We have met the enemy and it is us...
Who is this "we" of whom you speak? You seem to be making assumptions about how some of us view religion.
This is not a religion or religious issue. The original posts for this thread were first, to ask about something that is generally deemed to be a perpetual motion type scheme. That was roundly (and, perhaps rightfully so) countered with condemnations of that scheme as well as all such schemes and their purveyors. That eventually led to my posts suggesting that all points of view should be considered but should also be made to stand on their scientific merits.
After a bit of "scrapping", I think the general concensus wrung out that when any concept is put forth, that claims to be based in reality, it must meet the stringent tests of scientific methods.
But, I took it one step further. If the perpetual motion advocates are not allowed to have their fantasy without condemnation from the scientific community and a requirement to meet science standards, should other fantasies, claimed to be real and true, be accepted without subjecting them to scientific scrutiny and methods? Things like religion.
Religion was my example but, it could have been any of a number of fantasies that people tend to engage in. Numerology, UFOlogy, wizardry and witchcraft, poltergeists and auras, reading of signs (palms, tea leaves, chicken bones, head bumps, etc.), tarot cards and Ouija boards, fetishes, lunar and celestial phenomena...and the list goes on...and on...and on...
My question (and it was posed only as a question) is whether "we" (those participating in this discussion as well as the scientific community and indeed even the world at large) would be well served to get our own houses in order as to what fantasies we are prepared to accept before we go around bashing
anyone for
their fantasies?