Above question? No. Most thinking people are always making comparative assessments and going with whatever argument is better supported in their view. And as far as "shamans" go, I'd rather listen to what today's scientist "shamans" have to say that what the mystic shamans of 2,000 years ago had to say. But that's just me.
Credibility in whose eyes? The eyes of those who have elevated science as a panacea to man's relationship with the universe?
Most people don't really understand the positions they are taking. How many people truly understand the scientific principles they spout? How many on their own could do the "math" of a big bang theory, an uncertainty principle, etc. Just because someone can listen to the radio and repeat what they hear doesn't make them someone who could design and build a radio from scratch, or someone who could truly explain from knowing radio theory, or even fix a broken radio... No, most of those who spout science as the "best method" to understand the deeper mysteries in life are only idolizing the scientists and holding them up as the modern day Prophets and Shamans...they are simply parroting the ideas of someone else. So when they can't genuinely explain their own position from truly knowing their own position, they say: "Watch this video, or go to this web site, or read this book." When you truly know, you have no need to refer to another source of information or ideas to communicate to others what you own...
The way Bush "truly knew" about Iraq? Just because you're not drinking someone else's Kool-Aid doesn't necesarily mean you're not drinking your own.
I think the two are best separated. Science to better understand the physical world, and whatever suits you for your own inner world, provided that it does not impose on anyone else's physical or inner world. The only caveat is that there may be seepage. Whenever someone's inner world seeped uninvited into someone else's physical world, there have historically been problems.
Most all of the advance human physical accomplishments have come by way of the non physical thoughts and ideas, the planning, the dreaming, the thinking, etc. Yet for some strange and unusual reason, there are people out there who believe the physical came to be without a plan, without mind, without thought... Humans magically evolved into thought driven and mind driven creatures from a non thought or mind created Universe. Really too funny...
That's not a valid response and you know it. For someone who can be most incisive in political debate, you choose to be remarkably obtuse in other matters.