If X & Y are correlated, it absolutely can be because X causes Y. And if X & Y are correlated, it's more likely X causes Y than if they were not correlated.

Parroting "correlation isn't causation" every time someone trots out an argument which isn't water tight is dumb.

When a correlation is observed all around the world, shouting “correlation is not causation” becomes a clearly weak dismissal.

Open flames and house fires are very strongly correlated.

Correct! Correlation is not causation.

But it is a pretty serious hint worth checking to see if a causal link is there.

Outright dismissal of a lead in resolving a problem is NOT helping anyone.

So how should we investigate what _is_ a potential for causation

And only recently has the US government started allowing funds again study the answer to that question:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03882-w