Expelled

Main Point of Discussion: There is a moral and ethical domino effect that happens when people believe that the Neo-Darwinism worldview theory is valid. The great news is that we have an alternative way to see ourselves- which is the fact that we are made in the image of God.

The Video Clip: Expelled – Implications of Neo-Darwinism

In this clip, Ben Stein interviews several experts about the adverse and even frightening social implications of Neo-Darwinism.

Introducing the Clip:
The movie “Expelled- No intelligence Allowed” is a fascinating look into what issues are at stake in the evolution vs. design debate that is happening all over the world. As we watch the clip, see if you agree.

Note: You will need to either purchase the DVD for the movie Expelled or rent it and cue it up to the cue points listed. Show your students the clip and then move on to the discussion below.

Start clip at 1:05.03 and end the clip at 1:16.28

Transitional Statement:
This clip brings up issues that many people are afraid to mention or talk about because it might “offend” people. But as you can see, there are implications of what you believe about evolution that impact a huge number of areas in our lives.

Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

1. AROUND THE CIRCLE: Before we begin, let’s talk about what our favorite animals are and why.


2. AROUND THE CIRCLE: What basic differences do you see between animals and humans?


3. AROUND THE CIRCLE: Why don’t animals make laws and create animal police officers?


4. ASK A FEW: Would the world be better if we were more like the animal kingdom? Why or why not?


5. ASK A FEW: What are your responses to the clip?


6. ASK A FEW: How does a belief in atheistic Neo-Darwinism create an animal like atmosphere? (Note- you may need to define atheistic Neo-Darwinians. Neo-Darwinism is the theory that all organisms we see are descended from a single common ancestor somewhere in the distant past. And that an unguided process of natural selection, “survival of the fittest,” has the power to produce fundamentally new forms of life through random mutations. This view explicitly excludes purpose or intelligent guidance from the history of the development of life. Atheism is the belief that there is no God.)

Read the following passage:

Genesis 9:5-6 (NLT)
“And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die.
If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in His own image.”


7. ASK A FEW: How does this verse relate to the video clip?


8. ASK A FEW: What does being made in God’s image have to do with the value of a human life?


9. ASK A FEW: If we just evolved apart from God, how are we different than animals?


10. ASK A FEW: Do you agree that Darwin’s theories take away the dignity of humans? Why or why not?


11. ASK A FEW: If Darwin is right, should we bring back breeding to eliminate unwanted elements from society? Why or why not?


12. ASK A FEW: What evidence have you seen that our culture is headed towards an animalistic attitude?


13. ASK A FEW: Can a person be a follower of Jesus and believe in evolution? Why or why not?


14. AROUND THE CIRCLE: How does this clip impact your view of Darwin and his theories?


15. AROUND THE CIRCLE: How would our culture be different if everyone treated each other as specially created beings made in God’s image?

Wrap Up:
Even though Darwin’s theories are widely accepted and taught in public schools, it doesn’t mean they are correct. My challenge to you is to get a hold of the fact that you are not just a result of random mutations with no inherent dignity or value. The fact that you are the result of a special creation as opposed to a biological roulette game should make you feel unique and valuable.

Take some time to read Psalm 139 for a detailed description of the amazing act of God's hand in our formation.

Psalm 139 (New International Version)

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

(You may even want to ask the students to silently and thoughtfully read Psalm 139 on their own.)

Ask the students to bow their heads and close their eyes. Give them a few minutes to silently reflect on what it means to be handcrafted by God and the object of His special love. Present the gospel and give the students a chance to respond.

Close in Prayer – (give invitation)

Written by Lane Palmer