Quote:
Originally posted by RPKESQ
Only informed, educated, experienced opinions have any validity. The rest are just like bellybuttons. Everyone has one, it’s nothing special.
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I've never seen informed, educated or experienced bellybuttons. So I won't complain about your "outie" if you don't poke fun at my "innie". An opinion, no matter how mis-informed or confused is still that -- an opinion. As you said, they're like belly buttons.
Scientific results and claims within Physics, chemistry, and the physical sciences require rigerous proof. So we all gang up on the guy who joins the BBS claiming that putting holes in your airbox is worth 50 HP. Because the 50 HP just ain't there!
Claims in Archeology, History and stuff like that all need to at least withstand a reasonable level of supporting evidence, but since we can't revive the dead or relive specific moments in time (yet!), there will always be an element of doubt (or faith) involved. So it always helps to respect that. BTW, I have to admit that one of the most cantankerous (sp?) fields of study is that of Biblical Archeology (basically, normal archeological work done in the Lebanon/Israel/Sinai area -- with a mine-field of politics and agendas on all sides). It's a valid and respected field of scientific study, but rife with emotional bickering.
Claims in philosophy and theology need to at least stand up to scruitany of internal consistancy. That is because these fields of study depend on this consistancy to hold together. But once again, the application of these studies in the real world implies a jump from the mental to the physical reality -- and they are two different realms which do not map against well each other. As a result I would expect people to be respectful of those who do try to make that jump. Universities routinely award PhD's in these fields, so they are not complete bunk, and do justify serious study.
Those are my standards (aka: $0.02). You may or may not agree with them, but let's not take anyone's head off.
