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In a debate, I watch my language.
I will not say, "This is above my pay grade." I am not paid to expound Bible verses, and even if I were, I would not do it based on the amount paid. I understand that people use it as an idiom to mean, "This is above my expertise." Then say that instead.
I prefer to use the word 'literally' in the strict sense: "The book literally weighs two pounds." It physically weighs two pounds without exaggeration or metaphor. I avoid using it just for emphasis: "I'm literally dying of embarrassment." The speaker isn't actually dying but is using "literally" for emphasis.
I am careful with the universal quantifier 'all'. Avoid saying: all I can say, all the time, etc. Don't say 'all' when it is 'many'. Don't say 'many' when it is 'some'. Don't say 'always' when it is 'often'. Don't say 'often' when it is 'sometimes'. I try not to exaggerate when I debate.
Some Christians misuse these words: all, just, only, assume, and conclude. They use them to overstate and jump to conclusions. You will think better if you are more careful with these words.
I use the following words in their formal logical sense: prove, deduce, entail, conclude, imply, contradict, therefore, unique, prooftext, theory, debunk, refute, etc.
I avoid frequent usages of the following words and phrases: absolutely, certainly, incredibly, no uncertain terms, entirely, slam dunk, obviously, clearly, always, must, have to, of course, easily, simply, plainly, just overwhelmingly clear, crystal clear, impossible to overemphasize, simple math, it is not rocket science, I guarantee you, this is a no brainer, anyone with half a brain, we have every reason to believe, suffice it to say, needless to say, to say the least, absurd, there is just no way, there can be little argument, never, irrefutable, amazing, the only way, no doubt, beyond the shadow of a doubt, without question, nowhere, unbelievable, very, frankly, merely, the fact of the matter, if you stop and think about it, duh, etc. Excessive uses of intensifiers and mocking phrases are signs of a speaker's imbalance, immaturity, and extremism. You cannot win an argument by exaggeration and belittling your opponents.
Here are some self-centered cop-out sentences that sound immature or extreme: I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, ... . All I know ... . Who cares? Whatever. So what? Why in the world ...? I am not going to dignify your question with an answer. It doesn't matter. There is not a shred of evidence. Apparently, they didn't get the memo. It has nothing to do with that. Thumb your nose at God. Give God the middle finger. You are missing the point. I don't understand how/why … . I have no idea why … . Etc. Christians who have run out of objective arguments sometimes use these as their last resort.
I avoid overly simplistic binary thinking: If this is not …, I don't know what is. I don't know what your Bible says, but my Bible says …. I don't know why others …. The Bible is not about this but about that. It is all about ….. The Bible says this but does not say that. I have to say that …, unless, of course, …. I have to assume. There is no 3rd choice. Etc. The truth is often not so black and white. Sometimes, both options are true. E.g., there are instances where a metaphor is also literal. Binary thinking often leads to a false dichotomy.
Avoid putting logically inconsistent words together: pretty unique, almost infinite, a little bit of hyperbole, Therefore, it seems, It seems obvious, I have no doubt that God may, I am sure you probably know, We can't assume anything without being told, etc.
I distinguish between "general" and "universal". "The general public" means most people, but not everyone. "Universal suffrage" means voting rights for all adults.
Avoid frequent use of euphemisms: gosh for God, darn for damn, heck for hell, good grief, for heaven's sake, my goodness, etc.
Avoid using filler words habitually: well, you know, actually, anyhow, now, etc. Overusing these words is annoying and distracting to me.
Stay with objective logic and avoid emotive rhetoric, sarcasm, and polemical words like laughable, pathetic, ridiculous, silly, etc. Avoid exaggerations. Rhetoric may win sympathy from people who already agree with you, but it rarely converts the minds of those who disagree. Don't be defensive or belligerent, but stay objective. When disagreeing, I try to accommodate and find common ground. I admit different options with probabilities. My brain releases happy hormones when someone proves me wrong because I would have learned something new. I enjoy the freedom to learn from everyone in the forums.
When I wrote my AI research papers, I used the present tense by default. However, when I write my Bible comments, I prefer to use the past tense because I am talking about things that happened a long, long time ago. I know that I am breaking the rule of standard journal publication practice.
