Let me address your questions here in parts, if you don't mind that is, and to answer the first part --

If you use something as a tool for a purpose that is one thing. Yet, if you begin to pray to the tool -- that is another. The key word here is metaphor, or theory, or model. For someone who is delighted to some degree by science, as I think you can be, this should fit you perfectly. Think about it. If I want to calculate a particular and exacting mathematical occurrence in electricity, say the unit of resistance, as it is offered to a lonely electron flowing along a particular path, I would use a formula like this. E divided by I = R, where E is the voltage being measured, I is the amperage and R is the resistance.

Now, I know that I can use this model to create data that I can use to build other working models. But that doesn't mean that the model that I am working from, or the working models I build, is a true representation for what is actually occurring in the universe. Mainly, the people who I am offering my point of view to have completely hypnotized themselves in believing that the map - the parts model to be exact - is really the territory. That it is not just a model for organizing experience, but is instead the gospel according to Luke, John. Or was that Matthew? Well one of them anyway.

You see, to them there is only paint by numbers. And by all means stay inside of the lines. As long as they remain inside of a truth that is based only on plausibility, they will never be able to paint any new pictures. And, even more importantly, never will they ever be able to paint one that is originally their own. For them it will always be a paint by numbers deal, with the universe already figured out. After all, there is nothing new out there -- or is there?

Now my mind is racing-- backwards in time. Who was that? Oh yeah! I know. Newton! To him the universe was like a clock ticking down. Everything was orderly and predictable. Ya know, like it is for the people who now predict the weather. Then there was this other guy. He was into bending his own subjective experience as a means of building possible objective shared realities. This guy rode on beams of light! A not too scientific approach to say the least. But that didn't stop him - NO. He just kept on playing with his own mind -------- until ----- one day. Ah ha!!! It's all relative!!! It not only depends on where you are, but also when you are!

Truth be told, Einstein was just a better hypnotist than Newton. It's not that what he came up with was true - but... imagine being the person who was sitting there with Einstein. It would probably go something like this (in a German accent), "Sit down and let me explain to you the theory of relativity. It's all quite relative, all you have to do to understand is to go inside your head and imagine you are riding on a beam of light. And there is another person riding on a beam of light over to your right. And you are both moving at the speed of light. And you are playing catch with a ball."

Of course the person he is now talking to is in one hell of an altered state. After all, how many times has this person played catch at the speed of light? Not too many times I would say! And when this person came back from this really altered state of conscious, muttering, "yes! Yes! YES! It is all relative!" Einstein was probably smiling from ear to ear -- thinking to himself -- there goes another one! That will teach them to throw me out of the sixth grade. And revenge can be sweet - well at least once in a while.

I believe 'Use what works.' But don't believe what you use except for while you are using it. Besides, it's only one choice out of an infinite set of possibilities. Me, I'll take a fresh canvas any day.