I am not sure that we disagree. I guess their are three parts to this business:
1. The practice of Science
2. The practice of scholarly study
3. Speculations about the origins of folk lore

I think the first two are the same. The third seems to attract people who promote all sorts of ideas with out much evidence, the origin of morris and those faces in churches are two cases in point.

I have danced morris and I don't doubt for a minute that their is something a bit special and a bit odd about it. I have seen lots of those faces all over Europe and they too are odd. One small problem for the pre-christian / pagan origins is the almost total lack of any evidence and the habit that people have of passing on il-founded ideas as if they were factual.

Whilst searching the woods for Jack-in-the-Green some of these people might tread in some bear poor. I hope it sticks to them and they ponder the difference between evidence and patched up day dreams!

Now, I have to nail a horseshoe to the garage. I understand it brings good luck and even more if you don't believe in it.