Reply #53: The SM is nothing more than an orderly method of creative problem solving. [View All]

Now, are you telling that hypotheses are only put forward in the hard sciences? Are not hypotheses used in psychology, history, economics, etc. What process or method do you suppose is used to develop these hypotheses? Clue. Could it be a form of the Scientific Method?
Just for the moment, let's consider religion just another discipline, like economics. Economic theories are based on observations and from these observations, hypotheses are developed and tested. From the results, one can decide whether or not to revise the economic theory. There is a certain amount of subjectivity required in economic theory. Religious thought involves a greater degree of subjective thought but the process is the same. And I don't care what your religious inclinations are. I'm just saying that a step by step process similar to that used in the hard sciences is used to arrive at an acceptable conclusion. There is a science of philosophy, of history, of economics, etc. they are not all hard sciences, but they are sciences nonetheless in that they all can utilize a form of scientific method.
When you are dealing with the physical sciences, it is all about empiricism (the five senses)- absolute objectivity. In any other discipline the process of obtaining knowledge involves some degree of subjectivity. Religion (whether you believe or not, that's not at issue here) utilizes emotion, intuition, histories, personal experiences, etc. But they are by and large subjective. These are not used in physical sciences, of course, but are used to a greater degree in economics (just as an example).Therefore the degree of subjectivity varies according to the discipline.