Reference to Greenstein

SZYGMUNT@exodus.valpo.edu
Mon, 22 Apr 1996 9:28:22 -0500 (CDT)

Many thanks to Brian Harper for giving Hugh Ross' quotation of
George Greenstein IN CONTEXT. Overall I find that Hugh does
a good job of quoting sources in their proper context, but this
is clearly an example where he or one of his staff goofed. In
THE CREATOR AND THE COSMOS (p. 114) the quote is presented in such a way
that it seems that Greenstein is sympathetic to the anthropic
evidence for theism. I discovered about a year ago, when I went
to the library and looked at Greenstein's book that the paragraph
immediately following Ross' quote answers his rhetorical question
most definitely in the negative, as Brian pointed out.

One doesn't have to agree with Greenstein, but one should NOT quote
him in such a way that it appears his position is the opposite of
what it really is. I trust this was just an unfortunate careless
error on Hugh's part.

Brian appended no commentary, but this example is quite relevant
to the recent discussion in the group, especially regarding
selective quotation of sources. It can happen to any of us, which
is why we should always be careful to READ OUR SOURCES CAREFULLY,
AND CHECK THE REFERENCES OF OTHERS.

Thanks again, Brian.

Stan Zygmunt
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
Valparaiso University