You "despair", because you're emotionally triggered, Bill. ;-) As for skepticism or "doubt", that can also be an emotional predisposition, and it is in many people. It's a very common defence mechanism against being tricked, hoodwinked or disappointed "yet again!"

In any case, I am just as keenly aware as you are that "from false premises, anything follows". I've always been quite good at ferreting out false premises. The world's full of them, and not just in the field of religion and spirituality, but also in fields such as politics, culture, economics, science, medicine, law, etc...false premises simply abound in modern day culture.

You and I are equally driven by our powerful thirst to know the truth about everything, Bill, and I expect we'll be that way till the day we die.