alpha omega

I attended a very fascinating service at Victory Christian Church in Middlefield this last Sunday. I've always seen this church when driving by it on route 66 and have been curious as to what it's all about. I first checked the website and discovered that it seems a bit fundamentalist in orientation with their statement of beliefs. But as part of my World Citizen Practice every month, half of my fellowship is intended to take me outside my comfort zone and home base at my Buddhist sangha. 

Another reason I am more open to explore what was once considered incompatible with my spiritual orientation is the gradual realization that in going beyond surfaces, things aren't always as they appear. Even though I may attend a Buddhist sangha that is guided by the teachings of spiritual leaders such as Teitetsu Unno, Shinran Shonin, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodrin, The Dalai Lama, Ekhart Tolle and even the historical Buddha himself, not everyone will agree as to what the implications of where these teachings should lead. There are Buddhists who voted for Barack Obama just as there are Buddhists who voted for John McCain. 

There are Buddhists who favor Fox News and there are Buddhists who favor CNN. And even though one of our highest aspirations is to become "food and drink during time of famine, to give assistance to the helpless and the poor," what if the poor people being assisted are illegal immigrants? It may not sit well with Buddhists who are anti-immigrant and support measures of shutting down the border between the U.S. and Mexico to keep them out. The point I am getting at here is the moral cohesion and certainty is blurry everywhere you look and this includes Eastern and Western centers of fellowship. 

Even though a Christian church may appear to have fundamentalist and dogmatic leadership, there are always members within their midst who are more liberal in their thinking. They may not rock the boat and they may not speak their mind in the presence of more conservative leaders and fellows, but they are nonetheless there and think outside the box. There may even be some members who are non believers or will later become non believers. This is just a natural course of being human and how there is often a constant shift in orientation that contradicts one side of a duality that was once deemed the standard. We hear examples of this from both sides too. 

There have been instances where rock hard atheists had conversion experiences, devoted their life to Christ and became "born again." There are also instances of steadfast missionaries who had conversion experiences that lead them to atheism. And as a rule of thumb, there is a piece of yin within yang and yang within yin. Some who may appear to be oriented on one side of the duality may display characteristics that would orient them to the other side and vice versa. 

Learning to live with this reality has been an exercise in tolerance and going deeper than the appearance of surfaces. I used to believe that those who displayed such hypocrisy were corrupt and potentially untrustworthy. What I have gradually discovered though is that these contradictions of the duality exist even within myself. I come from a family split down the middle between the atheist and theist orientations. Even if I favor the atheist orientation, it is entirely possible I may have offspring that adopt a Western theism just as my Christian grandfather gave rise to pagan children who followed a guru and favored an Eastern spirituality. 

Before he died, I became one of the most loyal and trusted helpers of my grandfather, helping him go shopping, run errands and even go on trips across country with him. In helping him, I not only became an indirect supporter in the fundamentalist ministries he donated money to or bought books from, (Jessie Duplantis, Kenneth Hagin, John Hagee, Pat Robertson and Benny Hinn to name a few) I also became an indirect supporter in the election and reelection of a politician (George W. Bush) whose legacy as one of the most misguided presidents in U.S. history is being hotly debated by people around the world. Even though I didn’t approve of everything my grandfather did, I still loved the guy dearly and saw the good within him.

The choice at hand is not how we can make war on our opposite or our hypocritical selves, but about how we can accept, integrate and create something new with the other side so as to potentially make peace with them. 

In my forays into Christian fundamentalist churches, I have had to fight back fears that it will lead me into a direct confrontation with their dark side. I've already been embraced by Eastern spirituality, but will I also be embraced by Western religion? Will a more conservative and fundamentalist Christianity accept me for who I am? Will they frown upon my desire to see another outcome besides the one prophesied in their holy book that foresees the destruction of a third of humankind before lasting peace can come to Earth? These are questions that still haunt me and I seek to have answered. 

When I first arrived at Victory, the members that greeted me were friendly and outgoing. They took a genuine interest in knowing who I was and finding out why I was there. But as the sermon started, I saw some red flags go up inside my mind. The minister (Pastor Pete) began with an offhanded comment about hippies. (both my parents were hippies and I have hippy friends) Then he performed a prophetic pronouncement over a young kid in the audience, declaring that he would become a great business man and leader for the Lord. Not my kind of thing but I took it in strides and was open enough to stay, pushing the limits of what I was used to. 

Victory Rock Band

Then there was the worship provided by Victory's very own rock band. People would move to the front, raising their hands towards heaven and shouting glory to their God. Afterwards the pastor told us that the purpose of praise and worship is, "to give God the glory. To let him know that you appreciate him, to express your love. I mean what can we give the Lord physically? well we can't, he owns everything. But we can give him our heart. and so we can bless him as we let him know that we love him and appreciate him." 

Pastor Pete

Pastor Pete then began his sermon which was Part III of Understanding the Biblical Church. Here is a excerpt of part of the sermon I found the most compelling and took down after listening to the recording:  

What was interesting to me at this point was the use of the word "trenches" which wasn't the first time I heard this word used in the service. It evoked imagery of warfare for me and even the church name, "Victory" could refer to a game, or a battle. 

Pastor Pete's service continued...

This was the part of the sermon that made me a bit uncomfortable. One of the many criticisms lobbed at Christianity from atheists is the story of Christ submitting to his divine Father who wants him to be executed as a sacrifice. One of the other stories that this evokes in the Old Testament is the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham thinks he hears God telling him to sacrifice his son Isaac, who obediently allows his dad to bind and prepare to have him stabbed with a knife. 

If the New Testament was supposed to be the new revelation of God, why does Christ so obediently submit to his father's will of sacrificing himself? What kind of father would send off his own son to be sacrificed even if we are told that it was for reasons of cosmic importance? Did not Abraham believe that his son being sacrificed was of cosmic importance to his God? 

It could be said that there are thousands of fathers today in this nation who have not resisted their sons being sent to be sacrificed on the battle field of Iraq and Afghanistan and we are conversely told by our leaders that the shedding of their innocent blood is the necessary ingredient for the salvation of our nation's freedom. If this is mirroring the New Testament story, how much has really changed since the Old Testament? In the New Testament, God allows the son to be sacrificed and in the Old Testament, he stops it from happening. Is this an instance of the yin being within the yang and vice versa? The Old Testament is usually known for its childish depiction of God where as the New Testament is supposed to show a wiser, more loving and evolved God who acts more like an adult. 

Pastor Pete continued...

This part of the sermon I really liked and it sent the wheels inside my head spinning. It also reminded me of the banner hanging on the wall near the church sanctuary's entrance. (pictured above) On it was the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet and symbolically, it is representative of God as the first and last revelation ending with the return of Jesus Christ to Earth. The way the Greek letters were merged together on the banner made me realize that this is the Christian version of the Yin and Yang symbol. And in Pastor Pete's assessment of the Old and New Testament, made me think about the masculine and feminine relationship as they relate to the nature of matter and spirit. 

The journey we take in life begins with the masculine side, (the material). We are preoccupied with our appearances and the superficial surfaces that surround us. We may follow rules and the crowd, not because we feel compelled from the inside, but because of what we fear from the outside. The same thing can be said about children just beginning to understand how the material world works. They don't jump off of tall buildings because they don't want to, but because they fear the consequences. Later in life our compulsions to pull off dangerous stunts that threaten to punish us by the material laws of gravity are diminished and a new will comes into place from the inside, compelling us to live in accordance with the laws of gravity because we want to and are concerned not only about ourselves but others. 

By the same token, the latter half of life is marked by connecting with the inside. We realize that our looks are impermanent and our external surfaces don't necessarily determine our identity. The Old and New Testament basically describe the internal evolution of the human race. Our early ancestors were dominated by the external compulsions of fear from a wrathful, vindictive and childish God. Then in the New Testament, a new inner sanction came into being and God became kinder, wiser and more adult like. And in the Old Testament account of Adam coming first, this would correspond to the banner and the Alpha symbol which is often placed in front of male to describe their egotistical orientation when not in touch with their feminine side. And as a Male's sex organs are external, outside the body, conversely, a female's sex organs are hidden inside the body. Paster Pete describes the New Testament revelation being guided by the Holy Spirit, that hidden and invisible force that resides inside the body rather than being external on the outside. 

The last revelation, "Omega" must come at the end of time in order for the birth of world spirit to bring peace and the beginning of a new human kind who is no longer estranged from the divine. And as Jesus stated, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first." This now makes sense in context of the masculine coming first to find itself last as the feminine becomes the only one capable of giving birth and nourishing new life to be the first of a new revelation. This new revelation; World Spirit, is the new consciousness that will unite the world and bring God's will to be done, "on Earth as it is in Heaven."

Pastor Pete ended his sermon with a great couple of sentences pointing his congregation towards the "Omega" of the Holy Spirit and the new Revelation.

I left Victory church feeling glad that I had explored it. The people who came up after the service to introduce themselves were very kind and genuine. I even got to meet pastor Pete and shake his hand. It felt liberating to connect with my opposite orientation in a domain I used to be intimidated by. I now seek to passionately share my gospel of coexist with Christians just as passionately as they seek to share their gospel of Jesus Christ with me. And even though my sangha feels it is a better path to be lay rather than monastic, something must also be done to break the spiritual monasticism of just remaining inside your comfort level amongst your own kind. My world citizen practice is a means for me to become a spiritual lay person, finding a relationship and learning from those outside of my orientation as well as offering whatever wisdom I have from my angle that they may benefit from.

The unmistakable message communicated from my past revolves around the relative peace and security throughout my life. I didn’t grow up in a war ravished country with genocide all around me. I didn’t grow up in a third world nation with grinding poverty, disease, malnutrition or famine. During every moment of my life, I’ve always had enough to eat, I’ve always had a house over my head and I’ve always had amazing educational opportunities. I’ve never experienced the carnage of war first hand and I’ve never experienced what it’s like to be persecuted as an enemy of the state. I’ve been a witness to extraordinary leaps in technology from the computer revolution to our new improved perspective on the universe provided by the Hubble Telescope. I’ve traveled freely between the states of my nation with ease and noticed very little difference in the infrastructure from one area to the next. All this peace and prosperity in my life was made possible by living within states that came together to swear their allegiance and recognize a greater country beyond the limitted identity of their individual borders. Because of the long life of opportunity and peace that I’ve enjoyed, I feel an overwhelming conviction that everyone on the planet deserves to have the same. And the only likely way in which this will happen is if every nation state comes together as one to recognize and swear an allegiance towards the greater country of our planet Earth. It is my burden and duty to do everything in my power towards helping our world move closer to this reality. Even though I am only one voice among many and have limited means, whatever power I do have can be used towards contributing with others in creating the rain drops of unity needed to join with many more in starting the mighty waterfall of global revolution.

