"Mainstream" scholarship is defined by critical method, and what is verifiable historically, not by perspective or personal belief. Methodological naturalism does not require philosophical naturalism.

      • "Historical development does not go to, it goes from." (Isabella Lazzarini)

Hello and welcome to my user page.

  • On Neutrality

I agree with the very high priority Wikipedia places on neutrality. In the years I've been here, I have learned that my fellow WP editors are generally just as committed to upholding this standard as I am. It's really quite an amazing thing when you stop and think about it - millions of people setting aside personal beliefs and opinions to uphold a standard that goes against natural tendencies.

For better—and for worse — we are all influenced by our culture, race, nationality, gender, and ethics. We are all historically situated. The good news is that does not have to prevent neutrality and objectivity.

Take Olympic judges for example. They must overcome their national biases to be decent judges, and part of that is the presence of the other judges from whom they want the same thing. As historian Thomas L. Haskell explains, "even a polemicist, deeply and fixedly committed" can cultivate neutrality insofar as they are willing to enter in to even a little empathy for the opposing view.

How exactly?

  • I.Be wary of overconfidence.
  • "The more certain you are about an opinion, the more likely you are to employ confirmation bias... Sometimes the best time to expose yourself to opposing views is when you are most certain you already have all the information you need". [1]
  • "When you find evidence that contradicts your opinion, don’t assume you must either reject the evidence or abandon your opinion. Instead, consider modifying aspects of your original theory."
  • II.* We must all force ourselves to confront all data.
  • To cultivate true neutrality, one has to be willing to part with the way we might prefer things to be and deal with the way things are.
  • Pure detachment is not possible, but, as economist Robert Solow says, “Just because a perfectly aseptic environment is impossible doesn’t mean one should conduct surgery in a sewer.”
  • III. Give scrupulous attention to the standards and processes of Wikipedia's just and reasonable Method.
  • Vet your sources.
  • Learn how to recognize if an author neglects facts, fails to acknowledge opposing arguments, or dismisses contradictory studies. Their bias doesn't excuse yours.
  • Test Yourself by looking for contrary evidence.
  • IV. Use the same standard for all
  • Seek Consensus by submitting work to the unsympathetic. Peer reviews are worth their weight in gold.
  • V. No Personal attacks
  • Don't make them, don't let others get away with them. Contact an admin. This is our online home and we must all maintain it. But most of all, we all must learn to listen to criticism and carefully consider it. We don't have to automatically agree - or disagree - but there is no better source of an objective view of you than a critic. Make it a point to learn from every one of them you meet.
  • VI. Enjoy being here. This is a wonderful opportunity. A thousand blessings on Jimmy Wales!
  • Cheers to all my fellow Wikipedian's!
    • Happy editing!
  • These steps are taken from the work of Michael Licona, from the Forbes Coaches Council on leadership: 15 Steps You Can Take To Fight Unconscious Bias[2]; and from The Business Journal's Tips for overcoming and neutralizing your confirmation bias[3].

And here's a FUN You tube video: [4]

I like meeting people who are not like me - and then getting along with them.
GEThis Wikipedian is a gentle editor and attempts to abide strictly by both the letter and spirit of NPA. They invite comments on their talk page whenever they fall short.
This editor is against kitten abuse.
This user advocates for animal rights.
This user is interested in environmentalism.
This user is interested in history.
This user is interested in ethics.

Kindness CampaignThis user is a member of the Kindness Campaign.
This user makes women blue.
This user is a member of
WikiProject Video games.
This user is interested in architecture.
This user is an American who lived outside of America for most of their childhood.
This user is a member of WikiProject Bible.
This user is a member of
WikiProject Christianity.
This user condemns all forms of antisemitism.
This user wants to be your friend.
Face-smileThis user is a member of the Welcoming Committee of Wikipedia!


Contributions: edit

Ambrose

Augustine of Hippo (section on Coercion)

Battle of Frigidus

Bible

The Bible and humor My first DYK? article!

