Does "scientific" automatically mean "sceptic"?

Dr Strange

Hi,

I have a question about this part in the Forum charter:

4. If you wish to discuss a post on paranormal in a more sceptical or scientific fashion, please feel free to request a move to the ISS Forum. This can be done by posting in the ISS Copy Request Thread, as per the instructions laid out in that thread.

Why is it that "scientific" seems to mean the same as "sceptical" to some people? I know quite a good number of scientists either interested in the subject because of their own experiences as well as some even working within the field to provide answers that are probably very interesting to most here.

What I don't understand is why anything explored or examined in a scientific way is automatically pushed into the sceptics corner.
Does it mean that scientists from whatever field of expertise have no valid reason to follow up on their experiences or even conducting research within their own fields that may be linked to paranormal phenomena? I don't think that having a scientific view point on certain subjects means that you automatically are a sceptic.
What do you think?

Best,
P.

6th

This is just my opinion here but I think in many cases some people claim to be sceptic when they are in fact just cynics. Being a sceptic, or rather claiming to be sceptical, allows you to behave in a certain why and dismiss things without having to actually look into it properly - the whole burden of proof springs to mind. A true sceptic would be more than happy to jump on the journey of finding answers - rather than demanding all the work be done and handed to them or his lordship Mr. Randi.

True scepticism and science aren't all that different. Both should seek to find answers, no matter what side of the fence they fall on. Of course they will approach a "problem" using our current understandings but that should not stop them from believing that the final result may lay outside our comfort zone.

As for scepticism and a scientific approach within this forum I think that problem also boils down to a lack of understandings as to what scepticism really is. I am sure many will agree that a scientific approach and healthy scepticism is more than welcome here. Anyone who's been on here for any amount of time will see just how regularily outright dismissive responses occure.

The charter states that dismissing, ridiculing, or questioning of peoples personal beliefs is an absolute no-no. This has been done with the greater good of the forum and its posters in mind I am sure.

My opinion is that having this forum as a belief based one causes me to question what is the difference between here and the Spirituality Forum? The Paranormal Forum should be a place where the Spirituality Forum and Sceptics Forum come together. A place where questions should be asked (and encouraged) and where questions, once asked politely, should be answered.

Many people start threads in this forum because of the fantastic community feel it has. Its more active here than the Spirituality Forum meaning questions will get more answers and attention. I have found myself asking things here because I don't feel my own spirituality isn'y "organised" enough, or that my ideas might be a bit "out of place" in the Spirituality Forum.

You see questions here about Angels etc and maybe they would be more suited to another forum? To me the Paranormal Forum would be about the actual phenomenon themsselves or the incidents. Like a thread on ressurection would suit to the Christianity forum, the discussion of someone coming back from the dead or implication of past lives might suit better here.

Of course the above is just my opinion and by questioning this forum and its workings it may not be welcome. All I can say is that its not meant as a slight but as my observations, understanding and personal opinion.

GuanYin

As 6th said, it is an unfortunate fact that most of the boards.ie so-called skeptics, are nothing more than cynics who like to use the idea of skepticism as a legitimate approach.

The charter, as you can see, does indeed hold options for discussions of both a scientific and skeptical nature. What it doesn't allow is for people to hijack threads, because in just stifles discussion for the less scientific minded.

As for your title question, no, they aren't interchangable terms, but the skeptic approach should be a scientific one. In any case, using either as a means of threadspoiling is not allowed here. There is a forum for skeptics and that forum is best suited to discussing the paranormal in scientific terms. It would be wrong of us to emulate their purpose.

Question answered, thread locked.