No, they were not until recently say the past century, getting worse as the century and indoctrination went on. The "fevered imaginations" do not have to have those imaginations taxed very hard when they come across fraud after fraud all in one field. Weakness of faith has nothing to do with it, just common sense. I do not need to be Christian to want a science field to work in provable facts.
If you think that they are seeking out opportunities to act the victim would be misreading the situation (quite obvious), I would say they are seeking to know the truth not fall for lies....but then this is the one "scientific" field that has seen the need to present so many lies where as the other fields work in facts.
When this field begins to work in provable facts not crack science and frauds, then it might be given the respect of the other scientific fields. Until then it deserves all the skepticism years of history and false claims and practical jokes have given it. So far this field of "science" has needed more faith to believe in it than Scientology.
> So far this field of "science" has needed more faith to believe in it than Scientology.
Interesting. Then what do you make of posts such as this...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1347824/posts?page=76#56
... which purport to use the science of archaeology to support the Bible?
Can't have it both ways.