There's a debate that's been going on in the blogosphere this past week. One side says that only biblical scholars are qualified to comment on the Bible. "You wouldn't go to an amateur if you needed brain surgery, so why would you do so if you wanted to understand the Bible?," this argument runs. The other side retorts that dilettantes actually do have something to contribute to discussions about the Bible (imagine that!). For links to the relevant posts, see Polycarp's Are you Really Qualified to Interpret the Bible?
My response will be brief: Why can't we focus on the content of what people say rather than on whether or not they have a degree in Bible? If a person is wrong, show him where he is wrong! But don't flash your degrees as if that decides anything!