Let's Put An End To Abductions Once And For All

[DBTrek]

It is peer reviewed (note the discussion of reviewers, and the need for four copies, a standard practice for peer reviewed journals), and the editor contact info is on their website.

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/submit.asp?ref=0021-8294&site=1

I'm not entirely convinced, but you may be right. I had to type the word 'review' in to the search engine just to locate what you're talking about. It found two instances of the word 'review':

4. Submit a cover page stating date submitted, title, acknowledgments, and information on author(s) to include
position, affiliation, and mailing address. Omit name(s) of author(s) elsewhere in the manuscript, except when
citing previous work, which should always be done in the third person and in such a way that reviewers cannot
identify author(s). BE SURE REVIEW COPIES ARE ANONYMOUS.

Maybe it's a single editor reviewing copies, maybe it's people who paid their $10 fee to join The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, maybe it's reviewed by the editor of the NY Times. Who knows?

I'm simply saying that the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion is not some well established, prestigious publication that is widely known to be vetted by competent professionals. We would be wise to pause and ask ourselves how one scientifically studies religion anyway, since one deals in matters of evidence and the other in matters of faith. These guys haven't established any particular credibility with the public, and the sample size of the group they studied was far too small (mathematically) to be representative of the population they want to describe.

That's how I see it . . . and I'd point out that my writings have appeared on this peer-reviewed forum for several months now, therefore they are infalliable.

 

[spookyparadigm]

Scientific study of religion has exisited for quite some time, in anthropology, history, sociology, religious studies, and more recently in neurology and cognitive sciences.

 

[DBTrek]

Scientific study of religion has exisited for quite some time, in anthropology, history, sociology, religious studies, and more recently in neurology and cognitive sciences.

Aspects of religion certainly can be scientifically studied. Most of what you listed there are 'Arts', not sciences, but your point is taken.

It's even possible that what the journal states is accurate, even though their methods and identity are questionable. It's exactly the sort of thing you'll see cited when one is arguing that there's 'evidence' they belong to an intellectually superior group.

By the way, studies show that people who post in forums have higher IQ's than the general populace.

-DBTrek