[stripes1776]

It would be much easier on everyone if the Protestant prooftexters dropped their habit of dragging along into every conversation scores of single-liners from the scripture that they do not understand, and instead quoted something that at least amounts to a complete thought from Calvin, Luther, and Spurgeon.

That would be a good start.

much like amateur science is done outside of the academia for fear of professional criticism.

I wish you had chosen a different analogy. Much first-rate science has been done outside academia. For example, Einstein wrote his paper on special relativity when he was working as a postal clerk. He indead received much criticism from academia, but it was academia that was wrong.

Benjamin Franklin was a brilliant scientist. His experiments on electricity were ground-breaking. Academics took notice and adopted his terms for electric charge--positive and negative.

Many other examples exist. I would recommend finding another analogy to support your argument. But I very much agree with your main point.

[annalex]

Much first-rate science has been done outside academia.

I was merely putting the point across. I realize that first-rate science can be done outside of the scientific establishment, and likewise, for example, St. Francis reformed the Church outside of her formal structures. But it is one thing to be an outsider due to a circumstance, the other to deny the legitimacy of the established order because of insufficiency of professional merit.

Luther invented sola scriptura because it allowed him to spin the scripture every which way he wished outside of the rigor of the Church, just like a failed scientist, unable to get a positive peer review, self-publishes on the Internet.

I know that the darwinists would use the scientific establishment in a self-serving way, but that is one rare example. Typically, self-published science is just second grade.