In order to move forward, one must first look back to overcome and make peace with their past. In my life, the greatest obstacle has been the scourge of Lyme disease. It came around 1993 and went undiagnosed until 1994. Ever since then, I’ve been taking antibiotics on and off, attempting to defeat what doctors tell me is a corkscrew shaped bacteria burrowing into my cells and brain tissues. Even today, I still feel the original effects and symptoms that have been eating away at my vitality for over 16 years. The Lyme beast remains a menace inside of me and I have yet to figure out how to defeat it. 

If I am to make peace with my past, I will need confidence that I can not only defeat this monster but also visualize beautiful dreams to be realized for a triumphant journey into the future. In order for my own individual future time line to be realized, I must first imagine a successful time line for the collective. How can one achieve their personal dreams if society crumbles around them in a fiery holocaust of World War? I have spent enough time imagining worst case scenarios in which everything goes wrong with the collective. From now on I will imagine scenarios in which things improve and humanity refrains from destroying itself. Even if such a visualization will never end up matching the real world time line which is ultimately unpredictable, there can still remain an overriding faith for humanity that stays strong even in the face of potential turmoil. If war erupts and several cities are nuked with the potential for more to follow, it wouldn’t be surprising within the context of human history as a whole and the cyclical nature of decline followed by renaissance and resurgence. But as long as worst case scenarios and our nightmares have not yet come to pass, there is freedom to imagine an alternative scenario in which we wake up in time to create a more desirable outcome. Imagining such a future goes hand in hand with the faith that the right people and conditions will come along at the right time to move humanity forward into a better place. 

World Citizen Visualization for a Brighter Future

2009 - 2016 

• The United States withdrawals its military as the Iraqi government takes over the management of its own country.

• American forces return from Afghanistan.

• Democratic restructuring of the United Nations Security Council to reflect the balance and ideals of true Democracy.

• New solar cell technology is discovered that allows for the creation of solar powered automobiles with the strength of gas powered engines.

• Israelis and Palestinians sign a peace deal and tear down the walls as the two states merge into one as first state and cornerstone for a future United States of Earth.

2017 - 2021

• Every man and woman on the planet is equipped with a hand held solar powered computer connected to the internet. 

• Billions of jobs created for the transition from the oil to solar age.

2022 - 2025

• Nuclear disarmament.

• Vatican City is the last state to join the newly established United States of Earth.

• Environmental destruction and global warming begin to reverse as millions of gas powered vehicles are recycled.

2026 - Forward

• Humanity is now free to explore the universe without danger of self destructing.

After visualizing a promising future for the collective, the next step is to imagine and then build an individual time line in which personal obstacles are overcome and highest aspirations realized.  

Personal Visualization for a Brighter Future

2009 - 2016 

• Find the right tools that lead me to overcome chronic Lyme disease, freeing up my energy to carry out and fulfill plans for realizing the rest of my dreams.

• Finish training with the necessary tools needed for my business and other creative pursuits to thrive.

• Successfully get my business going strong with loyal base of clients.

• Find my significant other.

• Participate in the necessary activism leading the United States to get untangled from self-destructive activities and alliances overseas.

• Finish five more screenplays and sell them.

• Become an activist for UN reform, participating with others towards the needed change bringing democratic restructuring to the Security Council and necessary plans for Israel to unite with Palestine as first state and cornerstone for a future United States of Earth.

• Become green, powering my business from solar power.

• Free myself from fossil fuel use.

2017 - 2021

• Help in distribution plans for every man and woman on the planet to receive their passport to world citizenship; a solar powered hand held computer. 

2022 - and Beyond 

• Travel as a free citizen of the world and live wherever I want.

• Work on film projects.

• Continue learning and expanding my knowledge. 

• Travel to the moon and view the Earth from space.

• Retire. Continue traveling and then die without any regrets.

My World Citizen Practice is a means to try and connect with the reality beyond surfaces and discover the peace that can come from this perspective by making contact with the one behind the many. In less abstract terms, it means to celebrate the diversity surrounding us but not to lose site of our non dual interconnected core, binding all of us together as one. In this unity, a space for freedom is born thus allowing for diversity to flower. It’s the whole paradox expressed in the U2 song “One,” where Bono sings, “We are one, but we are not the same.”

The world citizen practice I've developed is born out of a conviction, that like the diverse drinks we consume that are all connected by the common denominator of water, so to are all religions linked together by the universal spirit within. Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims, or practitioners of any other wisdom tradition may have a diverse language of symbolism and elaborate rituals that appear different on the outside, but inside they are all expressing the journey of the same inner spirit, connecting us all into one being. Even in religions where there are obstacles obstructing the spiritual path, eventually blinders will be removed and truth revealed. Water always returns to its source. 

Because I started my journey with an orientation leaning towards the left side of the polarity, I was naturally drawn towards Eastern spirituality. Atheism resonated more with me than Western theism. This is why I immersed myself into Buddhism and joined a sangha. Buddhism served as a home base grounding me and providing an environment with a freedom to develop and implement the World Citizen Practice which is basically a means of seeking to bridge the divide with the opposite side. The journey for every individual usually begins with an orientation leaning towards one half of the polarity and ends by reaching out for the other side to eventually integrate the two polar energies within oneself, finding greater wholeness and integrity. 

This is why my World Citizen Practice seeks a balance by bridging the divide between the East and West, the left and right. Half of my attention is spent at my home base while the other half is traveling outside my comfort zone to explore and befriend western religions while extinguishing fears that this experience will bring me face to face with the  potential duality within; their dark side. 

Just as the unintegrated right side expresses their fears of evil emerging out of the left, the unintegrated left side expresses their fears of evil emerging from the right. World W1n was a vehicle from which I was able to express my own personal fears. Do I know for sure they aren’t going to play out? It is possible that our world as we know it could come to a screeching halt in the fires of World War III caused by a battle between East and West. But it is also just as possible that it won’t. I’ve spent enough time worrying about this possibility and the best way to extinguish one’s fears is to face and overcome them. Then the next phase of the journey becomes a movement away from fear into hopefulness and a focus on visualizing and then moving towards desirable outcomes rather than obsessing about potential worse case scenarios.

I’ve already attended several Christian services in and around Middletown and my goal is to continue doing so until I’ve found one that welcomes world citizen ideals as much as my sangha. Uniting Christ and Buddha is a symbolic exercise representing a viable bridge capable of uniting East with West. The great thing about Middletown is its spiritual and religious diversity. There is not only a Hindu temple here, but also Buddhist centers, a Muslim Mosque and Jewish synagogue; all of which I’m in the process of exploring (for those that I haven’t already).

Today, I checked out a new Christian church that just opened in Middletown called Catalyst Church. It was a heavy dose of Western Yang energy expressed by their own personal rock band. 

rock band

At the very beginning of the service, was a symbol that reminded me again of my fears that inspired World W1n. 

blue swastikas

During worship as the band performed, two video screens projected the song lyrics for all to read. In the background were computer generated blue patterns. One of the blue patterns present for several of the songs was something that looked just like a Nazi swastika. Part of me thought of the tell tale signs of a potential sweeping religious revival in America of a fanatical kind, justifying the alarm of Sinclair Lewis that lead to his famous quote, “When fascism comes to America, it will be draped in the flag and carrying a cross.”

Another part of me was reminded by how the similar symbolism in Buddhism was hijacked by Hitler and is cause of concern for those who first come to Buddhism but don’t dig any deeper only to leave forever because they fear it is being commandeered by Nazi’s. 

Buddhist Swastika

After the catalyst rock band finished, we were introduced to the pastor, Michael Larkin. His sermon put me to ease, as its emphasis focussed on an inner fulfillment guided by a movement away from the limited ego towards the fellowship and wholeness of the collective. (the same emphasis is found within Buddhism) Some of the main points of Larkin’s sermon were as followed;

Michael Larkin

“Jesus always met physical and emotional needs before he ever got into spiritual needs. We can’t leave the spiritual part out when ministering to people. A child who gets a backpack he needed for school is good but it doesn’t help him when he goes home and sees his parents throwing things at each other. It doesn’t help a child who goes home and sees his parents shooting up on drugs. And it doesn’t help a child who has great parents but they have to work all the time just to survive. The only thing that can help them is if they hear about God’s power to make a way out of now way. As a church we don’t have all the answers, and a lot of times we don’t know what to say, but God is saying I can.” This reminded me of the concept of “Other Power” in Buddhism. 

Further in his sermon, Larkin described the message of the Bible as a passion of God in pursuit of a prodigal people. “You may not understand Revelation or understand the ending. The old testament; all it’s doing is saying Jesus is coming. And here’s why he needs to come. And the New Testament, all it’s doing from Matthew through Revelation, is pointing back to Jesus and what he did on the cross. That’s the Bible. It’s the passion of God in pursuit of a prodigal people.”

“Moses says to the Lord, Lord I’ve never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you’ve spoken to your servants. I’m slow of speech and tongue and I stutter and I can’t say anything. And the Lord said to him, “who gave site to the blind? Is it not I the Lord? I’ll help you to speak and teach you what to say.” The Lord, as Larkin describes in this situation represents higher consciousness; the God like part of ourselves capable of rising above negative circumstances to push us into action even though we may feel inadequate.

“Some may say, my past is dark. You can’t use me.” “No, no, I created you and I want to use you.” Moses says, “please send someone else to do the job.” Then God got angry. “People are living without hope, now go.” Of course God has to get angry because he’s a passionate God in pursuit of a prodigal people. “I want to use you. I want you to make a difference in this community. I want you to have purpose. I want you to have significance and life. I want people to find life in Christ because of what I am doing inside of you.” And you’re coming to God and saying, who am I? That’s an amazing place to start. That’s where we have to start. Because it shows that God is saying, “here we go. There’s something huge I want you guys to do.” 

“Are there burning bushes in your life that you’ve been ignoring? Maybe you’ve got to go back to your middle school days when you were curious. Burning bushes take all forms and shapes.” Larkin was speaking here of crisis in people’s lives that make them want to fold up and throw in the towel. “Maybe this is your burning bush. And maybe if you stop long enough to check it out, maybe God will reveal something to you. “Hey look. I want you to have a purpose and significance with your life.” Larkin’s sermon ended with a challenge calling us towards community service and action; “I want to challenge you with this question. Will you let God be a burning bush in your life? Will you let him say to you, here we go.” 

The music after the service was good and the lyrics seemed to be expressing a reference towards spirit. "Come to the waters and you will thirst no more." At another point, the lyrics made me think about Eckhart Tolle and the power of now. "Love is here. Love is now."

I left Catalyst church glad that I had explored it. It is possible that I may return at some point in the future.

------------------9/16--------------Update--------------->

To be fair to Michael Larkin and his church, I'm posting his response to my blog:

"Thank you as well for your honest candid evaluation of our service. I also want to thank you for pointing out what could be perceived by some to be a swastika. I in no way agree with the thoughts or actions behind the symbol. It is one of those things that we just never noticed. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, we have deleted that background."

