case. He agreed and the melodrama of inherit the wind was a lot of Hollywood bluster.

The primary issue was never biology anymore then it is today. It was Darwinism with the Bible being one of their most coveted targets. Ultimatly Darwinians consider religion to be a viral disease that people need to be immunized from.

Its been a while since I have been into it but the real issue was social darwinism. Darwinism is a much bigger philosophy then most people realize, it is literally into every aspect of modern life.

 

[jkrndlph]

I'm not so sure Darwinism is out to get theology. I think Spencer Tracy's character made a great point about how long a day might have been before light was created. The point being that humans were gifted with an intellect great enough to understand Creation, yet, being sinners, we shackle ourselves to our own experience (like a day being ONLY 24hrs). There have always been pivotal moments between science and theology, but God has given us both to get closer to Him. That's why I think one day we may find Creation and evolution to be the same. Though right now, I do not think the record of "how" is clear.