Salutatio Hal!
11-Apr-98, Hal White wrote to Richard Meic
          Subject: In Prison
 HW> Hi Richard, Thanks for your response:
 HW> -> HW> Hi Frederic, [FR referring to prison data]
 FR>>> It indicates the
 >>> fact that theism doesn't work; that atheism is  superior to theism
 >>> in that it imparts a superior ethic -- or a superior intelligence
 >>> needed to escsape capture.  }:-}
 RM>> Mr. Rice's data is by no means conclusive, there are way too many
 RM>> -> unanswered questions.  View my last reply to him.
 HW> Mr Rice has, in fact, presented nothing that would even qualify as
 HW> data.  
     
It does qualify as data, just insufficient data (IMO).
 HW> And your comments were entirely apt.  IF his little jaunt
 HW> to a prison had been written up for a soc. journal, they would
 HW> have laughed all day:  'investigator' with prior beliefs gets
 HW> impressions, {not even a number {S's} mentioned} that support his
 HW> views. 
     
I was instantly skeptical of this when I saw the absence of it.  I still
wonder about the reason someone so sticky about data would not mention the
actual #s involved.
 HW> But I chose not to get into MR. Rice's sociology.  It's
 HW> rather trite: in a nominallly Christian country, most prisoners
 HW> probably are "Christian" {undefined};  so are most streetsweepers,
 HW> roofers, and axe-murderers. What's the big deal? It's  {I bet}
 100% of all people born in 1803 who ate carrots are dead.
Therefore carrots are a major cause of death!  
 HW> Keep up the good postings. Hal.
Thanks, and I try.  :)
 Dicere...
 email address (vrmeic@nucleus.com)
Richard Meic
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