Since the Gnostics already knew what the text meant, they were no longer constrained by what the text "said"

This refusal to subscribe to a literal understanding of the text was a source of perennial frustration for the proto-orthodox church fathers. ... Since the Gnostics already knew what the text meant (Christ had told them!) they were no longer constrained by what the text "said" (or at least what the orthodox said it said)

B. D. Ehrman, The orthodox corruption of scripture (1993), 123

But the final phrase, "The Son of God," is lacking in several important witnesses

The vast majority of manuscripts introduce the Gospel of Mark with the words; "the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." But the final phrase, "The Son of God," is lacking in several important witnesses... In terms of numbers, the support for the shorter text is slight. But in terms of antiquity and character, this not a confluence to be trifled with. It frequently has been trifled with, however, and here is where one finds no little confusion in earlier discussions of the problem

B. D. Ehrman, The orthodox corruption of scripture (1993), 72

As you can probably guess, we have been reading the opening lines of Mark's gospel wrong. There's no Son of God in the original.

It is religious belongingness that matters for neighbourliness, not religious believing

Common sense would tell you that the more time and money people give to their religious groups, the less they have left over for everything else. But common sense turns out to be wrong. Putnam and Campbell found that the more frequently people attend religious services, the more generous and charitable they become across the board. 

...

beliefs and practices turned out to matter very little. Whether you believe in hell, whether you pray daily, whether you are a Catholic, Protestant, Jew, or  Mormon .... none of these things correlated with generosity.The only thing that was reliably and powerfully associated with the moral benefits of religion was [author's italics] how enmeshed people were in relationships with their co-religionists.

It is religious belongingness that matters for neighbourliness, not religious believing.

J, Haidt, The righteous mind (2012), 310-311

Theories are cheap. Anyone can invent one.

In psychology, theories are cheap. Anyone can invent one .Progress happens when theories are tested, supported, and corrected by empirical evidence, especially when a theory proves to be useful - for example, if it helps people to understand why half the people in their country seem to live in a different moral universe.

J, Haidt, The righteous mind (2012), 149

She cried like a hosepipe that had been slashed

When Thandiwe had to leave the house she cried like a hosepipe that had been slashed. Tears spurted from her eyes on to the towel wrapped around her belly. She cried while her mother held her in her lap and dressed her in the brand new school shoes she had bought from her wages. Her little girl arms that smelt of Lux were wrapped round her mother's neck.

D. Levy, Things I don't want to know (2013), 47-8

It doesn't have wars, it does have beaches, and it's very poor.

Tanzania is one of the most studied countries in Africa. It doesn't have wars, it does have beaches, and it's very poor. This makes it an NGO and academic honey-pot.

R. George, The big necessity (2008), 237

Its dispute with Jerusalem over the canonical jurisdiction of Qatar

The different churches had different reasons for boycotting the Council. Antioch's official position was that it reserved the right to decide not to go to the Council if its dispute with Jerusalem over the canonical jurisdiction of Qatar was not resolved before the Council.

B. Gallaher, 'The Orthodox moment: The Holy and Great Council in Crete and Orthodoxy's encounter with the West', Sobornost 39:2 (2017), 59

The Council in question was in 2016