1. What are you going to do with that?

I have lost count of how many times I have been asked this question when I have told people what I am majoring in. I'm currently a philosophy major. Why would this get on my nerves sometimes? For at least two reasons. First, it is a bit agitating that an arguably sizable number of incoming freshmen students and – in some cases – their parents don't know much about philosophy. Should they know about it? Of course they should. Does anyone seriously think that our country or any individual hasn't been influenced by certain ideas about God, ethics, and human nature?

Second, it's a bit annoying that so many people assume that the only job in the market for philosophy majors is teaching. Philosophy majors pursue careers in business, law, journalism, research, medicine, and so on. So when I am asked what am I going to do with it, it's almost as if they think there's not much to do with it. But this isn't based on anything they know about it. It's primarily based on ignorance.

2. I prefer a childlike faith.

Even though trusting in God is something that doesn't always come naturally to me, I completely support the idea of fully trusting God. However, I have oftentimes heard this line about having a childlike faith in God as if it were supposed to be the opposite of a Christian who critically examines his or her beliefs about God and life. I have personally heard this line when I would talk about the importance of carefully examining my life and what I believe about a variety of things.

Even though I know that most people don't advocate being irrational about things, this line has oftentimes come off as presenting faith as something that doesn't require thinking rationally about important things. In all honesty, even though faith is listed as a virtue in the Christian faith, it has become very misleading nowadays as to how some people use it.

 3. If it ain't in the Bible, it's just man's opinion.

It's my theological conviction that Scripture is infallible in what it teaches because it's ultimately the product of God Himself, who cannot make a mistake in His intellect (omniscience). However, I am getting tired of hearing – more or less – the idea that if an idea isn't in the Bible or isn't rooted in the Bible, then it must be false or invalid because it's "man's opinion." First, "God's truth" isn't just what Scripture teaches. There's a famous line within Christendom that says, "All truth is God's truth." God's truth isn't just what Scripture teaches but is also what His creation communicates (Psalm 19). Second, this idea isn't even taught in the Bible. What's the authoritative source for the claim that "if it's not taught or provable by Scripture, then it's just man's opinion, and if it's man's opinion vs. what God says, then reject man's opinion"? Is there any biblical support for this? If there isn't, then it's just "man's opinion," and so we should reject it.

4. That's your opinion/belief.

I don't mind someone disagreeing with me. In fact, I actually appreciate it when someone directly tells me they disagree because it is a form of courage and honesty. I admire even more when they explain why they disagree with me and try to change my mind. If I am wrong about a particular issue, I want my mind to be changed. I need correction. But it annoys me when someone tells me that my position is just my opinion because it has a heavy dismissive tone. It's basically a refusal to engage. It's almost like saying, "I disagree with you, but I don't care to know why you believe that." That's basically being closed-minded. If you're going to disagree with someone, tell them why you disagree with them and give them a chance to justify their views. Otherwise, all things being equal, you're as closed-minded as the people you say are.

5. How long did you live in "the" Ukraine?

It doesn't annoy me at all when I'm asked how long I lived in Ukraine. I actually appreciate it when people ask me about my upbringing. But I did not live in "the" Ukraine. I lived in Ukraine. For one, it's a grammatical mistake because Ukraine is not a predicate nominative or direct object (like "the" Soviet Union). It's just a proper name of a country. Come on, people. A little grammar helps. Moreover, it probably reflects a lack of historical familiarity. People might be inclined to call it "the" Ukraine because they think it's still a part of the Soviet Union (which it was, until roughly 1989). It then became an independent country. We rightly say that we live in "the" States. We don't say, "We live in 'the' Georgia." That would probably trigger some strange facial expressions from people.