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

I watched Expelled the other day on a recommendation from a friend. I’d been meaning to check it out just to get the take from the other side of the evolution debate. Expelled came out around the same time as Bill Maher’s anti-religious movie ‘Religulous,’ which I thought was good and blogged about briefly. Watching Expelled provided me with some interesting insights and although I’m not an advocate of Intelligent Design, I am open enough to hear out the other side’s argument. 

Expelled begins with footage of the Berlin wall being constructed in Germany following world war II. Two peoples who used to be united are now cut off from each other as hostilities ratchet up and threats of World War III escalate. 

Now we open with a college crowd waiting for Ben Stein who sits in his dressing room preparing to come out and speak. There is a cut to Richard Dawkins; "The battle over evolution is only one skirmish in a much larger war." Now Daniel Dennett appears; "Science simply makes no use of the hypothesis of God."  

Ben Stein walks into a hall full of clapping students. He takes the podium and begins his speech. "Freedom is the essence of America, we're talking about  freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom from fear, freedom of religion. Martin Luther King said America is essentially a dream. A dream of freedom and equality and freedom is the way to equality." 

Stein continues with footage of Iconic images of America. "Freedom is what makes this country great. Freedom has allowed us to create, explore and overcome every challenge we have faced as a nation. But imagine if these freedoms were taken away. Were would we be? What would we lose? Unfortunately I no longer need to imagine. It's happening. We are losing our freedom in one of the most important sectors of society; science. I have always assumed scientists were free to ask any question. To pursue any line of inquiry without fear of reprisal. But recently I have been alarmed to discover this is not the case."

Now Stein introduces evolutionary biologist Richard Sternberg whose life was nearly ruined when he strayed from the party line while serving as editor of a scientific journal affiliated with the prestigious Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. He dared to publish an article by Stephen Meyer, one of the leading lights of the intelligent design movement. The article suggested intelligent design might be able to explain how life began. As a result, Dr. Sternberg lost his office and was pressured to resign. 

Stein next takes us to Michael Shermer's office where he heads the skeptics society. Now we see Shermer giving a lecture - "I can't prove there is no God or Yaweh in your case any more than I can prove there is no Isis, Zeus, Apollo, Brahma, Ganesha, Mithras, Allah or for that matter the Flying Spaghetti Monster." He tells Stein in his office that skepticism is not a position you take. It's just an approach to claims. Stein - "Is intelligent design nonsense?" Shermer - "Well, it's unproven so in that sense it's nonsense. In the shaded areas between good solid science and total nonsense, it's sort of 3/4 of the way towards the nonsense side." Stein - "You think people should be allowed to speak about and write about it." Shermer - "They are free to write and publish and be heard in public forums and go to conferences just like everybody else does." When Stein asks about the situation with Sternberg, Shermer says, "People don't get fired over something like that." What Shermer espouses from his interview are the same ideals Stein rattles off at the beginning of the movie about freedom. Science has nothing to fear of new ideas if they are backed up by good solid data. 

Now Stein introduces scientist after scientist from various schools around the country who were curtailed in their attempts to bring intelligent design into their work. Here were a few examples: Caroline Crocker mentioned intelligent design in a classroom leading her career to come to an abrupt end. When confronted by her supervisor, he said she was going to be disciplined for teaching intelligent design which becomes the loss of her job. We see footage of a guillotine coming down. Ben stein continues that she not only lost her job but was blacklisted and unable to find a job anywhere. Caroline - "I was only trying to teach what the university stands for which is academic freedom." 

Stein introduces Robert Marks who Baylor University shut down his research website while forcing him to return grant money when they found links between his work and intelligent design. We cut to a scene of an ape-man in the movie Planet of the Apes, "Shut up you freak!" Now it shoots water from a hose at Charleton Heston's character who shouts back, "It's a mad house!!!!" 

Next we meet Guillermo Gonzalez who found himself in a fight with Iowa State University after publishing a book that argues the universe is intelligently designed. His application for tenure was denied even after his work led to the discovery of some new planets.  Dr. Gonzalez advice to other scientists who explore intelligent design in their work; "If they value their careers, they should keep quiet about their intelligent design views." 

We encounter many more scientists throughout this documentary who wouldn't dare show their faces in an interview for fear of losing their jobs.  One of these guys says, "If I write intelligent design, they hear creationism, they hear religious right, they hear theocracy." Stein now pipes in; "It appears Mr. Shermer was wrong. Intelligent design was being suppressed in a systematic and ruthless fashion. It was time to ask the scientific establishment what was so bad about intelligent design."

It is this last example that got me thinking about orientations within a polarity. Each side often fears their opposite and sees it as evil unless both energies are integrated together. In this case and countless others, the left side whose orientation often connects with atheism, science and Eastern spirituality, naturally fear the right side who are more often connected with theists, duality and western religion. Because my orientation began on the left side, I also fear intelligent design being connected to fundamentalism and sinister plans of the right to bring about a theocratic dictatorship that cuts off any and all expression of the left. This idea will be explored later on in this essay. 

At this point in the documentary, we see the opposing scientists speaking their mind. The first is Richard Dawkins; "Intelligent design people are not genuine scientists." Daniel Dennett - "It's just propaganda." P.Z. Myers - "Intelligent design is a racket. It's a set of excuses to squeeze creationism in the classrooms." Another scientist I couldn't identify says, "To present intelligent design stunts their (students) educational growth." Another scientist warns us; "Get intelligent design in the schools today and we can have school prayers tomorrow." Ben Stein finishes this thought as we view footage of former vice president Dan Quayle taking the stage and podium with 700 Club evangelist Pat Robertson. "Any other complaints?" Is Stein downplaying fears the left have of theocracy coming into power as an arm of the religious right? The answer seems to be yes considering that Stein uses Expelled as a vehicle expressing his own fears that dictatorship and evil threatens to emerge from the liberal - atheist leaning, Darwinism thumping left. 

The song "Love is in the Air" begins playing as we view a rally protesting intelligent design. Some signs read; "You evolved, but not enough." One sign is held by someone dressed in a George Bush mask; "Religion is the root cause of all terrorism. All terrorists are religious people. None are atheists." Another sign - "You're right, there is an intelligent designer and her name is mother nature!"

Stein - "There seemed to be a  lot to hate about intelligent design and nearly all of that hatred was focussed on one place." Daniel Dennett appears - "The people from the Discovery Institute doing the intelligent design, they're all varnish and no product." P.Z. Myers - "The Discovery Institution is a propaganda mill. It's an institution designed to suck in money from religious investors and turn it into a sanitized somewhat secular version of the creation story to get it into the schools."

What’s interesting about this is Dennett fears the same institution that I use as a model for a similar one in my screenplay, World W1n. In my story, The Eye of Enlightenment Institute colludes with this organization after fabricating a piece of Noah’s Ark in order to make a fundamentalist Biblical world view look true so it could assist in the rise to power of a president whose sole aim is to create an American theocracy.  

Now Ben Stein takes us to Seattle in search for the Discovery Institute, but everyone he asks on the streets haven't heard of it. He finally finds a big tower. Stein - "It's got to be the whole building." The institute turns out to occupy a single suite on the eighth floor. Ben Stein walks in and meets Bruce Chapman, head of Discovery Institute. Stein - "You've made an awful lot of trouble for being such a small office. I thought it was going to be like the pentagon."  Chapman - "We're like the little boy who said the emperor has no clothes. And he didn't have a big organization either."

One could argue here from the left’s or right's perspective that every form of evil looks harmless at its earliest stage. And in using an example from the classic mythological story of Star Wars, the Sith are only two in number when they begin to take over the galaxy. So from the point of view of someone’s fears on the left side, the Discovery Institute could be akin to something like the Sith in Star Wars. They look weak in number compared to the other side, but through deception and great evil, they are able to turn society in their favor to become a mighty force capable of stamping out all their enemies. 

But in looking at the polarity from the other side, the idea that the left is evil is just as palpable to Ben Stein and those on the right. In their minds, the institutions of science are so vast and gigantic already, they believe the danger lies in seeing another Hitler rise to power but this time from the left. They imagine eugenics and concentration camps happening all over again along with the persecution of anybody presenting an alternative perspective to the party line of Darwinist conformity. I wrote a brochure not long ago bringing attention to this interesting phenomenon of the left and right fearing that their opposite side is the vehicle through which evil is seeking to enter into the world.  

Stein continues to interview Chapman from the Discovery Institute. Stein - "When you go around and raise funds,  your people are not saying, btw, we're going to get all these scientists out and put Christ back in the classroom." Chapman - "Well, I don't know that Christ has ever been in the science classroom. This is not a religious argument, we have fellows who are Jewish or agnostic or various other things. There are Moslem scientists. There are people with all kinds of backgrounds who believe Darwin's theory has failed and so why would you bring religion into it? You don't need religion. This is a red herring and people who don't have an argument are reduced to throwing sand into your eyes." 

So, if Chapman is right, the theory of intelligent design can stand on its own power without the persuasive force of religion entering the equation. If this is the case, I’m all for Intelligent designers being allowed to reveal for one and all to see the solid science and hard evidence behind their theories.  

Stein next travels to Biola university, formerly known as the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. There he interviews professor Paul Nelson. Stein - "How much money have you ever gotten from Falwell or Robertson?" Nelson - "0" "Are you a minister?" "No." "Priest, pastor?" "No, I did teach sunday school once." "Has this all been resolved. Aren't we all Darwinists now except for a few cranks like you?" "It's a funny thing that questions that aren't properly answered don't go away. My experience is that evolutionary biologists will say, yeah, this theory has a lot of problems. Evolution is a kind of funny word. (like God) It depends on how one defines it. If it means simply change over time, even the most rock ribbed fundamentalist knows the history of the earth has changed, that there has been change over time. If you define evolution precisely though to mean the common descent of all life on Earth from a  single ancestor via undirected mutation and natural selection, that's textbook definition of Neo Darwinism. Biologists of the first rank have real questions." "But the modern theory of intelligent design is just microwaved creationism." "I don't think that's the case. Creationism properly understood begins with the Bible and says, how can I fit the bible into the data of science? Intelligent design doesn't do that. Intelligent design is the study of patterns in nature that are best explained as a result of intelligence." "So intelligent designers believe God is the designer." "Not necessarily. Intelligent design is a minimal commitment scientifically to the possibility of detecting intelligent causation."

Stein - "Dr. Nelson didn't sound like a crazy person, but I still suspected that intelligent design was reheated creationism. My next stop didn't seem like it was going to alleviate those fears." Now we see Texas flags flying in the wind where Stein takes us to the Southwestern theological seminary to interview William Albert Dembski in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dembski - "Evolution from an intelligent design perspective is perfectly acceptable if the sense is how did the design get implemented. The issue is, is there real design there and are these material mechanisms like natural selection? Are these adequate to account for everything we see in biology and our argument is, no it's not." Stein - "But Darwin produced all this evidence from his travels and his studies of the Galapagos that evolution explained things." "But if you look at the history of science, people often have a good idea and they decide to just run with it. And they say we're going to apply this everywhere. So Darwin takes his idea of natural selection and says, I'm going to explain all of life with it. Physics used to be Newtonian physics. Newton was physics and then you gotta look to Einstein, general relativity; Newton isn't enough. I think likewise what we are finding with Darwin is that he had some valid insights but it's not the whole picture. "

After hearing this argument, I immediately thought, “fair enough.” This guy has a point. Darwin’s theory of evolution may have worked for his time and up until the next brilliant scientist comes along with a new theory giving us a clearer perspective of life in the universe we inhabit. 

