{"id":15822,"date":"2025-10-03T14:51:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T04:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/?p=15822"},"modified":"2025-10-03T15:07:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T05:07:02","slug":"the-world-does-have-intelligent-design-says-andrew-hastie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rationalemagazine.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/03\/the-world-does-have-intelligent-design-says-andrew-hastie\/","title":{"rendered":"The world \u201cdoes have intelligent design\u201d, says Andrew Hastie"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ten years ago, during his first political campaign, Andrew Hastie <\/span>refused to answer media questions<\/span><\/a> about his religious views and whether he shared his father\u2019s beliefs in the Christian creationist myth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are sick of this crap,\u201d he told a media pack.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no religious test in this country for public office. Like many Australians, I have a Christian faith, which presupposes the existence of a God.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On the campaign trail in the West Australian electorate of Canning a week earlier, and while standing alongside former prime minister John Howard, Hastie argued that media questions about his family and their religious beliefs were <\/span>\u201ctotally unacceptable\u201d and \u201ccompletely irrelevant to this campaign\u201d<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the confrontation between Hastie and the media, Michael Lucy, <\/span>writing in <\/span>The Monthly<\/span><\/i><\/a>, argued that Canning voters were entitled to know Hastie\u2019s beliefs. <\/span>Crikey<\/span><\/i> argued that Hastie\u2019s religious views were relevant<\/span><\/a> to the public \u201cespecially as the power inside the Liberal Party finds a new balance\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was 10 years ago. Yet, even as speculation now rages that Hastie is positioning himself for a tilt at the Liberal Party leadership, the Australian media and public appear to be no clearer about Hastie\u2019s religious beliefs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the <\/span>Rationale<\/span><\/i> magazine \u2013 a publication of the Rationalist Society of Australia \u2013 can help shed some light on the issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rationale<\/span><\/i> has discovered a podcast interview in which Hastie discusses Genesis \u2013 the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity that describes the creation of the Earth and humankind \u2013 with a pastor from Eastlake Church in Mandurah. A video of the interview, conducted last year, is accessible on the church\u2019s YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the interview, Hastie says that Genesis \u201canswers a few of the big questions upfront\u201d, including about our origins.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe first couple of chapters \u2013 it just reminds me of this world. It\u2019s not \u2013 it is not random. It\u2019s not just happening by chance. It does have intelligent design,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there is a creator. And the first thing it reminds me of is to praise the creator, who is awesome, and powerful and good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n