Re: Pamphlet Part V

vandewat@seas.ucla.edu
Mon, 8 Jan 1996 11:28:19 -0800 (PST)

Greetings and Salutations,

Derek writes:
> I think that you may have made an error in assuming that Dawkins was talking
> about the same "bridge" event on page 162 as he was on page 161.
>
> There is a vast difference in probability between a perfect DEAL of bridge
> (all four players receiving 13 cards of one suite) that Dawkins refers to on
> page 161, and a perfect HAND of bridge (one player being dealt 13 cards of
> one suite. It is this second occurrence that Dawkins refers to on page 162.
>
I debated Dawkin's book with a friend of mine. When I pointed out
> approximately 251,963,120,000 to 1, some 9 x 10**15 times MORE probable than
> a perfect DEAL!

I debated Dawkins book with an atheist friend of mine. When I pointed out
this error, I gave him two options. I said this could be

1) A deliberate deception.

for choice 2). I personally believe that Dawkins carefully crafted a
deception to mislead his audience, but I am not going to accuse him of
lying in my pamphlet.

By the way, the 251,963,120,000 to 1 number does not appear in Dawkin's
book, nor does any distinction between hand and deal.

In Christ

robert van de water
associate researcher
UCLA