Stein shows us more clips of Richard Dawkins; "Evolution is a fact. It is a fact established as securely as any other fact in science. It is completely right to say that since the evidence for evolution is so absolutely totally overwhelming. nobody who looks at it could possibly doubt that if they were sane and not stupid, so the only remaining possibility is that they are ignorant. And most people who don't believe in evolution are indeed ignorant."

Stein takes us to the office of molecular biologist Jonathan Wells who is employed by the Discovery Institute. Stein - "How does Darwin or Darwinism say life began?" Wells - "Well, he didn't know and in fact nobody knows. So Darwinism strictly defined starts after the origin of life and deals only with living things." "How can their be a theory about life without a theory of how life began?" "Well, a grand overarching evolutionary story does include the origin of life but Darwin's theory doesn't begin until you have the first cell."

Now Stein puts the question to us, "Does someone have a theory about how life began?"

We next view footage of an evolutionary documentary called Cosmic Origins. The narrator explains to us; "The chemical elements essential for life, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon and Nitrogen were now in place. What was needed was a way of combining them. Perhaps the energy came from lightning. Whatever it was...," Stein - "Excuse me? Whatever it was? I was hoping for something a little more scientific. The most popular idea is that life emerged spontaneously from primordial soup. In 1953 Stanley Miller mixed water, Methane, Amonia and hydrogen to simulate the early Earth's atmosphere. Then he ran electricity through it in an attempt to jump start life. It didn't work. While the initial results seemed promising, 50 years later most serious scientists have abandoned this approach in favor of alternate theories. 

Prominent Darwinist Michael Ruse attempted to explain one of these theories to Ben Stein and wasn’t kidding about it. Ruse - "One popular theory is that it might have started off on the backs of crystals.  Molecules piggybacked on the back of crystals forming and this lead to more and more complex, of course the nice thing about crystals is that every now and then you get mistakes and mutations and this opens the way for natural selection." Stein - "Yeah, but at one point there was not a living thing and then there was a living thing. How did that happen?" Ruse - "Well, I just told you, and I don't see any reason why you shouldn't go from very simple to more and more complex to more and more complex." Stein - "I don't know either but I don't know how you get to mud to a living cell. that's my question." Ruse - "Yes, well I've told you and I'll try one more time. On the backs of crystals is at least one hypothesis." Stein - "So, that's your theory and you think that is more likely and less far fetched than intelligent design?" Ruse - "I think it is." 

Stein - "What were the chances of life starting on its own?" Dr. Walter Bradley - "It has been speculated that there would have to be a minimum of about 250 proteins to provide minimal life function. If that's really true, I think it's almost inconceivable that life could have happened in some simple step by step way." 

Dr. Doug Axe - "We're talking about something staggeringly improbable, roughly one in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion." Stein - "When faced with the overwhelming problem of the origin of life, nobel prize winner Francis Crick proposed this theory, that life was seeded on earth which basically means, aliens did it. Crystals? Aliens? I thought we were talking about science, not science fiction."

This idea that life was seeded by aliens caught my attention and I think is one of the ideas used for the aliens in the movie ‘Knowing’ which recently came out and starred Nicholas Cage. This is an interesting concept and makes one think of all sorts of other scenarios too. If we were created by some alien entity, could they ever return and decide to lord over us like the Conquistadors decided to lord over and plunder the Aztecs? All they would have to do is appear to us with the identity of Jesus surrounded by an army of angels and millions of Christians may be inclined to bow down and worship them. If humanity was able to create artificial life forms with machines, would we feel so bad if we misused and abused them? Just watching the movie A.I. gives one the clear idea that the answer to this question if expressed by the masses is a resounding “No!”

Molecular biologist Doug Axe then takes us into the mysteriously wonderful world of the cell through an animation. Axe - "Think of a cell as a nano factory where on a very small scale, digital instructions are being used to make the components of the factory. Here we have the famous DNA double helix. This is the material that stores all of our genetic information. In higher life forms, this would be the equivalent of something like a gigabyte of information stored in the molecules that form the individual chromosomes all packed within the nucleus which is a tiny fraction of the entire cell size. So what does DNA do? Well the information in DNA ends up providing the information for sequencing amino acids to make protein. We have information in a one dimensional form that provides the information for a three dimensional form."

We see a computer animation showing the inner workings of a cell which is both alien and strangely beautiful compared to anything we could witness with our consciousness in the natural world. A scientist named Myers tells Stein, “You got two possible hypothesis, you got a wall through the middle of your brain in affect, through your thinking saying, well you can't consider anything on this side of the wall. only hypothesis on this side of the wall are permissible for consideration.”

This comment makes one think about the polarity expressed in the world and in the human body. The tendency we all fear is when the opposite side of the polarity, to which we identity with, is overpowered and made to be subservient to the other side. This has happened throughout history and in a less tragic sense, in 19th century America where teachers forced students who were left handed (dominated by the right side of the brain) to switch to their right hand. (dominated by the left side of the brain) A more severe and disturbing scenario was seen in Nazi Germany where those with a left leaning orientation were made to be subservient to the right or face extermination. The question now is, can the left and right sides be merged into one unified whole? Can each side of the polarity be free of fear from their opposite? 

Further into the documentary we are treated to some B-role footage from an old movie of some kind. In the clip, a larger and stronger kid has pinned down a smaller and weaker boy. “Are you going to be on my side if I let you up?” “Sure, I'm on your side. Just let me up. I'll do anything you say." 

Now Stein introduces us to Will Provine, professor of the history of biology at Cornell, one of the few Darwinists who agrees with Stein's position that intelligent design should be open and freely studied in an academic setting. Unexpectedly, Provine becomes the one example Stein uses as the disturbing glimpse into the dangers of where Darwinism can lead. "I was a Christian but I never heard anything about evolution because it was illegal to teach it in Tennessee." 

Stein - “Dr. provine's first biology professor changed all that with a text book.” Provine - "I read that book so carefully and I could find no sign of any design whatsoever in evolution and I immediately began to doubt the existence of the deity. But it starts by giving up an active deity, then it gives up the hope that there's any life after death. When you give those two up, the rest of it follows fairly easily. you give up the hope that there's an immanent morality and finally there is no human free will. If you believe in evolution you can't hope for there being any free will. There is no hope whatsoever of there being any deep meaning in human life. We live, we die and we're gone. We're absolutely gone when we die." 

Stein - “Dr. Provine is no stranger to the prospect of death. Nearly a decade ago he was diagnosed with a large brain tumor.” Provine - "Let's suppose my tumor comes back as it almost certainly will. Well, I'm not going to sit around like my older brother did last year when he was dying of Lou Gherig's disease. He wanted desperately to die but we couldn't help him die. I don't want to die like that. I'm going to shoot myself in the head long before then. I want to do something different.”

Stein - “Dr. Provine's conversion story was typical amongst the darwinists we interviewed. After hearing these stories I was not surprised to hear that most evolutionary biologists share professor Dawkins views. It appears Darwinism does lead to atheism." This made me think back to arguments I’d have with my grandfather who had fundamentalist leanings. For him, Darwinism and God couldn’t co-exist. But for me, if there is a creator God, why couldn’t he/she operate the creation within context of the rules in gravity and the material world -- along with the rules of natural selection?  

Stein shows more clips of devout atheists. Dawkins - “I think that God is about as unlikely as fairies, angels hobgoblins etc.” Dr. Peter Atkins - “Religion is just fantasy basically. It's completely empty of any explanatory content. And it's evil as well.” Stein - “Will eradicating religion really lead to a modern utopia? Mmmm. Let me try to imagine that and lets let history be our guide.” We now see footage from Soviet Russia and Stalin.

Stein - “What other societies have used darwinism to trump all other authorities including religion. As a Jew, my mind leapt to one regime in particular. Darwinism isn't a sufficient condition for a phenomenon like Nazism but I think it's certainly a necessary one. This is a connection I had to explore personally." Now we see footage of Stein visiting a Nazi death camp and are shown footage of starving people. Stein then meets with the  author of ‘From Darwin to Hitler,’ Dr. Richard Weikart. "Hitler and many of the physicians that carried out this program were very fanatical darwinists and they particularly wanted to apply darwinism to society."

Weikart continues - “The spirit of the movement (Eugenics) lives on today. Margaret Sanger was the head of planned parenthood. She was very fanatical in her promotion of eugenics. In fact, planned parenthood was all about birth control for the impoverished and lower classes to try to help improve the species." Stein then travels to Dachau Concentration Camp in Germany.

Stein - "I know that Darwinism doesn't automatically equate to Nazism. But if Darwinism inspired and justified such horrific events in the past, could it be used to rationalize similar initiatives today? " When I heard Stein say this, I immediately thought that the same statement could be made but by replacing Darwinism with the word religion. Both sides of the polarity can look back throughout history and site examples of the evil committed in the name of religion and atheism. Both are guilty of wrong doing just as both can be elevated by all the good that they’ve done.  

Weikart - "And when we see an elite, and it is an elite; an elite that controls essentially all the research money in science, saying there is no such thing as moral truth. Science will not be related to religion. I mean it's essentially official policy of the national academy of science that science and religion will not be related. "

This statement made me think about how this may be the best opportunity for religion to unite under a single banner. Rather than remain fragmented as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, etc, perhaps the perceived experience of being looked down upon by scientists would change if religion united. If these separate fragments that all use different symbols and languages to describe the nature of the divine, stopped fighting and came together to form a single world religion, they might be able to change their negative status in the eyes of the secular. Just as scientists from across cultures and languages can come together and work as one with the same language of mathematics, perhaps this cooperation is what religion needs in order to move them towards a more legitimate identity. But alas, this is just a dream that may take a long time to ever happen.

Stein then travels to the birthplace of Darwinism and sees all the exhibits at his museum; Down House. While traveling through his estate, Stein quotes some of the writings of Darwin. "With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated. We civilized men on the other hand do our upmost to check the process of elimination. We build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed and the sick. Thus the weak members of society propagate their kind.  No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man. Hardly anyone is so ignorant as to let his worst animals breed." Now Stein goes through the museum looking at exhibits. He stops at a marble statue and stares into the face of Charles Darwin. 

One of the most interesting portions of this documentary sees Ben Stein go and interview Richard Dawkins. What was fascinating to me, is that Richard Dawkins doesn’t seem like his quick witted self when Stein sits for their conversation. I don’t know if Dawkins was having an off day or if Stein made him look off through editing. For someone on the left, is it possible their fears might see this interaction in good vs. evil terms as to why Dawkins doesn’t appear to come out on top in their debate? Would they see Stein as someone like a Sith whose powers of mind trick persuasion trump Dawkins and his extraordinary intellect? This latter theory seems the least likely. Here is an alternative perspective that will emerge from my notes throughout this dialogue. 

