Magic Statistics

Deacon Payne offers an unusual take on spiritual guidance.

Think we can hire Deacon Payne to work the upcoming General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada?

h/t: Whitehall and Binks

Previous related post: Go read St Athanasius, sucka! 

In 2003, Concordia University psychology professor Paul Hastings wrote a paper for Canada’s Department of Justice concluding that same-sex families are just as good for children as heterosexual families.  For unknown reasons, the department decided not to release the paper, so Dr Hastings filed a request under the Access to Information Act.  This week the story hit the press.

Mr. Hastings, with the assistance of research students, reached the study's conclusion after reviewing existing research relating to the impact on children of being raised in different family types.

The report says the strongest conclusion that can be drawn from empirical literature is that the vast majority of studies show that children living with two mothers and children living with a mother and father have the same levels and qualities of social competence.

"A few studies suggest that children with two lesbian mothers may have marginally better social competence than children in 'traditional nuclear' families, even fewer studies show the opposite, and most studies fail to find any differences," says the $25,000, 74-page study.
The paper references about 100 studies on parenting.

As far as I can determine, the paper has not been posted at Dr Hastings’s website or anywhere else on the internet.  Since it is a literature review of previously published papers, however, it can offer no improvement on earlier studies, which suffer from severe methodological and statistical flaws.

Data on long-term outcomes for children placed in homosexual households are very limited and the available evidence reveals grave concerns. Those current studies that appear to indicate neutral to favorable results from homosexual parenting have critical flaws such as non-longitudinal design, inadequate sample size, biased sample selection, lack of proper controls, and failure to account for confounding variables [footnotes omitted].

See blog posts here and here for more details.

The paper was written in 2003 for the then-Liberal government.  The Tories did not come to power until 2006 but, bizarrely, Dr Hastings blames his paper’s disappearing act entirely on Stephen Harper.

Mr. Hastings said it is only speculation but he believes the study was being held back from being published by the Justice Department once Stephen Harper's Conservative government came into power in 2006.

That strange comment made me wonder whether Dr Hastings has an agenda that helped to shape his study.  A little searching at Concordia University’s website soon corroborated that suspicion.

Concordia University’s 1st World Outgames Experts

MONTREAL/July 24, 2006 —
Concordia University’s media relations department has a number of experts available to comment on the 1st World Outgames, taking place in Montreal from July 26th to August 5th, 2006.

More specifically, these experts can answer questions in regards to the battle against homophobia, gay and lesbian rights, gay parents/gay children, sports marketing and the history of gay and lesbian Montreal.
. . .
Paul Hastings, Professor in the Psychology Department and Centre for Research in Human Development

Also, on a page dated May 2006 listing public accomplishments of various Concordia faculty, I found this (scroll down a bit):

Paul Hastings (Psychology) was asked by The National (CBC TV) about a Montreal pediatrician who said it could be harmful to place very young children in day care. Hastings said negative effects were unlikely, and would likely be outgrown.

Not only does Paul Hastings think lesbian mothers are fine for kids, he has the same opinion of daycare.  Even in 2006, however, evidence was mounting that daycare is damaging to both children and parents.  Since then, a flood of studies shows that Dr Hastings’s view is far too sanguine.  More and more child care experts, pediatricians, and politicians are advising against sending young children to daycare.

So, let’s see: Dr Hastings thinks that lesbian mothers are just fine for kids, but in the recent past he has served as an "expert" in gay rights and “the battle against homophobia”.  Doesn’t sound like an impartial and dispassionate academic investigator.  Moreover, his claim that daycare is “unlikely” to have negative effects is roundly contradicted by empirical evidence.  That doesn’t do his credibility any good, either.

Previous related posts:

• Daycare turning British kids into yobs
• Scientific studies speak against same-sex parenting
• Pediatricians concerned about homosexual parenting
• Mothers: Stash those kids in daycare and get back to work
• Babies better off if mothers stay home

Cape Breton University joins University of Edinburgh on the StatDaughter’s no-go list.

From the CBU history professor who runs The Bear Blog.

To the University community,

WHEREAS Cape Breton University continues to value diversity; and

WHEREAS Cape Breton is home to Heterosexual, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Two-Spirited and Transsexual people who play an important part in the rich tapestry of our University’s diversity; and

WHEREAS Cape Breton University is in the forefront of efforts to ensure that every student, employee, and visitor, has the right to conditions of dignity, respect, and freedom from discrimination or harassment; and

WHEREAS an International Day against Homophobia can play a significant role in reducing discrimination and harassment;

NOW THEREFORE, I, President Harker, on behalf of Cape Breton University, do hereby proclaim May 17th as “International Day against Homophobia” at Cape Breton University and encourage everyone to celebrate the ideal of a place for work and study totally free of discrimination and harassment.

In recognition of the Day, Prof. Kate Krug is organizing a barbeque in the Courtyard, under the Pride flag, from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers and pop will be served.  All are welcome to participate.

H. John Harker, LL.D.

President & Vice-Chancellor

That explains why Cape Breton University is also known as Communists and Bolsheviks University.

h/t: Binks

Previous related post: Edinburgh University set to ban the Bible