Anecdotal Evidence

[robvalue]

Depends how you define knowledge. It's not a simple concept. If you're interested in the most accurate models of reality that can be found, then yes, you use the scientific method. If you're examining something for which you can no longer do any testing, you have to draw your best conclusions from the available data. You still use a scientific method as far as possible.

I have no idea what else you're suggesting, or what kind of knowledge you're talking about. I can gain informal knowledge just by observing things. If I want to confirm that what I think I know is as accurate as possible, I'll use scientific methods and independent observers to review my work.

Scientific methods are those methods which can be demonstrated to produce reliable results. So if you have some other method, either it also does this and so is science; or else it doesn't and it's probably not very useful. Trying to say something isn't science but does what science does is equivocating.

An example would be nice, please. Because all I have to go on at the moment is your beliefs about religious documents.