Richard Dawkins begins the conversation by reading from his book, The God Delusion - "The god of the old testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction. Jealous and proud of it. A petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak. A vindictive, bloodthirsty, ethnic cleanser. A misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” After Dawkins reads this and doesn’t get the counter reaction that he perhaps was expecting, the resulting effect seems to be a relaxing of his position. In effect, he is disarmed when Stein replies, “How about if people believed in a God of infinite lovingness and kindness and forgiveness and generosity, sort of like the modern day God? Why spoil it for them? Why not just let them have their fun and enjoy it?" 

Upon realizing that Stein’s consciousness or center of gravity doesn’t place him down to the level of fundamentalists that worship the Old Testament God, he responds in a more kindly fashion; “I don't want to spoil anything for anybody. I wrote a book, people can read it if they want to. I believe it is a  liberating thing to free yourself from primitive superstition.” Stein - "So religion is a primitive superstition?” Dawkins - "Oh, I think it is, yes." Stein - “So you believe it is liberating to tell people there is no God?” "I think a lot of people when they give up God feel a great sense of release and freedom.” "Why do you tink that? You're a scientist, what's your data?”  "Well, I've had a lot of letters saying that.” 

This next part made me scratch my head. If Dawkins was in the sharp form of his usual self, he would have knocked Stein’s next statement right down. Stein - "There are eight billion people in the world Mr. Dawkins.” Dawkins - "Yeah, I know, I know, I know. I know.”  Hmmmmm. This is what I’d imagine Dawkins responding here. “There are not 8 billion, there are 6 billion people in this world Mr. Stein.

Stein continues - “Professor Dawkins seems so convinced that God doesn't exist that I wondered if he was willing to put a number on it." Dawkins - “Well, it's hard to put a figure on it but I'd put it as something like 99% against." Stein - "How do you know it's 99% against and not something like 97%?” Dawkins - "You asked me to put a figure on it and I'm not comfortable putting a figure on it. I think it's just very unlikely.” Stein - “But you couldn't put a number on it?” Dawkins - Of course not.” Stein - “So, it could be 49%.” Dawkins - “Well, I think it's unlikely and quite far from 50%.” Stein - "How do you know?" Dawkins - “I don't know. I put an argument in the book.” Stein - "Well then who did create the heavens and the earth?" Dawkins - "Why do you use the word “who?” You see you automatically beg the question by using the word who.” Stein - "Well, then how did it get created?" Dawkins - "Well, um by a very slow process." Stein - “Well, then how did it start?" Dawkins - “Nobody knows how it started. We know the kind of event that it must have been. We know the sort of event that must have happened for the origin of life.” Stein - "And what was that." Dawkins - “It was the origin of the first self replicating molecule.” "right and how did that happen?” "I told you, I don't know." "So you have no idea how it started?" "No, nor does anybody else." “What do you think of the possibility that intelligent design might turn out to be the answer to some issues in genetics or in evolution?” "Well, it could come about in the following way. It could be that at some earlier time somewhere in the universe, a civilization evolved by probably by some Darwinian means to a very, very high level of technology and designed a form of life that they seeded onto, perhaps this planet. Now that is a possibility and an intriguing possibility and I suppose it's possible that you might find evidence for that  if you look at the details of biochemistry or molecular biology, you might find a signature of some sort of designer.”

This is an intriguing statement by Dawkins here and makes me think back to the novel Carl Sagan wrote; Contact. In it, an advanced alien race has been crunching the number in Pi on their supercomputer for millennia and have begun encoding a message within its very structure. Could there be something similar within our DNA? Of all those gigabytes of information inside our genetic material, is there a section that designers designated as a owner operators manual that contains all the information we need to master our bodies and repair them if needed? Perhaps there is even packets of more data within the data that if decoded, may yield terabytes and terabytes of something like an encyclopedia galactica. Maybe the aliens were hoping we would evolve to an advanced level (without destroying ourselves first) where retrieving this information became possible. Perhaps it would help us get to the next stage of our evolution or provide instructions of what we are supposed to do next. This is a fascinating idea worthy of further exploration. :-) 

Rather than branch off into this brainstorm, Ben Stein instead sees the response that Dawkins gives as a sign of weakness in the wall of Darwinian theory. Was Dawkins conceding defeat in taking the time to present what might be a viable scenario in which intelligent design might be plausible? Dawkins answers for himself at his own website. Stein - "Richard Dawkins thought intelligent design might be  a legitimate pursuit?" Dawkins continues - “And that designer could well be a higher intelligence from elsewhere in the universe, but that higher intelligence would itself had to come about by some explicable process. it couldn't have just jumped into existence spontaneously. That's the point.” What Dawkins says here reminds me of a lecture I watched him give at a Barnes and Noble in Manhattan. I had a small audio recorder I brought with me and recorded a portion of his talk and then synced it with footage from Spielberg’s movie A.I. to visually illustrate it’s idea.

 I also blogged about my experience at this lecture here. 

Stein’s voice over - "So professor Dawkins wasn't against intelligent design, just certain types of designers such as God.” Stein’s question for Dawkins - "So the Hebrew God, the God of the Old Testament, he doesn't exist in your view?” Dawkins - "That would be a very unpleasant prospect." What Dawkins says here made me LOL.  :-) And the idea of an alien entity who created us, acting like the God of the Old Testament is an unpleasant prospect too. 

Stein continues - "And the Holy Trinity of the New Testament?" Dawkins - “No. Nothing like that." Stein - "Do you believe in any of the Hindu Gods?” It is at this point were Dawkins seems to be more like himself. “How can you ask such a question? How could I, why would I considering I don't believe in any of the others.” Stein - "You don't believe in the Moslem God?" Dawkins -“No! Why do you even need to ask?” Stein - "Well, I just wanted to be sure. So you don't believe in any God anywhere?” Dawkins - "Any God anywhere would be completely incompatible with anything I have said.” Stein - "I just wanted to make sure you don't believe in any God anywhere.” Dawkins - "No." Stein -  "What if after you died you ran into God? He said, “what have you been doing Richard? I've been trying to be nice to you. I've given you a multi million dollar paycheck over and over again with your book and look what you did.” Dawkins - "Bertrund Russel had that point put to him and he said something like, “sir, why did you take such pains to hide yourself?”” At this point the interview ends but Stein continues the dialogue - "But if the intelligent design people are right, God isn't' hidden. We may even be able to encounter God through science if we have the freedom to go there.” This made me think of the Hadron Super Collider in Austria and France in which science is in pursuit of an elementary building block of matter which they have termed the  "God particle. " Stein - “What could be more intriguing than that?” 

Now Stein concludes expelled by moving back to the same auditorium in which he was addressing the students. “Freedom is what this country is all about. A huge part of freedom is freedom of inquiry. But now I'm sorry to say freedom of inquiry in science is being suppressed.” We jump cut to Reagan giving a speech at the Berlin wall in West Germany. "The wall cannot withstand freedom."

Now we cut to Will Provine endorsing Steins' vision: "I don't care what they end up as being. I don't care if they end up being religious creationists. If they have thought their way through the issues and get there, I'm all for them.”

Stein - “And why I think we're going to win in this struggle; because truth crushed to earth will rise again. Because no lie can live forever. I believe science gives us one perspective on the world and our religious insight gives us another insight on the world and by putting the two together, it will seem more deeply and more truly.” This is an attractive idea just like the idea that Democrats and Republicans, or any two sides of a polarity can compliment each other rather than fight each other tooth and nail.

Stein - “And if we will stand up for freedom... we will overcome.” The students in the auditorium rise and give Stein a standing ovation. We cut back to people chipping away at the Berlin wall as a big section starts crumbling away. Stein - I’ve taken a first step by speaking out about this issue. But if the wall is going to come down. We all have to do our part. Some of you will pay a heavy price for speaking out. You may even lose your job. I guarantee you will get hate email. But if you don't get involved, will anyone be left to carry on this struggle. Anyone, anyone, anyone?” We end Ben Stein’s documentary with an homage to his role in the movie ‘Ferris Beuler’s Day Off’.

* Warning! Major Movie Spoilers! *

I recently saw Angels and Demons in theaters this summer and was not disappointed. It was much better than The Da Vinci Code which is supposed to be the second installment after Angels and Demons the novel. Ron Howard the director took artistic license to switch them around and make Angels and Demons the sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Since I've never read either book, I don't know how far Howard has veered away from the original story crafted by Dan Brown, but I have heard from folks that the books are better than the movies. 

One connection I couldn't avoid in making in Angels and Demons were the strange parallels it had with Star Wars. It may not be well known to everyone that Ron Howard got his start working with George Lucas as an actor in his successful movie American Graffiti which appeared in theaters before the TV premiere of Happy Days, both of which helped launch Howard's and Lucas's career. I still don't know though if these parallels are something that unconsciously made there way in or were coincidences already in the books. Not to mention that one of the leading roles of the movie was played by Ewan McGregor who also happened to star as the young Jedi knight Obi Wan Kenobi in episodes I, II and III. I'll bring attention to these parallels throughout the course of this analysis and connect them to my thesis which centers around the conflict of good vs. evil. 

One way in which Angels and Demons differs from the plot arch of Star Wars is that it tells the story of how the good guys are able to thwart evil. This is a major contrast to Star Wars in which, the good guys try to thwart evil but fail. Evil then goes on to take control and rule over the galaxy until good rises again like a phoenix from the ashes. It makes one wonder how Angels and Demons would have been different if the good guys failed. Would the charisma and popularity of the new Pope help him lead a war between religion and science in the West, ultimately leading to some kind of fascist regime taking power and merging with the Vatican to form a theocracy? Is this the Beast we are warned of in Revelation, paving the way for the Anti-Christ and battle of Armageddon? Luckily we don't find this out.

From the beginning of Angels and Demons, we are drawn into the story by an amazing score composed by Hans Zimmer along with beautiful violin solos by Joshua Bell. The movie opens during Sede vacante, time of the empty throne. The progressive and beloved pope (perhaps evoking Pope John Paul II) has suddenly died and the faithful march the body through St. Peter's square. According to the announcer, the church finds itself and its billion Catholics "...at a crossroads, its ancient traditions threatened by a modern world." 

Our view moves to the hadron supercollider where it has just been activated. One of the main characters of the story, Vittoria Vetra played by Ayelet Zurer, asks a scientist nearby to "wait". He replies, "We can't wait any longer." Vittoria counters, "...even with proper calibration, we might not be prepared. Just call the director. Stop this." The scientist responds with a statement that describes the threat we will see the main characters face at the end of the movie; "This will not blast us to the other side, so, please." 

After powering up, we witness the molecular collisions in a dizzying journey through the hadron collider at the subatomic level. Antimatter has been created and it appears in three small canisters inside the office of Father Silvano Bentivoglio, who is both a scientist and a Catholic priest.  He then declares; "the unknown has been created. We are now in God's hands, Vittoria." 

