Sorry, but it sounds like dogma to me...
Skepticism has become a cult movement and as it is observed, practiced and preached in our present time it can only be viewed as the essence from which a Cult can be realized, such as what is found through fellowships & brain trusts like the JREF, PSICOPS (or whatever they're known as now days), etc. You see, wherever "like minded" people gather you end up with more than the essence of what they agree on, you end up with egos in conflict energized by arrogance and thus, the political face emerges which always seems to favor the lower common denominator over the path of higher mind and higher purpose. Once we toss in the economic factor and social networking (which actually existed long before the first home computer was born) you have an iconic body with an agenda that has little to do with its original analytical studies and more to do with shifting the way the masses process information.
Much of what today's Skepticism element employs mirrors the tactics and actions used by the early church, one of the primary entities skepticism has focused on when it comes to breaking down the fantastic and as a byproduct, weakened the publics reason to believe and/or have faith in what has been tradition for a couple of millennia if not longer in some cases. But like the Church, the Skeptic's fraternities would speak out of either side of their ass by creating "exceptions" that were strange as well as fickle; if your claims were based on accepted religious views then technically you were safe and viewed as being different from those with the exact same sense of testimony that had nothing to do with religious perspective or, to be more correct, a religious perspective that was of an Abrahamic foundation. . . the religions of Wicca, Shamanistic paths, etc. simply do not qualify when it comes to this elusive and fluid "safe zone".
Most of what is viewed as Skepticism in today's era is simply a welcome mat and "conditioning" phase being used at the missionary level by the various Atheist groups around the globe. Several of the key personalities associated with contemporary skepticism have been given noted awards & kudos through the Atheist networks, some of which have been covered by the general media, which has made it more difficult for those, such as Randi, to deny their affiliation let alone ulterior motives when it comes to their pronounced efforts in destroying public belief in anything even remotely outside the accepted analytical norm, be it psychic miracles, UFOs or Alternative Medical Care.
Sorry, but Skepticism is the evangelic arm of the Atheist movement in that it is the best form of a Chinese finger puzzle one can exploit when it comes to the analytical arguments used to manipulate the faith-filled. Let's face it, no one wants to be seen as being dumb, stupid, gullible, ignorant, etc. so when you find yourself faced with a circular debate you will eventually be forced to concede for sake of sanity but likewise, ego; again, no one wants to look stupid and by caving in to what's presented you keep from loosing face. Ironically, the Christian foot soldiers on the street with all those little comic books attempt to do the same sort of mind game. Thanks to the Skeptic's movement in the past 15 or so years however, Christian "youth leaders" have had to create a 24-hour intensity program that targets the same 14-25 target group skeptics like to focus on; get them while they are young and still malleable and your side can win! Kids in this age group are each searching for self-definition, most are in a state of rebellion and so susceptible to biting any one of the primary hooks out there trolling the waters they swim in. There's not a single cult element in all of time and society that does not seek to exploit this very thing, which is why military service, political bodies, etc. are all zoomed in and tracking them. . . and brother, it really is a matter of agenda; the groups with the most
indentured minds wins! Probably why so many of today's most outspoken cynics come out of the UK & US college communities -- the chief petri-dish of the scholastic element used for
breeding (programming) said mental focus and perspectives. If you doubt there's an agenda within this area, take a look at how much religious influence, even by those institutions that "own" said universities; see how much the emphasis on biblical perspective has declined while the analytical or "rational" view has been exaggerated and expanded upon. You will see it in the curriculum as well as the perspectives of graduating students.
St. Thomas was a Skeptic and even after placing his fingers into the famed nail-holes of Jesus he was still hesitant in accepting what he beheld. Maybe that is the same form of "faith" (acceptance of what it offered but with reservation) that has lead us to know a long list of theories and explanations when it comes to the Crucifixion ordeal; was it really JC that was killed or a body double? Was he really on the Cross and simply Drugged only to be nursed back to health in the tome by his secret helpers? Did he actually leave the Holy land with Mary, his wife and their yet born daughter, only for him to leave them in the South of France as he returned to Kashmir as Issa?
I do not support the lie of Blind Faith though I do understand how, in certain situations, blind faith is the only thing one can clinch to. If we do not ask about what we are being taught, we have failed to honor the divine, whatever that may be. It is only the profiteers that insist on total and complete obedience and trust, not the Gods; they seem to welcome those that would challenge their authority and strive to accomplish greatness in life without begging of them, for mercy, help and hope. So faith is a thing of value but it is likewise a very small part of the gospel's wisdom; we must ask, we must knock on the door, we must take the first step in order to know a journey for in doing such we LEARN and we gain wisdom/answers by way of experience in life, not by wrote or oratory when the essence of such things seem to wane and die.
I'm shifting too far into my theosopher's mode, but hopefully I've been able to reveal just how Skepticism in our present time is nothing remotely close to what so many skeptics keep affirming, their affirmations & proclamations being akin to someone insisting that his mule is a horse; you may want to believe that but the facts state otherwise and are quite apparent should you choose to see them. When we are seeing more and more individuals walking away from today's Skeptic's element out of disgust and the belief that it's lost it's way and become far too fanatical, not to mention "cruel", it is quite apparent that something is amiss and not as you claim or would insist on being the case.
Nonetheless, one cannot be a devoted member of any of the 3 main Abrahamic sects while likewise claiming to be a Skeptic based on our present-day attitudes and discourses found within popular skepticism; the two negate one another, PERIOD! Skepticism has become an actual belief system though no divinity other than maybe some idealized human or deified hero like Randi exists. It has its doctrines and covenants as well as its sense of ministry; officers of the "church" as it were. You can likewise find a variety of denominations that differ only by degree when it comes to practice & standards while holding to and promoting the primary gospel agreed upon by the greater majority.
Deny it all you wish, but from the outside looking in, skepticism has become a genuine Religious order.