Proverbs 18:
I will not say, "This is above my pay grade." I am not paid to expound Bible verses, and even if I were, I would not do it based on the amount paid. I understand that people use it as an idiom to mean, "This is above my expertise." Then say that instead.
I prefer to use the word 'literally' in the strict sense: "The book literally weighs two pounds." It physically weighs two pounds without exaggeration or metaphor. I avoid using it just for emphasis: "I'm literally dying of embarrassment." The speaker isn't actually dying but is using "literally" for emphasis.
I am careful with the universal quantifier 'all'. Avoid saying: all I can say, all the time, etc. Don't say 'all' when it is 'many'. Don't say 'many' when it is 'some'. Don't say 'always' when it is 'often'. Don't say 'often' when it is 'sometimes'. I try not to exaggerate when I debate.
Some Christians misuse these words: all, just, only, assume, and conclude. They use them to overstate and jump to conclusions. You will think better if you are more careful with these words.
I use the following words in their formal logical sense: prove, deduce, entail, conclude, imply, contradict, therefore, unique, prooftext, theory, debunk, refute, etc.
I avoid frequent usages of the following words and phrases: absolutely, certainly, incredibly, no uncertain terms, entirely, slam dunk, obviously, clearly, always, must, have to, of course, easily, simply, plainly, just overwhelmingly clear, crystal clear, impossible to overemphasize, simple math, it is not rocket science, I guarantee you, this is a no brainer, anyone with half a brain, we have every reason to believe, suffice it to say, needless to say, to say the least, absurd, there is just no way, there can be little argument, never, irrefutable, amazing, the only way, no doubt, beyond the shadow of a doubt, without question, nowhere, unbelievable, very, frankly, merely, the fact of the matter, if you stop and think about it, duh, etc. Excessive uses of intensifiers and mocking phrases are signs of a speaker's imbalance, immaturity, and extremism. You cannot win an argument by exaggeration and belittling your opponents.
Here are some self-centered cop-out sentences that sound immature or extreme: I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, ... . All I know ... . Who cares? Whatever. So what? Why in the world ...? I am not going to dignify your question with an answer. It doesn't matter. There is not a shred of evidence. Apparently, they didn't get the memo. It has nothing to do with that. Thumb your nose at God. Give God the middle finger. You are missing the point. I don't understand how/why … . I have no idea why … . Etc. Christians who have run out of objective arguments sometimes use these as their last resort.
I avoid overly simplistic binary thinking: If this is not …, I don't know what is. I don't know what your Bible says, but my Bible says …. I don't know why others …. The Bible is not about this but about that. It is all about ….. The Bible says this but does not say that. I have to say that …, unless, of course, …. I have to assume. There is no 3rd choice. Etc. The truth is often not so black and white. Sometimes, both options are true. E.g., there are instances where a metaphor is also literal. Binary thinking often leads to a false dichotomy.
Avoid putting logically inconsistent words together: pretty unique, almost infinite, a little bit of hyperbole, Therefore, it seems, It seems obvious, I have no doubt that God may, I am sure you probably know, We can't assume anything without being told, etc.
I distinguish between "general" and "universal". "The general public" means most people, but not everyone. "Universal suffrage" means voting rights for all adults.
Avoid frequent use of euphemisms: gosh for God, darn for damn, heck for hell, good grief, for heaven's sake, my goodness, etc.
Avoid using filler words habitually: well, you know, actually, anyhow, now, etc. Overusing these words is annoying and distracting to me.
Stay with objective logic and avoid emotive rhetoric, sarcasm, and polemical words like laughable, pathetic, ridiculous, silly, etc. Avoid exaggerations. Rhetoric may win sympathy from people who already agree with you, but it rarely converts the minds of those who disagree. Don't be defensive or belligerent, but stay objective. When disagreeing, I try to accommodate and find common ground. I admit different options with probabilities. My brain releases happy hormones when someone proves me wrong because I would have learned something new. I enjoy the freedom to learn from everyone in the forums.
When I wrote my AI research papers, I used the present tense by default. However, when I write my Bible comments, I prefer to use the past tense because I am talking about things that happened a long, long time ago. I know that I am breaking the rule of standard journal publication practice.
Proverbs 18:
Proverbs 19:
Psalm 131:
Titus 3:
I focus on commonalities without ignoring the differences. Stressing differences causes division. I watch my language in order to unify as much as possible.
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