Bible and violence - the very first article I ever worked on here on Wikipedia - needs work now

Biblical criticism (my first GA article)  

Christianity and paganism

[5] Christian ethics  

Christianization

Christianization of the Roman Empire as diffusion of innovation

[6] Chronicle of Arbela

Conversion to Christianity

GAR of Devil in Christianity

My first creation (rather than addition) - Early Christian Women and Pagan Opinion: The Power of the Hysterical Woman

[7] Ethics in the Bible

created Evolutionary theodicy

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

Francis Drake

Historical Jesus

History of Christianity 

Historiography of the Christianization of the Roman Empire  

[8] History of Christian thought on persecution and tolerance  

History of Christianity

Irenaean theodicy

Massacre of Thessalonica 

[9] Martyrdom of Pionius

Persecution of Christians

Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

Persecution of Christians in the post–Cold War era

[10] Persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire

Problem of evil

Christianity in civilization Role of Christianity in civilization

Religious persecution [11]

Religious policies of Constantine the Great

Religious responses to the problem of evil

Theodosius I  

Tunica molesta

Women in the Bible


  • As a reviewer:

Reviewed: Tourbillion Bulgaria; My first GA review of someone else's article succeeded!

So did my second: Indonesian Christian Student Movement! [12]

Reviewed W. Sterling Cary a really well done article and passed it. Jenhawk777 (talk) 19:01, 16 December 2021 (UTC)

Reviewed John 3:16 failed

Reviewed Papyrus 45 passed

Reviewed Devil in Christianity passed

Reviewed Christianity: failed

Reviewed Michael Miller: failed

Peer review of Megan Phelps-Roper that subsequently went GA

Works in progress: edit

History of Christianity

Wikipedia:Peer review/Christianization/archive1

Conversion to Christianity

Of interest: edit

need to create: New (Neo) evangelicalism

need to create: Primitive Christianity

need to create: volitional epistemology and moral ecology

need to create: Wayne Meeks; Charity in early Christianity; The Confession of St. Patrick;

need an article on the Christian enlightenment during the early modern period.

need to create an article on Moore's book. Lots of articles available on it.

Add to Louis the Pious impact on church becoming less entangled with state

Add to this one under Legacy: Apostles in the New Testament

Christianity in the 4th century


Christianity in late antiquity

From Gog:

[13] Ethics in religion

[14] History of Christianity

Death penalty

covenant Covenant

Nativity Nativity

Judaizers Judaizers

Talk:Theodicy Theodicy

[15] civil religion

[16] atonement in Christianity Leviticus 18

Anti-Christian sentiment

Paul of Samosata

Criticism of atheism

Christian values

total rewrite has been suggested for Insider movement

added Toleration

[17] Christianity and violence, my first bog of quicksand, doesn't look too bad.

Circumcellions imbalance

Supersessionism

Easter

Donald Guthrie (theologian)

Covenant (historical) needs citations

Spread of Christianity

Compadres edit

these are wonderful editors and people! I am so glad to have worked with them

Just Another Cringy Username editor capable of deleting what isn't necessary; helped on History of Christianity

Aza24 helps with music/arts

Wham2001 also corrects citations - man I love these guys, and I mean that literally!

AirshipJungleman29

Pbritti

P Aculeius

Czarking0

Avilich

Wehwalt

ActivelyDisinterested willing to help with correcting citations! YAY!

Extraordinary Writ

Mike Christie

Gog the Mild

Gerda

Farang Rak Tham

Josh

talk:Gråbergs

Andrewa

WikiProject Christianity

Mortee

[18]Ermenrich

[19]Buidhe

AlanM1

Nick Moyes

Gareth Griffith-Jones

PaleoNeonate

[[20]]

Richard Keatinge

VR

(  Buttinsky)

User talk:RenanIL96

A. Parrot

Willbb234

do work in religion (also kind and helpful):

Josh Milburn

WJ94

Midnightblueowl

Generalissima did the GA of history of Christianity

User talk:Werter1995 sources on H. of C.

Help: edit

Ellipses require the placement of a "non-breaking space" before them: it's written with a & then nbsp and a semicolon

[21] Avoiding common mistakes: first, know what they are.

