//in the design / evolution of nature//

I'm not sure if it really suits the 'Josephus' character to be having an each way bet like that. I think the character would be more realistic if you dropped the whole 'evolution' thing and just played him to the hilt as a creationist nutter.

Just a suggestion. I'm still a big fan of your work :)

There is deliberate genetic design in nature whether one believes it accidentally or deliberately occurred. The scripture teaches the Creator of the universe empowered the basic chemistry of water, earth and air to produce life in all its forms as we know it. Those that fail to recognise this principle will suffer consequences as we already see in chemical pollution of our water, soil and air. The human genome is weakening in every generation from disease and there are severe consequences ahead.

Suse,

"Isn't it great that all 50 of the American states have allowed gay marriage now?"

Actually they don't yet and there is a fight in the offing.
The position is that the States have been told to allow same sex marriage.

"County clerks in Texas who object to gay marriage can refuse to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite last week's landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling requiring states to allow same-sex marriage, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Sunday.

The nation's top court said on Friday that the U.S. Constitution provides same-sex couples the right to wed, handing a victory to the American gay rights movement.

Paxton said in a statement that hundreds of public officials in Texas were seeking guidance on how to implement what he called a lawless and flawed decision by an "activist" court.

The state's attorney general said that while the Supreme Court justices had "fabricated" a new constitutional right, they did not diminish, overrule, or call into question the First Amendment rights to free exercise of religion."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/us-usa-court-gaymarriage-texas-idUSKCN0P900F20150629

Is Mise, regardless of what some lone voices in the political wilderness in America say, the writing is on the wall.

Josephus, you still haven't answered my question above.
Did you make up your assertion that there were more polygamous relationships in Australia than there were Gay relationships?
Just wondering....

onthebeach,

I was waiting to see how long it would take you to pull the conspiratorially-minded 'biased academic' line. To your credit though, you held in there far longer than any other conservative I’ve discussed anything with.

It is at this point that I no longer feel any need to defend anything I've said on this topic. And what would be the point in doing so anyway? Anyone who assumes that there must be something wrong with the methodology, or acts of academic misconduct, before they’ll entertain the possibility that they may be wrong, will only ever believe what they want to believe.

If I were like that, then I’d still be a conservative Christian arguing that gay people are “caused” by their parents’ toilet training methods (not being bisexual myself, I never assumed that their homosexuality was a choice they made like some of OLO's fabulous homophobes).

Suse,

You said ""Isn't it great that all 50 of the American states have allowed gay marriage now?"

That statement was clearly incorrect as they were told to allow same sex marriage by the Supreme Court.

"Is Mise, regardless of what some lone voices in the political wilderness in America say, the writing is on the wall."

The writing may well be upon the wall but it will take a lot of time and not a few appeals before everyone heeds it.
The Governor of Texas is hardly a 'lone voice in the political wilderness' and if the relevant authorities in Texas are prosecuted for non-compliance with the Supreme Court then there is bound to be a backlash.

I recommend that you read this piece on the inevitable consequences for civilization because of same sex marriage.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2015/jun/29/same-sex-marriage-ruin-civilisation-science

There really are rights conferred by the First Amendment to be overcome.