“A CONTROVERSIAL TRICK”

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 191, 2 November 1927, Page 8

“A CONTROVERSIAL TRICK”

Sir, — It is considered a poor controversy trick partially to quote your opponent in an atempt to make his opinion aP* pear the opposite of that stated. Tby “1.C.U.” is guilty of when he makes capital out of the first part of my state” ment, “that there is nothing able in holding an erroneous opini<»and suppresses the rest of my sentencf to the effect that the only discredit* to maintain an opinion when it ny been demonstrated false. Such tactics are certainlv discreditable. Like Mr. X. Burton, he mistakes theoretic definition of matter scientists for a denial of its existence His position is analagous to one, on learning that a house is a combination of hollow cells composed of denies the existence of houses on tn grounds that if the materials thereo were brought together and burnt, * would have but a handful of ashes. “1.C.U.” misses the whole point ck tn» statistics of scientists’ beliefs. S' if his totally' unfounded charge? * partiality' were correct, does he th*® that such a result could have been e talned, however partial the invest!? 3 * tor, 50 years ago? No! i “I.C.U/ 5 assesses his unsupponcj assertions as equivalent to logic * evidence. To my contention that have no classified knowledge of 1 supernatural, he retorts “a child kno better than that.” When I quote names of eminent scientists, who »- outspoken agnostics, he says, “Not of the names do I accept/’ etc. - really seems to believe that such cn» ish rejoinders are effective replies A.S** *