Every scientist would love to see this happen. Go do it and come back with scientific evidence
And so the game continues. You can't get funding to do it. Therefore it doesn't get done. Therefore the high priests say there is no evidence. Therefore there is no funding.
In less polite circles it would be called a circle jerk. Of course, you and the other priests seem ok with that reasoning.
Allow the scientific evidence to begin with. Since you don't, just admit you won't and quite the charades.