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November 15, 2009

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Letter: Don’t let irrationality guide conclusions

Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005 | 8:01 a.m.

The Nov. 21 letter by Mark J. Chambers, president of Skeptics of Las Vegas, highlights how passion blinds people on either side of a debate. Mr. Chambers tries to paint himself as a rational scientist, yet his logic is so distorted that it is clear his emotion rules his thoughts.

Straw men are easy to burn down. Mr. Chambers asserts that evolution is a fact. He then goes on to state that natural selection, which is a theory, helps explain the "fact" of evolution. Theory and fact are not the same thing. It is quite impossible for theories to unequivocally establish facts, though it is quite possible that facts can help build theories.

It is unnecessary to defend intelligent design or evolution in this letter, but it is important to point out that people such as Mr. Chambers are just as apt to let irrationality guide their conclusions as those he accuses of doing the same. Perhaps Mr. Chambers should take a philosophy course (to supplement his Ph.D. in psychology) to help temper his irrationality. Thank goodness he is not teaching our children.

Mario Martinez

Henderson

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