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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/43702
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

 **Overdoing it is worse than underdoing it.**

This isn't a complete answer, but remember that Christians are, before anything else, people. Yes, they might see the world differently, but then again, not that differently. It is way more off-putting to overdo the difference than to under-do it. Consider this example from Donna Leon's _The Death of Faith_:

> ‘And you’re the gardener?’ Brunetti asked, though it was hardly necessary.
> 
> ‘By the goodness of God, I am that. I’ve worked in this garden,’ he began, giving Brunetti a closer look, ‘since the time you were a boy.’
> 
> ‘It’s beautiful, Brother. You should be proud of it.’
> 
> The old man gave Brunetti a sudden look from under his thick eyebrows. Pride was, after all, one of the seven deadly sins. ‘Proud that beauty like this gives glory to God, that is,’ Brunetti amended, and the monk’s smile was restored.

Now, (spoiler alert), this monk later turns out to be a religious fanatic. But that doesn't take away the point that no Christian, monk or not, religious fanatic or not, that I have ever met (and I know some _very_ religious people), has ever talked that way. If you read this, not only it feels obvious that Donna Leon has never talked to an actual monk in her life, it also makes it seem as if she thinks monks are some weird kinds of aliens that don't use the same words or have the same feelings as other people.

Don't write like this.

Original score: 10