It appears reasonable to ask yourself the following questions in order to answer the question:
1. In what conditions do I "mostly" ride (Wet, dry, muddy, mountainous, rolling, flat, etc)?
2. How fast do I really ride, especially downhill?
3. Is weight an issue (Your's & your bike's)?
4. Is cost an issue?
5. How good a bike mechanic am I*?
6. Do I pay someone else to maintain my bike*?
*Either way, do I keep my bike clean & in excellent riding condition?
7. Can I easily obtain parts for whatever brakes I'm using?
8. What size tires & tire pressure do I run?
9. How much do I value having the "latest & greatest"?
(Each of the 1-9 questions could be a thread unto itself)
In my experience, well set-up & maintained good quality cantilever, linear pull, and disc brakes all work very well (For instance, cyclocross can be as nasty & muddy as it comes and canti's get the job done just fine).