This statement from the mouth of Vittoria's superior echoes the sentimental expression throughout the holy scriptures of Christianity that attest that we have been "...in God's hands..." ever since the beginning of Creation where God brought light into darkness and the anti-thesis of (good) himself in the form of (evil) Satan. This "good" contrasting with "evil" has lead the faithful to feel trapped between powers beyond their control with their fate resting entirely in "God's hands." Creating something "unknown" is also an apt description of the nature of evil. People are often frightened by the "unknown" and what they don't understand. Evil is a word that describes darkness until the light illuminates it to reveal what was once hidden and feared. And as we will see illustrated later in this film, once the light penetrates the darkness of the "unknown", evil has no place to hide. 

The next moment we see Vittoria rushing to Bentivoglio's office, most likely to congratulate him. But just as anti-matter, the anti-thesis of matter has just been created, we are introduced to the anti-thesis of all the so called good the scientists have been working towards. This begs the question though; can anti-matter exist without matter? Can the Christ exist without the anti-Christ? The anti-hero of this film appears in the form of a man carrying a briefcase passing Vittoria on her way to see her colleague. 

Vittoria comes to a retina scanner and rests her chin on a stand until her identity is confirmed. After she has been cleared to enter, her attention is drawn to blood dripping off her chin. Sitting on the floor in front of her is a human eyeball, ripped out of the socket. Her response; "Oh God." She then finds her Catholic colleague dead on the floor, mutilated by an intruder who has stolen one of the canisters containing the newly created anti-matter.  

Now we move to Robert Langdon swimming laps at a Harvard swimming pool. Walking stroke by stroke with him is a man with a black leather bag and a Papal symbol on its side. He is Vatican Police officer Claudio Vincenzi. Now walking together to Langdon's office, Vincenzi reveals an ambigram, the Illuminati symbol representing the secret society that disappeared hundreds of years ago. Considered a myth for 400 years, Langdon explains that they planned to resurface once they had amassed enough power to carry out their final goal; the destruction of Vatican City. 

Like the Sith in Star Wars who disappeared for a thousand years only to resurface and infiltrate the Jedi order, we find out from Vincenzi that the Illuminati are believed to be back and responsible for kidnapping 4 preferiti cardinals in running for Pope, who they threaten to systematically murder one by one. Langdon however doesn't buy it. "Someone is trying to make you believe the Illuminati themselves have returned to Rome..."  

Vincenzi reveals that Langdon was being sought to uncover their true identity and stop "this abomination." 

Langdon asks, "Why me?" "Your recent involvement with certain church, shall we say, mysteries..."  "I wasn't under the impression that that episode endeared me to the Vatican.” (referring to events from The Da Vinci Code) Even if this was the case, Vincenzi reveals that a Vatican jet was standing by. 

Now we fly with Langdon and Vincenzi over Vatican City in a helicopter. Vincenzi - "If the Illuminati have returned and are in Rome, we will hunt them down and kill them." "The Illuminati did not become violent until the 17th century. Their name means the "Enlightened Ones". They were physicists, mathematicians and astronomers. they were concerned with the church's inaccurate teachings and they were dedicated to scientific truth. But the vatican didn't like that, so the church began to, how did you say it? Oh, hunt them down and kill them. Drove them underground into a secret society." 

This line echoes the story of the Sith in Star Wars in which their knowledge of the dark side of the Force led the Jedi to hunt down and seek to destroy them. Like the Sith, the Illuminati had knowledge of the world that the Catholic church considered "the Dark Side" or heretical, counter to the story told in the Bible concerning the nature of truth. And like the Sith, according to Langdon, they sought to amass great power and then reveal themselves in their quest for revenge on the Catholic church. 

In Vatican City, Catholic priests exit something like a tour bus. Some of them smoke, talk on cell phones, shoot video footage of the architecture, and wear expensive jewelry. (Not a very flattering image of Catholicism's respected leaders.) Although Angels and Demons seems a bit kinder to the Catholic religion than The Da Vinci Code, there is still some more instances where the church is portrayed as a negative force in the world. Langdon's helicopter has landed and he is introduced to Olivetti, inspector general of the Vatican Police force. He is responsible for everything inside Vatican walls, with the exception of the security of his Holiness and the Apostolic palace which is under jurisdiction of the Swiss Guard. 

As Inspector Olivetti leads Langdon to the Swiss Guard headquarters, they move through a vast passageway lined with male statues. Langdon - "Oh yes, Pope Pius the IX's great castration." Official - "I beg your pardon?" Langdon - "1857, Pope Pius the IX felt the male form would inspire lust, so he took a hammer and chisel and unmanned hundreds of these statues. The plaster fig leaves were added later." Inspector Olivetti - "Are you anti-Catholic Professor Langdon?" Langdon - "No, I'm anti-vandalism" Inspector Olivetti - "I urge you to guard your tone here." 

Angels and Demons is riddled with lines like this where Robert Langdon brings attention to the shortcomings in the Catholic Church's past while upset officials take offense. It is at the beginning of the movie and in the next few scenes to come in which we get a more clear picture of Langdon's orientation as in relation to the church.

Langdon enters the Swiss Guard office and sits down next to Vittoria Vetra. We meet the head of the Swiss Guard, Commander Richter, who makes a snide remark when he sees Robert Langdon. "Oh, professor Langdon, what a relief the symbologist is here. " Ms. Vetra fills the inspector in on what happened at the supercollider. Then we see footage from a stolen security camera showing the missing anti-matter canister which will create an explosion once the internal battery dies just before midnight, causing the containment field to collapse. 

When Commander Richter inquires about anti-matter, Ms. Vetra explains how it will help uncover origins of the universe and "...isolate what some people call the “God particle.”" Commander Richter seems to be upset by this concept. Then Ms. Vetra explains to Commander Richter what would happen if the battery dies and the anti-matter goes out of suspension to come into contact with matter. "The two opposing forces would annihilate one another violently." We are again reminded of the metaphor matter and anti-matter have become for good and evil, who similarly are two opposing forces that annihilate one another violently when they come into contact. 

Richter - "What kind of anhiliation? How violent?" Ms. Vetra - "A cataclysmic event. A blinding explosion equivalent to about five kilotons." Langdon chimes in, "Vatican City will be consumed by light." We find out that these are the exact words the kidnapper uses. "We will destroy your four pillars. We will brand your preferiti and sacrifice them on the alters of science. Then bring your church down upon you. Vatican city will be consumed by light. A shining star at the end of the path of illumination." 

Langdon - "It's the ancient Illuminati threat, destruction of Vatican City through light."  "...revenge for the Purga." Official - "The Purga?" Langdon - "Jeez, you guys don't even read your own history, do you. 1668, the church kidnapped four Illuminati scientists and branded each one of them on the chest with the symbol of the cross, purged them of their sins and executed them. Threw their bodies out on the street as a warning to others to stop questioning church rulings on scientific matters. They radicalized them. The Purga created a darker more violent Illuminati. One bent on retribution, and look how they intend to finally get it. Using anti-matter. Technology to destroy the church. Science obliterates religion." 

The way in which Langdon uses his words and artfully brings attention to the faults in Catholicism's past without flat out condemning it, shows that he walks a thin line between being anti-religious among the religious. 

At first Langdon has resistance from the police when he requests access to the Vatican archives but after he explains how he may be able to find the trail and stop the murders, they decide to bring him before Camerlengo, Patrick McKenna, the only one aside from the Pope himself who can grant access to such a place. When in Camerlengo's presence he reveals that he is aware of the Illuminati; "I'm familiar with the Illuminati lore and the legend of the brandings. The Purga is a dark stain on this church's history. I'm not surprised this ghost has returned to haunt us." 

Then Camerlengo calls Langdon to his private quarters. "Christianity's most sacred codices are in that archive. Given your recent entanglement with the church, (The Da Vinci Code) there is a question I'd like to ask you here in the office of his Holiness. Do you believe in God sir?" "Father, I simply believe that religion..." "I did not ask you if you believe what man says about God. I asked if you believe in God." "I'm an academic. My mind tells me I will never understand God." "And your heart?" "Tells me I'm not meant to. Faith is a gift that I have yet to receive." Camerlengo nods. "Be delicate with our treasures." 

The way in which Robert Langdon responds to Camerlengo's question makes one wonder if his artful answer was authentic or if he was just trying to assure he'd be allowed into view the archives. Identifying himself as an academic, and his willingness to entertain ideas considered to be heretical by the church reveals Langdon's pagan orientation. But what separates someone like Langdon from the fanatics of The Da Vinci Code and this film, is his refusal to be stuck in identification towards only one side of the duality. 

Although Langdon has more in common with Atheists and Pagans, he is able to empathize with and be of service to those theists, who aren't themselves so stuck in identification towards their own side, that they fail in empathizing with their opposite. It is an opposite attraction, (illustrated by Langdon's profession; a non religious man whose career is centered around study of the religious) that unlike matter and anti-matter, good and evil, doesn't lead two opposing forces to annihilate one another violently. 

The same thing might be said about the ideal relationship between men and women. When brought together in marriage, the two opposing energies of yin and yang can complement each other. But in relationships where men don't empathize with their opposite or vice versa, the contrast of this duality can and often does end violently.

Inspector Olivetti leads Langdon and Ms. Vetra towards the archives where they are in search of Galileo's bound volume, Diagramma Della Verita. We find out that Galileo was an Illuminati and obedient Catholic who didn't think church and science were enemies, "...but just a different language telling the same story."

Meanwhile, Camerlengo and Cardinal Strauss speak. From their conversation, we get the impression that Camerlengo is a practical and level headed man and that Strauss is a bit naive and uncaring. Camerlengo - "We must evacuate Vatican City." "That is exactly what they want. Publicity and panic. No, we must not give them oxygen for the media fire." "But the people in St. Peter's square." "Care deeply about their church as we do. Their faith will sustain them." "Their faith will not protect them from an explosion." "We are all bound for heaven eventually, are we not?" "Spoken like one who has enjoyed the blessings of a long and full life." Camerlengo is unable to move his superior into action. 

As Langdon and Ms. Vetra are escorted into the Vatican archive by police officer Chartrand, I couldn't help but think of the Jedi archives from Star Wars Episode II where Jedi master Obi Wan Kanobi (played by Ewan McGregor) uses the archives to search for the map of the planet Kamino; the location of the clone army factory that has been removed from archive star charts by Sith infiltrating the Jedi order. 

In an archive reading room, Langdon opens Galileos, Diagram of Truth. Inside, Galileo laid out his theories about the Earth revolving around the sun. Langdon - "It said Earth was not the center of some universe with heaven above and hell below as the church had said it was." Ms. Vetra - "So they forced him to recant?" "This is how he got the word out. It was made out of papyrus so any scientist caught with a copy, could throw it in water and Galileo's heresy would dissolve and disappear." 

