CAN WE FALLACY THE PROBLEM? (PART 1)
I was not planning on writing this type of blog at all until I was recently watching a YouTube video on Christianity in which the person speaking made quite a few logical fallacies. Now at this point you are most likely thinking about which anti-Christian video I was watching. Actually, the video was made by a fellow Christian! Yes, we ourselves make mistakes too ha-ha. I felt pushed to do what I can only now call a blog series on different logical fallacies we often hear pertaining to Christianity.
So here are my intentions for this blog series. I am going to tackle one logically fallacy per blog. I am not yet certain how many I will do within this series, but I plan on at least doing a handful of them. Another thing I wish to point out is that I fully recognize that even Christians (yes, I said it) do often make them when we teach and speak. These fallacies belong to the camp of those who make them. They don’t belong to certain people or stereotypes, we all can make them. No matter who you are, being informed about them will do everyone a service. Below I list how I will format each blog:
1. List the fallacy
2. Define the fallacy
3. Example(s) where the fallacy is made against Christianity
4. Example(s) where Christians make the fallacy
The first fallacy we are going to look at is what is known as a non-sequitur. This fallacy is considered to reside within the formal family of fallacies. A formal fallacy may either be called a deductive fallacy in which they are errors of logic. These errors are when the conclusion doesn’t follow from the premises, hence the term non-sequitur in Latin means “not” and “to follow.” For example, a structure of one can look like this: Claim A is proposed, evidence for claim A, therefore claim B is true.
Usage against Christians: One main argument I have heard takes this structure. (For simplicity purposes take the below term church to assume all Christians that come into the sphere of influence of the one making this claim)
1. The church represents the body of Christ
2. The church does things which contradicts this representation
3. Therefore, Christianity is false
Many of you reading this may know people who have walked away from their church and what they previously thought to be true based on the kind of reasoning of that above. I will say that usually this falls more into of an emotional conclusion rather than an intellectual one. As one can tell of course the conclusion doesn’t follow. What is it that makes the case that the church doing something morally wrong means that Christianity is false? As a matter of fact, every church can be doing all things morally wrong and Christianity still be true. I am not saying that all churches are doing morally wrong things, or that all church members are doing morally wrong things, but the fact that humanity is fallen should not surprise anyone that someone or something may happen to go wrong within the church. The conclusion just doesn’t follow.
Usage by Christians:
1. I really want God to give me X
2. I didn’t receive X from God
3. Therefore, God doesn’t love me
I have come across many people who believe they know what they think God wants or has for them in their lives and when they don’t achieve or receive it, they ask God if He really cares for them. Why does it follow that since God doesn’t give you what you want that God doesn’t love you? Could it be in fact that the reason that you didn’t receive what you wanted was due the fact that He in fact does loves you? This applies even to what are intrinsically good things we ask for. Could not God know down the road that these intrinsically good things in fact if received right now may be the worst thing for you down the road, therefore He doesn’t allow you to have it.
Let me conclude with what I believe should follow from the above arguments:
1. The church represents the body of Christ
2. The church does things which contradicts this representation
3. Therefore, the churches representation of the body of Christ is often contradictory
&
1. I really want God to give me X
2. I didn’t receive X from God
3. Therefore, what I really wanted God to give me I didn’t receive from God
As you can tell what should follow from the above arguments is not what we often hear or see to follow. I suggest that we in love understand where the ones who make such fallacies in their reasoning are coming from, and then gentle show then the truth..
Ryan Willert