[andyfox]

I didn't say your were arguing that the world is flat, nor that the Bible does.

It would depend on what the reason was. Merely because I give a reason does not discount the arguments of others. You said, "When you have an explanation within the theory as to why the detractors are misguided, it discounts the argument, YOUR argument, that the mere existence of the detractors is enough to doubt the validity of the theory." Given that, for example, to follow up on David's example, purveyors of quack medicines will say that the medical estalbishment is against them because they cannot make money off them, the quality of the reason is important. Merely giving a reason does not negate the relevancy of the detractors' arguments.