Our political scientist colleague John West has a handsome new website with many useful features, but I was particularly intrigued by the section headed, “Something Personal.” One of the things I value in the intelligent design community is, as Dr. West puts it, the “contrarian” nature of many who gather under that umbrella. I can relate. In college, I remember being criticized by a friend as a “reverse chameleon,” which is another way of putting the same thing. John writes:

I’m a bit of a contrarian by nature, and I also like siding with the powerless and the underdog. When the establishment insists “Go this way,” I am likely to ask “Why?” When I get pushed, I tend to push back. That’s one reason I was attracted to the nascent intelligent design movement in the mid 1990s. I was intrigued by the fact that a growing number of recent PhDs in the sciences were questioning neo-Darwinism based on science, not faith, and were facing harsh recriminations as a result. I thought then — and still believe now — that people should have the freedom to raise uncomfortable questions and champion unpopular truths.

My heroes from the past are people like Jeremiah Evarts, who stood up for the rights of the Cherokee in nineteenth-century America (I tell his story in chapter four of my book The Politics of Revelation and Reason); Frederick Douglass and Harriett Beecher Stowe, who helped persuade Americans of the injustices of slavery; C. S. Lewis, who challenged the idols of secular modernism and scientific materialism, and who was a sharp critic of both communism and fascism in the early 1930s; and Francis Schaeffer, who balanced a passion for truth with an equal commitment to grace. His book The Mark of a Christian continues to challenge me.

Although I consider myself a conservative, some of my views aren’t easily pigeonholed. I am a critic of “scientific” racism, whether it comes from right or left. Watch my film Human Zoos and you will understand why. I’m a strong believer in civil liberties, and I oppose abuses of power, whether they are justified in the name of fighting crime or defending public health. I am also an enthusiastic believer in religious liberty and free speech. I think the best way for people to spread their ideas is through unhampered discussion, not government coercion. I am critical of secularist materialism and those who try to muzzle people of faith; but I am just as critical of some Christians who are now calling for a “theocratic Caesarism,” an appalling idea I think is incompatible with genuine Christianity.

Yes, the ID community as a whole isn’t “easily pigeonholed,” either, which to me is a fascinating and wonderful thing. Check out the rest of John West’s website, which includes links to his books, Twitter feed, films, articles, and more. Find it here. If you haven’t yet watched his documentary Human Zoos, that’s a must see: