Gelisgesti wrote:Like pulling teeth. I read everything again but failed to find an answer, could you point it out for me please?
Okay, let me do this slowly for you, Ge'.
You and Kerver were going back and forth -- and at some point, she said:
Quote:Yes, I do believe in life after death.
To which you replied:
Quote:Excellent, an answer that isn't couched.
To which I responded:
Quote:Interesting that you should characterize Kerver's statement that way. Actually -- the statement is couched. By saying he "believes" there is life after death -- he is actually saying "I do not know, but my guess is that there is life after death." The truly "uncouched" version would be a simple: "I do not know."
And that prompted you to ask"
Quote:Hey Frank, why do you insist on re-writing peoples words. How should she have written "Yes, I do believe in life after death" so that you would interpret her as saying "Yes, I do believe in life after death"?
Essentially what you are saying here is that the answer I gave up above -- about what she was actually saying -- is not the answer you wanted.
It is my opinion that the response "I do believe in life after death" is a "couched" way of saying -- "I do not know." I guess one could go so far as to say, it is a couched way of saying "I do not know, but my guess is that there is life after death" ... but in either instance, I consider it couched.
You are, of course, free to disagree with that opinion.
(Kerver, this has nothing to do with you or with your response, which I consider adequate and expressive of your feelings. This really has to do with disagreements that go back several years between Ge' and me.)
Anyway, Ge', as I said -- I gave my answer earlier. I've given my answer a second time now -- and if you have trouble with the answer, deal with it.
But just because I haven't given the answer you wanted, don't suppose you can come up with something like
Quote:Can't come up with an answer to my question eh?
Frankly, there are no questions you pose that are that difficult to deal with -- even if you want to kid yourself into thinking there are.