On the document's pages, Langdon and Ms. Vetra find a watermark and line of text in English, which was a language that "...wasn't used in the Vatican. It was too polluted. Free thinking. It was a language of radicals like Shakespeare and Chaucer." Ms. Vetra rips out the page to Langdon's surprise. 

In a race against time, Langdon, Ms. Vetra and Inspector Olivetti shoot through the streets of Vatican City towards a church implicated in a poem on the stolen page. Upon arrival, Commander Richter is dismayed by Langdon basing his decisions on interpretations from a 400 year old poem. He abruptly calls all his police forces back to the Vatican. Langdon - "Comadante, if you care at all about your church, you'll listen to me." "...my church comforts the sick and dying, my church feeds the hungry. What does your church do Mr. Langdon? That's right. You don't have one." 

Inspector Olivetti, Claudio Vincenzi, Langdon and Ms. Vetra race to the correct church which appears to be under renovation. It is here that they find the body of the first preferiti killed. It is a grizzly crime scene revealing how much of a monster the Assassin is. The next marker seems to point towards St. Peter’s square where our characters find thousands of people and a massive protest towards Stem Cell research. Among the fighting, we can hear some of the words from the protestors. "Stem cell research is murder!" "They force sick people to sin" "Man is not God!" 

Langdon finds the west wind bas-relief statue and determines they are in the right place. Now a fight breaks out among the protestors. A little girl drops her doll and picks it up to discover it's covered in blood. She screams as she looks up to see the second preferiti laying dying on some steps nearby. Not far away we see the assassin slipping away through the crowds. 

Meanwhile, in the holy office, it is discovered that the pope may have been poisoned by the Illuminati through his medication. Langdon heads back to the Vatican archives with Chartrand to search for "church assets." Langdon - "Corporations tend to keep track of their holdings." Chartrand - "The Catholic church is not a corporation. It's a beacon. A source of inspiration for one billion lost and frightened souls." "sure I get that. It's also a bank." Langdon says this after passing by a room full of paintings, a carriage and an old Mercedes along with some other antique car in mint condition. 

Ms. Vetra has remained at the Vatican with Camerlengo to study the journals of Father Silvano Bentivoglio in the hopes of finding a reference to the one in the Catholic church he spoke to concerning the anti-matter canisters. Camerlengo convinces Ms. Vetra to go with him to exhume the body of the Pope in order to determine any signs of poisoning even after 14 days of being dead. Camerlengo leads Ms. Vetra and some others to the Pope's resting spot of mourning. We learn Camerlengo was adopted and brought up in the church. He did military service in some unknown war as a pilot of helicopters. 

Meanwhile, in the archive, someone has disabled the building's power which has stopped the flow of oxygen to their room. Chartrand is lucky to escape with Langdon who knocks a bookshelf down in order to break the bullet proof windows. 

Back at the Holy Father's tomb, Camerlengo kneels down and says a prayer in front of the casket. "My holy father, when I was young, you taught me the voice in my heart was God's voice. You said I should follow it no matter how painful. What I do, I do in the name of everything you believe." We will come back to this statement later in this analysis. After prying open the casket, we see the Pope's body with signs of poisoning. The implications of this murder indicate that the Illuminati have infiltrated the Vatican.

Langdon meanwhile races to the next church. We learn that the power cut from the archives may have been carried out by the Illuminati who have infiltrated the Swiss Guard. After the grisly discovery from the Pope's tomb, Ms. Vetra returns to her desk to find the journals missing, who we later find out were confiscated by Commander Richter. When Ms. Vetra tries to retrieve them, he tells her they will be returned after the investigation.

Camerlengo opens the doors interrupting conclave to warn the college of cardinals through a rousing speech, of the grave threat they are now up against. 

"Our church is at war. We are under attack from an old enemy. The illuminati. They have struck us from within, murdering our holy father and threatening us all with destruction at the hands of their new God, science. They call it retribution. They think it's justified because of the church's attacks on men of science in the distant past, and it's true. Since the days of Galileo, this church has tried to slow the relentless march of progress, sometimes with misguided means. But science and religion are not enemies. There are simply some things that science is just too young to understand. So the church pleads; stop, slow down, think, wait. And for this they call us backward. But who is more ignorant? The man who cannot define lightning or the man who does not respect its natural awesome power. The battle is well under way. We must defend ourselves. But what if this time we fight their stealth with openness. Combat their wicked scheme with simple truth and end this brutish battle once and for all. If the outside world could see this church as I do, looking beyond the ritual of these walls, they would see a modern miracle. A brotherhood of imperfect simple souls who want nothing more than to be voices of compassion in a world spinning out of control. Senori. I ask, I pray that you break this conclave. Open the doors, evacuate St. Peters square and tell the world the truth." 

Although his efforts seem to rouse some of the cardinals, head Cardinal Strauss isn't moved. He denies the college from breaking conclave and asks Camerlengo to assist the Swiss Guard in finding the explosive device.

At this point in the story, one may wonder about the motives behind an Illuminati that leaves a coded message pointing to their plans as well as a trail for their enemies to follow. If they really wanted revenge, wouldn't they just immediately detonate the anti-matter to destroy Vatican City and then broadcast a recorded message to the world? It would seem in this case that the Illuminati want to be caught and their plans thwarted. But why? 

Now hot on the trail of the Illuminati at the third church, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Langdon and police enter to find the third preferiti hanging over a burning fire. As the police try to rescue him, the assassin appears from the rear of the chapel, taking them out with his gun one by one. before the assassin can get Langdon, he narrowly escapes down a shaft into a crypt at the front of the church. More police eventually show up and rescue Langdon from below but are unable to save the preferiti. 

The police want to take Langdon back to the Vatican but he convinces them that three dead Cardinals is enough; they must save the 4th before it is too late. They show up at the last church of the "Water" alter where a van pulls up. The two officers go to investigate but are both shot by the assassin. The 4th preferiti, Cardinal Baggia, is thrown into the Fountain of the Four Rivers with weights attached to his body. With the help of some pedestrians near by, Langdon is able to rescue and save him. Cardinal Baggia then tells Langdon the location of the Illuminati's lair: Castel Sant' Angelo. 

Langdon, Ms. Vetra and the police race off to find the antimatter. The police are lead astray in another direction while Langdon and Ms. Vetra find a secret passage into the assassin's lair. There they find the empty holding cells of the kidnapped preferiti as well as another door and stair case to a chamber above. Langdon and Ms. Vetra frantically  search the room for antimatter as the assassin watches them from a distance. Langdon finds a chest with the four brands. A final 5th brand, a cross and keys; symbol for the Papacy, is missing. Since there is no Pope to kill, they both agree Camerlengo will be the next target. 

The assassin steps out from the shadows and tells Ms. Vetra to throw her cell phone into the fire place. Ms. Vetra - "Murderer." Assassin - "You know when they call me, and they all call me. It is so important to them that I know that what they ask is the Lord's will, or Allah's or Yaweh's. And I suppose they're right. Because if he was not vengeful, I would not exist, now would I? I've had several chances to eliminate you tonight. You're still alive because you have no weapon and they didn't ask me to kill you.  But if you pursue me, it is another matter. Be careful. These are men of God." 

This line of the movie opens up a lot to discuss concerning the nature of God, the universe, good and evil. We are told in the ancient scriptures of the Bible that God is love but conversely someone to be feared. And from a scientific perspective, the universe is governed by impersonal and harsh laws, that if not feared, will lead to your destruction. We are reminded of this in the news. A couple years ago, a small toddler fell to her death in the Grand Canyon. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/10/national/main3351323.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_3351323

Perhaps the fear of God or gravity had not yet taken hold in this child's mind. She may have moved to the edge attracted to the exhilaration of looking straight down to imagine flying off the ledge. But the harsh reality of the laws of gravity trumped the fantasy of imagination, sending her several hundred feet straight to a violent death. Events like this are often linked to the religious losing their faith. "How could such a loving God send an innocent child to such a cruel and traumatic death?” 

It is this schism or paradox that splits yin and yang down the middle. (yin and yang being symbols of the duality dividing the theist and atheist minds.) To someone like a Robert Langdon, God isn't to blame because God doesn't exist. Paradox is resolved by seeing the universe as impersonal and unconscious about the cruelty it may inflict on its creatures. God is only found as a level of consciousness, personality or awareness that might evolve within a particular creature. 

But in some theist's minds, this perspective leads to a view of life that is meaningless and void of any direction. If God isn't directing the creation, what is the point of living in a coldhearted universe that may go nowhere and end without any resolution or reward? It is this emptiness that creates the need for God who must be reconciled to both fear and love. 

It is this dichotomy that must go hand in hand within the mind of every believer. And in the case of the Assassin, he was an expression of one side of this God, showing the face of wrath and fear to all who would not yield to his will. And those who hired him, did so because they must keep up their appearance of God's other face; forgiveness and love. When the assassin describes the men hiring him as “men of God,” he refers to their willingness to blend paradox within themselves and reconcile what seems irreconcilable without burden on their conscience, freeing them up to commit some of the most heinous crimes. 

After the assassin leaves Ms. Vetra and Langdon, we find out he has been given a car by his boss or bosses and money in payment for what he has done. But the warning to "...be careful." he gave Ms. Vetra and Langdon is a warning he should have taken to heart.  In the next scene, we see him find the keys to the car which he gets in and starts the engine. But he will never be able to enjoy his payment because the vehicle has been rigged with a bomb which explodes with him inside. Perhaps this was a way for whoever inside the church who was orchestrating events, to wash their hands of innocent blood. 

Now Commander Richter shows up in Camerlengo's quarters. He stands by an open fire and speaks to Richter; "Have you come to make me a martyr?" Commander Richter locks the door. Ms. Vetra and Langdon race back to the holy office in an attempt to save Camerlengo. Father Simione comes to the door and demands the guards standing there to let him in and see Camerlengo, but they forbid it. "I'll see about that." 

Ms. Vetra and Langdon beat on a locked door that guards hear and open. "Camerlengo is in danger." They race back to Camerlengo's quarters and break the door open. Camerlengo is sitting on the floor with the Papal seal branded into his chest and the glowing brand on the floor. Now Camerlengo points to Richter, "He's the one. He's got a gun." The guards shoot and kill Richter whose last gesture is to hold his hand open revealing a key which Langdon takes. Then Father Simione storms in and picks up the brand to hit Camerlengo with it. Camerlengo - "Illuminatus!" "You bastard!" "Illuminatus!" They shoot Father Simione before he can strike Camerlengo. 

In watching this scene, I couldn't help but be reminded of Star Wars Episode III where Anakin storms into Palpatine's office to find him being brutalized by Mace Windu. In a sense, Camerlengo was impersonating something similar. He wanted those who found him in his quarters to think that Richter was the monster murdering cardinals and branding him on the chest. In this case it works in a similar fashion that it played out in Revenge of the Sith; the monster becomes the helpless victim. 

