Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site umcp-cs.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!chris
From: chris@umcp-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.books
Subject: Re: SCIENCE: GOOD, BAD, AND BOGUS by Martin Gardner
Message-ID: <4877@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Jan-84 19:19:31 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.4877
Posted: Tue Jan 24 19:19:31 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Jan-84 08:16:02 EST
References: <851@ihuxr.UUCP> <4872@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of Maryland, Computer Science Dept.
Lines: 25

Yes; religious background should not be a factor.  Unfortunately
it often is.  According to *Science: Good, Bad & Bogus*, the
Scientology people are what is known as ``true believers'' and may
(*may* -- not *will*) mislead themselves into finding what they
want, rather than what their data shows.

Now for an aside.  Let us, just for a moment, suppose/know/imagine/
verb-you-will-accept-here that there really are such things as
``psychic powers''.  Let us further presume that these are *not*
abilities that everyone has; that only a small percentage of the
population has these abilities, and that there is no way for the
general person-on-the-street to ever even develop such.  Now, if
this were true (and I'm *not* claiming it is), do you think that
those with these odd abilities would go about demonstrating it?
Consider well the history of mankind:  the terrible things done in
the name of [insert name here] because someone was ``different''.
Suppose that no ESP experiment has been repeatable because the
subject realized what might happen to her/him.  Do you seriously
believe that when we, oops, strike that...

Boy, had you going for a minute there, didn't I?  *snicker*
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci
UUCP:	{seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!chris
CSNet:	chris@umcp-cs		ARPA:	chris.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relay