Lawrie claims that, in that book, Dawkins has reversed the normal logic process used in both science and the Law, and has drawn his conclusion before sifting through all the evidence. He challenges the conclusions of the book on these grounds.
Mark Tronson first asked Gavin Lawrie 58, about his background and discovered that he had done what many young Australians have done through the ages, and travelled the world.
Lawrie, a Sydney University graduate, flew to South Africa when he was in his twenties, then made his way up through the continent of Africa to Algeria and Morocco, on through the middle east and followed the tradition of 'The Grand Tour' through Europe. Before arriving home, he included the popular hippie routes across the Indian sub-continent and south-east Asia in his round the world experiences.
After returning Gavin Lawrie again followed the traditional path of many young lawyers by becoming part of the corporate world 'rat-race'. He also married, started a family, and worked his way up to being a barrister. Then, twenty years ago, he decided they'd had enough of the routine Sydney scene.
Gavin and Jan Lawrie followed the growing trend of 'hobby farming' – the precursor to the current 'sea change' that became so popular in the nineties – by relocating to northern New South Wales, living in Terrenora near Tweed Heads and initiating a legal practise in Murwillumbah, where the Tweed Shire Council is sited.
Gavin Lawrie has always been active in the community, and in time became elected onto the Shire Council (serving between 1999 and 2004). Likewise, he has been involved in the Tweed, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah Chambers' of Commerce and in the local Christian scene.
Gavin Lawrie and Mark Tronson established a friendship soon after the Tronson's relocated from Moruya on the south coast of NSW to Tweed Heads to the north coast of the State in December 2005.
Gavin Lawrie was also one of the 'distinguished executive guests' invited to meet the Reverend Peter Thomson, the chaplain to then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Reverend Thomson made a supporting ministry visit to Mark Tronson's Well-Being Australia in Tweed Heads in June 2007.
Having taken early retirement, Gavin Lawrie told Mark Tronson on the Australian Missionary News, that he is devoting a good portion of his time to writing a book which would analyse the evidence that Professor Dawkins used, but which, he says, will draw a very different conclusion to the one that Professor Dawkins drew.
This Gavin Lawrie television on the Internet interview can be viewed at
tv.bushorchestra.com and www.safeworlds.net