Intro to Logic and Fallacies

“Those who do not vote conservative on every issue cannot be faithful Christians.”

“How do you know the world came about by natural selection billions of years ago? Are you a scientist?”

“Muslims will never believe the message of Jesus. They chant, ‘Death to America,’ so they are not open to the gospel.”

Introducing an unrelated argument that distracts from the main point

“You cannot trust the New Testament to be reliable. It was written by simple tradesman and copied by illiterate people.”

An argument advanced on the basis of who origniated or supports it.

“The Father, Son, & Spirit are 1 God, yet distinct persons in the same way that an egg is a shell, a white, and a yolk.

What consists of at least one syllogism and often several syllogisms strung together?

“It doesn’t matter that there are so many religions in the world. Christianity is still true. It has done the most good"

“Science flies you to the moon; religion flies you into buildings.” – Victor Stenger

A valid argument is one which the conclusion does not necessarily follow the properly structrued premises.

Assuming the truth one is seeking to prove.

“Christians are rude & judge. My coworker is rude and is quick to condemn people in the office for ridiculous things.”

What is the most basic building block of logical thinking?

“My Christian neighbor doesn’t seem very happy, so faith must not help very much.”

P1 - All healthy dogs are born with four legs P2 - Dogs do not meow Conclusion - Dogs bark and growl

“Jesus could not have walked on water because we know that miracles are impossible.”

“Those who attend secular universities will lose their faith.”

Comparing two things that are significantly different at critical points.

Confusing the argument by using several meanings of a word, either intentionally or unintentionally

“Since the Bible says that there is no one who is good, we shouldn’t consider anything an unbeliever does to be good.”

“To say that this universe came into being without God is false because Creation requires a God.”

Basing all examples of something on limited experience

Offering only two solutions to a dilemma, which one clearly is undesirable or unacceptable

P1 - All men are mortal P2 - Socrates is a man Conclusion - Socrates is mortal

What is a logical argument in which one or more propositions are combined to result in a conclusion or inference?

Presuming that one thing causes another without justification or confirmation for that belief

P1 - All dogs have four legs P2 - Giraffes have four legs Conclusion - Giraffes are dogs

What is a sentence that affirms or denies something and can be true or false?

When propositions are used in a syllogism, they are called ________?

“Richard Dawkins teaches at Oxford University. He doesn’t believe in God, so you shouldn’t, either.”

A true argument is one in which the premises and conclusions correspond to reality.

“John Lennox is a Christian who teaches at Oxford University. He believes in God, so you should, too.”

P1 - All dogs have spots P2 - Rover is a dog Conclusion - Rover has spots

“A person must make a choice between science, which is based on fact, and faith, which is blind belief.”

“Christianity is a crutch for those too weak to stand on their own.”

“Reject belief in God because science has no evidence for Him while Christians believe in God by faith without evidence"

Attacking the person presenting the argument instead of addressing the true topic