Wikipedia:Writing better articles

Wikipedia:Simplified Manual of Style

Help:Table how to set up a table

Help:Shortened footnotes

The great and wonderful Teahouse! [22]

[23] how to check images for copyright

[24]] how to use multiple images

[25] passing image review

[26] alternative text for images

[27] idea lab

[28] rudeness

[29]countering bias

[30]MOS block quotes

[31] how to do diffs

[32] Wikitext

[33] ANI

Wikipedia:Dispute resolution

To include a pdf in a reference:

  • Include URL link to article, pre-print, or abstract.


{{cite journal |last=Aries |first=Myriam B. C. |last2=Newsham |first2=Guy R. |last-author-amp=yes |date=2008 |title=Effect of daylight saving time on lighting energy use: a literature review |url=http://archive.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/obj/irc/doc/pubs/nrcc49212/nrcc49212.pdf |journal=Energy Policy |volume=36 |issue=6 |pages=1858–1866 |doi=10.1016/j.enpol.2007.05.021 |access-date=October 18, 2013}}
Displays as:
Aries, Myriam B. C. & Newsham, Guy R. (2008). "Effect of daylight saving time on lighting energy use: a literature review" (PDF). Energy Policy. 36 (6): 1858–1866. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2007.05.021. Retrieved October 18, 2013.

  • Displays as:

Aries, Myriam B. C. & Newsham, Guy R. (2008). "Effect of daylight saving time on lighting energy use: a literature review" (PDF). Energy Policy. 36 (6): 1858–1866. doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2007.05.021. Retrieved October 18, 2013.

    • If the linked document is PDF, but the extension is not .pdf or .PDF, you may add the parameter |format=PDF, which displays " (PDF)" after the link.
  • On a Talk page, when including references, place Talkref between double curly brackets at the end just before signing
  • Redirect: create the new page and add:
    #REDIRECT [[Article name]]
    as the sole text on the old article
  • [34] splitting: remember to add an edit summary when copying content, have thought about which categories and external links you will need to add and what the new lead will look like, then just type the name of the new article somewhere, This is my new article name (like in your sandbox, or in to the search engine), and click on it, and you will see “you may create this page”, click on that, and create the page. Then copy your content in to there making sure the edit summary says, “copied from” the old article name with a live wikilink. You will need to have two different windows open in your browser ... the one you are copying from and the new article you are copying to. Try not to save the new article until you have added a proper lead sentence and categories so the new page patrollers won’t have you :). And don’t forget to add the references section. You can worry about deleting content from the old article after you have the new article working, but again, when you delete the content from the old article, be sure to say in edit summary, “content moved to” with a live link to the new article. Basically, you are just creating a new article and the only thing that is really crucial is that you follow WP:CWW by indicating in edit summary where you got the content. Then, don’t forget to tag the new article talk page with the Wikiproject tags that are on the old article. Heartfelt thanx to SandyGeorgia for interpreting WP instructions!

use: (two curly brackets) Copied|from= |from_oldid=|to= |to_diff= (two curly brackets)

Tools edit

My library The library!! Whoo hoo!

[35]

[36] Archive

[37] open library

[38] free newspaper library

[39] Bible translator

[40] Resource request Wikipedia:WikiProject Resource Exchange/Resource Request

Template for use in articles undergoing major edits: double curly brackets front and back around 'under construction' will tag an article about major work being done; or

[41]

[42] under construction

Wikipedia:Prosesize for # of words

Wikipedia:Moving_a_page#How_to_move_a_page

List of Wikipedias

Template:Cite encyclopedia

Template:Cite news

Wikipedia:Personal user awards

Wikipedia:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Requests

Wikipedia:WikiProject Christianity/Assessment

Wikipedia:Template index/User talk namespace

[43] referencing

[44] citation bot

[45]] copyright tags for images

[46]] check for copy violations

[47]] how to nowrap

for Bible quotes go to wikisource at s:Bible; type in like this: [[s:Bible (King James)/Psalms#Psalm 23|Psalms:23]]

[48]

Resource exchange

Google Books

Citation Tool for Google Books

Earwig's copyvio detector

Undue weight

Wikipedia_talk:Manual_of_Style/Archive_199#People_we_quote_and_paraphrase Manual of style archive

