RIFLE RANGE BOY: The co-existence of science and theology?

Inherit the Wind (1960)

Director: Stanley Kramer

https://www.amazon.com/Inherit-Wind-Blu-ray-Harry-Morgan/
dp/B00S47M6XA

The theme of this film remains as relevant today in this country as it was when it was released in 1960. In 1960, in America, the creeping madness of McCarthyism overshadowed rational reasoning. The story on which it is based took place in the 1920s in the USA.

Americans felt fear during the Roaring Twenties. They believed that modernity was altering the very fabric on which the Pilgrims established America and that the Founding Fathers envisioned for the nation. Godliness was losing its influence. Society grew increasingly outgoing; talking pictures spread societal decay, and the dangers of alcohol were apparent everywhere.

Against this backdrop, in 1925, a high school teacher in Tennessee was charged with violating a state law that prohibited the teaching of human evolution. The entire case might have been staged to generate publicity. The teacher, John Scopes, was found guilty and fined $100. What the trial, known as the 'Scopes Monkey Trial', revealed was the influence of the media (radio and newspapers) and that modernists who believed in evolution could coexist with religion. Unlike the fundamentalists, who interpreted the word of God literally, there was space for science, knowledge, and free will.

The film depicts the above case and exposes society's herd mentality. It is astonishing to see how the masses blindly follow a leader, often a religious figure, who is convinced he knows exactly how life should be lived, as if he has a direct connection to God Himself. It serves as a critique of societal pressure to conform, the suppression of critical thinking, and the discouragement of alternative viewpoints.

A verse from the Book of Proverbs is quoted in the film: 'Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise.' One who harms their family (likely including their community) will gain nothing but wind. This fool will face a life of servitude to those with personal agendas. Instead of imposing personal views on others, it is better to accept that others may hold differing opinions, which can also be correct. Exercising good judgment and developing practical wisdom in dealings can help achieve the right outcome.