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Thanks for that TED talk, Rocky…while watching it I tried to imagine the doctrinal forum in a Zoom meeting format. On a side note I think you, WordWolf and Twinky tend to be arbitrators and facilitators in a discussion – often very needful “jobs” in doctrinal..

Perhaps some of it applies to trying to communicate in print too.

I'm not sure if this is directly relevant to the biblical topic at hand but I just read it and I find it intriguing. "They will interpret what you say in light of what they want to hear; and if your advice runs counter to their desires, they will find some way to dismiss your opinion, your so-called expertise. The more powerful the person, the more they are subject to this form of the confirmation bias. "When investigating confirmation bias in the world, take a look at theories that seem a little too good to be true. Statistics and studies are trotted out to prove them; these are not very difficult to find, once you are convinced of the rightness of your argument. On the internet, it is easy to find studies that support both sides of an argument. In general, you should never accept the validity of people’s ideas because they have supplied “evidence.” Instead, examine the evidence yourself in the cold light of day, with as much skepticism as you can muster. Your first impulse should always be to find the evidence that disconfirms your most cherished beliefs and those of others. That is true science." Greene, Robert. The Laws of Human Nature (p. 29). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. In terms of our discussion, "evidence" relates to Bible verses. Science would be "biblical research." We seem to know enough to recognize that legitimate understanding of biblical truth acknowledges that there will be apparent contradictions and obvious paradox throughout the accepted scriptures. We all seem to have inherent biases that guide our interpretation of any complex issue, not the least of which would include God's commandments and His Plan for Redemption... given that we generally accept the Bible to be the focus of where God makes his will known. One such bias, confirmation bias, is the first listed by Mr. Green in his book on Human Nature. That's where I found the quote above. That's one reason I tried to change my approach to what our friend Gabe was trying to sell us about the sabbath. WE (most of us who have posted on this discussion) seem(ed) to have a common understanding of the issue. We set that understanding to words in response (and resistance) to Gabe's view. I've been able to recognize that I am not always right, and recognize it for years. Not necessarily for the last 34 years, but for more than one or two years. So I figured I had nothing to lose by giving Gabe the opportunity to make his case without my resistance.