[49] GA criteria

[50] FA criteria

Hebrew lexicons

[51] Welcoming committee

[[52]] hyphenator for isbn's

Template:Hatnote templates for finding templates

[53] Hirtle chart/copyright info for images

[54] By country copyright for images

Quoted from the Five pillars: (Don't forget this!) edit

"We strive for articles that document and explain major points of view, giving due weight with respect to their prominence in an impartial tone. We avoid advocacy and we characterize information and issues rather than debate them. In some areas there may be just one well-recognized point of view; in others, we describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately and in context rather than as "the truth" or "the best view". All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy, citing reliable, authoritative sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is on living persons. Editors' personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong". (Harvard, Oxford, etc., Vetus Testamentum, and the Journal of Biblical Literature, etc. preferred on Bible articles.)

Invaluable resources for researchers:

Name: Wikiquote
Description: collection of quotations
Website: www.wikiquote.org
Launched: July 10, 2003
Alexa rank: 3,733 (Global, July 2017)[1]
  Name: Wikisource
Description: digital library
Website: www.wikisource.org
Launched: November 24, 2003
Alexa rank: 4,362 (Global, July 2017)[2]
  Name: Wikimedia Commons
Description: repository of images, sounds, videos, and general media
Website: commons.wikimedia.org
Launched: September 7, 2004
  Name: Wikispecies
Description: taxonomic catalogue of species
Website: species.wikimedia.org
Launched: September 14, 2004
  Name: Wikinews
Description: online newspaper
Website: www.wikinews.org
Launched: November 8, 2004
Alexa rank: 60,341 (Global, July 2017)[3]
  Name: Wikiversity
Description: collection of tutorials and courses, while also serving as a hosting point to coordinate research
Website: www.wikiversity.org
Launched: August 15, 2006
Alexa rank: 14,505 (Global, July 2017)[4]
  Name: Wikidata
Description: knowledge base
Website: www.wikidata.org
Launched: October 30, 2012

BookFinder.com


Wikipedia:The Wikipedia Library

Wikipedia:Twinkle

Wikipedia:Good article


  • TO WELCOME NEW PEOPLE USE THIS:

Welcome! edit

Hello, and welcome to Wikipedia! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few links to pages you might find helpful:

Please remember to sign your messages on talk pages by adding a space and four tildes to the end of the last line of your post, like this:

This is the last line of the post. ~~~~

The tildes will be automatically converted to a signature that contains your linked username and a timestamp to help keep conversations organized. I will sign mine accordingly with hopes you will remember me and will feel free to ask me any questions you have--or just say hi!

Where to find new users edit

Here are some ways to find new users:

  • Check your watchlist – welcome the users who are working on the things you yourself are interested in. The new users are the ones with a red talk page link.
  • Check Wikipedia's account creation log – this is especially useful with a quick link to their talk page, as well as an "at-a-glance" sign to tell if they've probably been welcomed already: their talk page isn't red linked!
  • Special:ActiveUsers a list of users who had some kind of activity within the last 30 days.
  • New users can frequently be found seeking help at the Wikipedia:Teahouse and Wikipedia:Help desk.
  • You will no doubt come across new users as you work on Wikipedia. You may spot them in the edit histories of pages or on talk pages. If a user's signature or username is in red, that indicates that he or she doesn't have a user page set up yet. That means they are very likely (but not always) a new user. Check their talk page to see if they've already been greeted (though there's no harm in greeting a new user again; you can always say "hi", and offer your assistance).
  • Check the recent changes. If there is a new user, it will say as an edit summary: (New user account). These users will also be on the account creation log. You can then click on the red linked talk page and then greet them. This is also helpful if you are looking for newbies, vandalism, etc.
  • Snuggle displays users who have registered within the past month. The list can be sorted in date order. It provides an overview of messages on their talk page, and quick access to their talk page and list of contributions.
  1. ^ "Wikiquote.org Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  2. ^ "Wikisource.org Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  3. ^ "Wikinews.org Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  4. ^ "Wikiversity.org Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2017-07-08.