"Stephen Harris"  wrote 

> A cause doesn't have to be a sufficient condition for
> its effect. Causes often aren't necessary conditions
> for their effects.

Spiritualistic

> 5 Causal determinism says only that
> if all the causally relevant facts are set out, these
> will leave open only one possible future. If all matter
> is deterministic and if a person?s mind is a material
> thing, then human behavior is physically determined.
> Whether determinism is true affects how we can use the
> concept of probability. 

False.  It has no effect at all.

> If determinism is true, proba-
> bility is a lack of our information or knowledge about
> our world. If determinism is false, probability describes
> an objective fact about our world.

Nonsense.  Regardless of whether determinism is true 
or false (which we will never know) this doesn't 
change the fact that, probability involves our lack of 
information or knowledge about our world. 

> Darwin showed that evolution has no intrinsic purpose

No.  He never showed this.

Sorry I don't have time to read more.

Jim
---
þ RIMEGate(tm)/RGXPost V1.14 at BBSWORLD * Info{at}bbsworld.com

---
 * RIMEGate(tm)V10.2áÿ* RelayNet(tm) NNTP Gateway * MoonDog BBS
 * RgateImp.MoonDog.BBS at 7/7/03 11:58:50 AM