“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
– James 1:5-8

Have a go at finishing this sentence: “when in doubt….” You’ll have heard it before—it’s a standard construction for pithy epigrams the world over. The problem is that you’ll also have probably heard a dozen or more variations on the theme, some of which are certain to contradict one another: and there are dozens and dozens more, and more being coined every day. Non-President of the United States Benjamin Franklin said…