Camerlengo is branded on the chest with the Papal seal of the crossed keys but upside down which was done in reference to St. Peter, the first Pope who was crucified upside down. Camerlengo - "Upon this rock I will build my church." Langdon - "Or bring it down upon itself." Camerlengo - "The bomb. It's in St. Peter's tomb."

Outside, a helicopter comes down to rest over the crowds in St. Peter's square. Now that they know where to look for the anti-matter, Camerlengo, Ms. Vetra and Langdon race through the chambers of St. Peter's tomb. Along with some of the police, they find the bomb in an area that looks like it's undergoing renovation. Ms. Vetra picks up the canister and tries to replace the battery. But it is determined that the cold temperature decreases the battery life. 

Ms. Vetra - "We may have less than five minutes. If I pull the power with less than five minutes, the residual charge won't hold suspension. We should leave it here, and get clear if we can. At least down here the damage..." "No!" Camerlengo grabs the canister and rushes out with it up to the St. Peters square, where he runs over and tells the pilot that he will take the helicopter up alone. 

The helicopter rises off the ground and takes off straight up with the canister having only minutes left before detonation. Camerlengo crosses his heart and looks like he is reciting a prayer. 

A tear falls from the eyes of Ms. Vetra below, obviously touched by Camerlengo's selfless act, as are the astonished crowds looking up to heaven. Now the anti-matter explodes in the sky creating a blinding light. The shock wave from the explosion sends people flying around St. Peter’s Square like bowling pins. Priceless treasures topple from the ceiling of a cathedral. In the heavens is a beautiful view of the explosion which reveals a stunning cloud formation that is reminiscent of famous art depicting the return or ascent of Christ.   

This scene brings us back to the philosophical quandary between good’s dependency on evil and vice versa. When matter and anti-matter come together, a blinding flash creates a spectacular and breathtaking form in the clouds considered by all on the ground to be beautiful. 

This contrast of opposites in the sky is the same recipe in our movies that assures a successful film. If we observe the top twenty highest grossing movies world wide of all time, all but four of them involve epic battles between good and evil. 

top20

 If the most popular movies among the masses deemed the most attractive to watch are films that involve this contrast of extremes, what does this say about what human beings also like to create for themselves and watch unfold in the real world through the super high definition camera of their eyes? If good and evil’s need for each other was removed from the drama of our political lives and designated solely to the big screen, would there be the same religious expectancy among Christians that Jesus must return to save us from ourselves?

Fiction Non Fiction

Now a figure falling from the sky with a parachute seems to come out of the cloud formation and land in St. Peter's square, knocking out several people along the way. The crowds clap and then break into cheering. A miracle has saved their beloved city and Camerlengo; the new hero who returns to Earth from heaven like their Lord and savior. 

In conclave, Chartrand comes in and tells the college of Cardinals about Camerlengo's heroism. "He sacrificed himself to save Vatican city." Meanwhile, Ms. Vetra and Langdon share coffee in Richter's office. Ms. Vetra - "The worst thing we thought would happen, is that our work would fall into the hands of the energy companies. We thought we could change the world. So naive." Langdon - "No, not naive. Innocent maybe. But it's not a crime."  "I'm not so sure."  "Go back to work. Change the world." 

Langdon expresses here the optimism of science. Rather than wait for the rewards of heaven, science has always sought to bring these rewards here and now to Earth. It is this attitude which has been changing our world for thousands of years. 

In conclave, the cardinals are debating how to make Camerlengo new pope. One of the excited cardinals explains, "They are singing in St. Peter's square. What happened here tonight transcends our laws." The other cardinals agree that they need not throw out their old laws but simply make convocation by admiration. "If the holy spirit speaks through us and we call a man's name out loud, that is election by adoration. That is God's choice." Inside Vatican hospital, Camerlengo is being treated for his wounds. He is then summoned to conclave. 

Ms. Vetra and Langdon are still in Commander Richter's office, but now alone. Ms. Vetra finds the trap door and takes her confiscated journals back. Then a video screen pops up. Langdon pulls out the key he took from Richter's hand and finds the key hole near a monitor and puts it in to activate the screen. It reveals footage from cameras shooting inside Camerlengo's quarters before and after Richter's death. We hear and see the truth unfold: 

"I read the journals Patrick." "The scientists kept journals, so?" "You figure prominently in them." "Really." "Bentivoglio wasn't only a physicist, he was also a Catholic priest. And he was deeply conflicted about the implications of his work and in need of spiritual guidance like Galileo. About a month ago he requested an audience with the Pope but you know that, because you granted the audience and you were also present during it." "The God particle! To actually claim an act of creation. The blasephemy! The arrogance!" "The holy father didn't see it like that. He urged him to go public, his holiness thought the discovery could actually scientifically prove the existence of a divine power and begin to bridge the gap between science and religion." "His work was not religious, it was sac-religious." "But you, you saw the pope's position as a softening of church law, as an old man's weakness, your father's weakness. You murdered the vicar of Christ." "He raised me to protect the church, even from within." "Then you conjured up an old enemy from the past, the Illuminati. You found the ancient brands in the papal vaults and put them to use. To spread fear." "The cardinals are men of belief. Right now their belief in evil is uniting them. The entire Catholic world will be united by this attack." "There is no attack. You are trying to convince the cardinals they're in a war so they will choose a warrior to lead them." "We are at war. We're weak when we should be strong. If science is allowed to claim the power of creation, what is left for God?" "It didn't work Patrick." "It isn't finished." "Oh yes it's finished. It's finished. I've shown the journals to father Simione. The moment the doors to conclave open, he will tell the cardinals what you've done." 

Camerlengo grabs the fifth brand, glowing hot off the fire. Camerlengo - "I was planning on doing this alone." "Put it down." "Perhaps it's better you're here." "Put it down! Put it away!" Richter takes out his gun. Now Camerlengo turns the brand on himself and burns it to his chest. He screams and falls to the floor in writhing pain. Now the guards storm the room and shoot Richter as father Simione storms in, picks up the brand and tries to strike Camerlengo, but he is shot too. 

We zoom away from the screen where three cardinals watch the video in disbelief. Ms. Vetra and Langdon stand nearby. Now Camerlengo goes into conclave, summoned by the college of cardinals. He opens the door and all of them are standing in front of him, but instead of being greeted by warm faces, they stare at him with icy scorn, having full knowledge of all that he has done. Several guards approach him at the front and from behind. Camerlengo backs up in fear and walks out. The guards follow him through the halls of St. Peter's Basilica. He continues but is surrounded by more guards. 

Now he approaches one of the ninety-nine holy lamps, takes it and pours the oil all over himself to light it on fire, immolating himself in hopes of becoming a martyr. After all, Camerlengo did what he did in the name of everything his father (previous Pope) believed. Because he was so good at lying, it is difficult to know where he stood on any of the issues present in the plot. In front of the college of cardinals, he elevates science and religion as equals while condemning science in the presence of Commander Richter. 

But is it possible that Camerlengo believed everything he was doing was for good? Did he honestly believe he was doing the Catholic church a service by creating the evil needed to bring them together and unite them? If so, he was good inside his own mind and in good conscience, in compliance with the famous Bible verse, Romans 8:28: "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." And in the Bible, God's good purpose ends with Revelation where Christ must appear in the "End Times" to destroy and defeat the anti-Christ. To Camerlengo, this war was real and he was only helping God bring it into being.

Outside on St. Peter's square, crowds have called Camerlengo to be canonized as a saint. They are told he died from injuries sustained in the journey back to Earth from the heavens. We await the new Holy Father, Cardinal Baggia, who was selected the next Pope; the only surviving preferiti that Langdon is able to rescue. 

Langdon appears before the new Pope and his new Camerlengo, Cardinal Strauss. He carries with him Galleleo's Diagramma Della Verita. "We are grateful you saved his life. And it is our understanding that you require this text to complete your scholarly work. We ask only that in your last will and testament, you insure that it finds it's way home." "Of course." "And when you write of us, and you will write of us, may I ask one thing. Do so gently." "I'll try." "Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed, all men, including this one." With this, Cardinal Strauss points to himself. 

Now we see the new pope getting the new ring. Ms. Vetra - "He chose the name Luke." Langdon - "There's been many Marks and Johns but never a Luke." This is the last connection to Star Wars that presents itself in Angels and Demons. Luke is not only the name of the chapter in the New Testament. In the classic Trilogy It is also the name of the "chosen one," the Jedi knight who brings balance to the Force by removing evil's mask to reveal it's illusory nature. And so is the case in this story where evil's lies are exposed by shining light on them to reveal the "great war" between science and religion is and will always be an illusion to those who see themselves within their opposite. 

Vittoria Vetra - "Thats quite a message, science and faith all in one." Cardinal Strauss - "The world is in need of both. Mr. Langdon. Thanks be to God for sending someone to protect his church." Robert Langdon - "I don't believe he sent me father." "Oh my son, of course he did." The new Pope smiles at Langdon and bows his head. Then he exits the deck to see the cheering crowds of St. Peter's square. 

Angels and Demons ends with science and religion reconciled to each other as friends. And just as Galileo believed hundreds of years ago, they are capable of friendship because they are both “...just a different language telling the same story." When doing a search for ambigrams for this presentation, I found a very interesting perceptual shift ambigram by Douglas Hofstadter on Wikipedia that expresses the essence of this compatibility. 

Light is a wonderful metaphor for the dual nature of reality which splits down the middle into religious and scientific , yin and yang, spiritual and material world views. Since light is both a particle and a wave, at times it displays wave or particle like qualities. The Western religious world-view concerns itself with the “Omega.” It’s focus is on the  exterior aspect of duality and the “End Times.” As seen above in the artist renderings of Christ’s return, we notice a brilliant tunnel opening up with a bright light at the end. Isn’t this the “...shining star at the end of the path of illumination,” where we all will become enlightened at the end of our lives? 

There are plenty of accounts where people discuss near death experiences in which they move into a tunnel with a bright light at the end. And in some Christian circles who believe in the Rapture, isn’t this an indirect way of speaking about death? The famous evangelist John Hagee speaks about the Rapture as being immanent and that we must be prepared to be taken away at any moment. Couldn’t this also describe what our relationship is towards death? Nobody knows for sure when it will take us away from this life.

And in the other orientation, the Eastern spiritual world view (which attracts atheists from the West who are rejected by monotheistic religions) concerns itself with the “Alpha.” Its focus is on the interior aspect of duality and the beginning. Heaven isn’t something we have to wait for to be brought to us from the outside. Heaven is something we can initiate from the inside right now. It is from this perspective that secular humanists believe we are capable of bringing heaven to Earth with the tools of science and by uniting our social institutions into a peaceful collective through the instrument of “One World Government.”

As also expressed at the ending of Angels and Demons, these two opposite orientations should never be at war because they share more in common with each other than meets the eye. Within the interior orientation, there is also the exterior and vice versa. Perhaps if the two opposing sides can see they should be at peace with each other, the transition into our destiny as a united Earth can occur without the massive war predicted between East and West, yin and yang. 

science religion