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From: laura@utcsstat.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.flame
Subject: Re: Laura Creighton's bull...
Message-ID: <1574@utcsstat.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 20-Dec-83 10:44:24 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsstat.1574
Posted: Tue Dec 20 10:44:24 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Dec-83 11:28:10 EST
References: <4027@umcp-cs.UUCP> <1487@utcsstat.UUCP>, <1074@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Toronto, Canada
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The Bible may not distinguish between the intelligence of man and animals
but Thomas Aquinas sure did. ANd if you do not know the influence that
Thomas Aqiunas had in shaping what Christians actually believe then you
have some reading to do...

It may be that the rats are all thinking about quantum mechanics and just
aren't saying anything about it. This just is unlikely to the point of
absurdity. The speed of light may change tomorrow as well, but I'm not 
making any bets on it.

For a rat to *know* that it is procreating, it would either have to be told
(implying a supernatural force or language abilities in rats which have never
been observed) or it would have to learn this fact by observation. The
problem is that observation requires memory (you have to remember what
you did 18 days ago) which the rats also do not demonstrate.

if animals know that they are procreating, then they are keeping their
brain-power a great secret. Given the way that they are treated this
would be a feat that is to my mind more impressive thant he supernatural
force postulated above.

Laura Creighton
utzoo!utcsstat!laura