Creationism has resurfaced, as Focus on the Family New Zealand has mailed out 'intelligent design' material to schools. How does this anti-evolution propaganda view homosexuality? I decided to have a look at where the Society for the Protection of Community Standards (the late Pat Bartlett's creation) and Focus on the Family got this 'information' from. For some reason, Wellington area fundamentalists have been obsessed with 'intelligent design' creationism over the last two years. The Wellington Christian Apologetics Society devoted an issue of its defunct journal, Apologia, to anti-evolution arguments. In one media release, it asked how homosexuality could fit into 'intelligent design' creationism. (No. The answer is not 'the same way that it fits into Ptolemy's earth-centred universe or flat earth theories.' Oh, behave!!!) Coincidentally, the US National Association for Research and Treatment of Homosexuality (NARTH) has published an online article on the links between 'intelligent design' creationism and 'exgay' arguments. It would seem that pseudosciences flock around in packs. Linda Ames Nicolosi, the author, is related to Joseph Nicolosi, an advocate of 'gay cure' "reparative therapy." Nicolosi is a Catholic, though, and John Paul II endorsed Darwinian evolutionary theory... 'Intelligent design' fanatics cite statistical, comparative anatomical and geological 'reasons' that macro-evolution "didn't" happen, and species are supposed to display minimal anatomical variation as a consequence. Oh, and they are supposed to show a deliberate 'intelligently designed' inbuilt orientation toward reproductive heterosexuality. Or so Ms. Nicolosi says. "Intelligent design" creationism seems to be nothing more than updated conservative Catholic 'natural law' theory (ab)used to provide a common theoretical basis for anti-evolutionary and anti-gay junk sciences. In fact, this became obvious when one James Moreland co-authored another recent book which made this theoretical basis explicit, related to bioethical issues. "Design" and "function"are not conducive to objective scientific research when it comes to any field of scientific endeavour. In fact, 'intelligent design' arguments lack a fully elaborated alternative theory of how their alleged 'alternative model' is supposed to operate. In fact, Moreland is more candid than most when he calls this "theistic science." Most secular antagonists of the creationist lobby argue that this 'theistic science' should be opposed to real, evidence-based Darwinian evolutionary science, which depends on in-depth, elaborated observation. Without any evidence, how have fundamentalist 'intelligent design' advocates 'disproved' evolutionary theory, exactly? It looks suspiciously like antigay selective citations in the past, which routinely take fragmented quotes out of context and never read the surrounding scientific paper, or follow processes of scientific and social scientific analysis. And why are there so many lesbian, gay and transgender animals, birds and insects around? Even the Maxim Institute has gotten (back) into the act, given that the former Education Development Foundation gave a lot of attention to the so-called 'intelligent design' creationists in Cutting Edge, its journal. At Compass 2005, it is currently hosting Answers in Genesis, a creationist 'educational' group. I thought it was supposed to be posing as a 'secular' social conservative think-tank? As for Focus, it should be aware that we won't fall for this nonsense either. Crypto-homophobia is still homophobia, and junk science (of whatever kind) is still junk science. Recommended Reading: Answers in Genesis: http://www.answersingenesis.org Focus on the Family New Zealand: http://www.family.org.nz Maxim Institute Compass 2005: (Youth Indoctrination Conference: Snells Beach, Lifeway Academy: 8-25 January 2005): http://www.compass.org.nz Society for Promotion of Community Standards: http://www.spcs.org.nz Linda Ames Nicolosi (NARTH): http://www.narth.com/docs/reflection.html Scott Carrier "Moreland's 'Christian Science:' www.infidels.org/library/modern/richard_carrier/indef/3c.html Bruce Bagemihl: Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity: New York: St Martins Press: 1999. James Moreland (ed) The Creation Hypothesis: Wheaton Grove: Intervarsity Press: 1994. James Moreland (ed) Body and Soul: Wheaton Grove: Intervarsity Press: 2000. Craig Young - 3rd September 2005