| Logical Fallacies “Prepare your minds for action” 1 Peter 1:13 [NASB Update]

| Definition [From Geisler, Come let us reason] A study of right reasoning A way to think so we come to the right conclusions Avoid mistakes people commonly make in thinking

| Recap 2 Corinthians 10:5 –We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ [ESV] Summary of the Biblical case –Logical reasoning, governed by the word and in the power of the Spirit, is a powerful tool we can use to defend the faith.

| Recap Law of Non-Contradiction –A is not non –A –No two contradictory statements can both be true at the same time and in the same sense

| The Law of Non-Contradiction - A Kiwi example "Fundamentalists, be they Muslim fundamentalists or Christian or Jewish fundamentalists or left-wing extremists or right-wing extremists, they've all got something in common and that's their intolerance of those who disagree with them."

| Critique The statement claims that biblical claims are ‘intolerant’ yet clearly is intolerant of Christianity! Christians are labelled ‘fundamentalists’ yet the statement makes ‘fundamentalist’ assertions.

| Critique A false comparison is made between Christianity, Judaism and Islam. No account is taken of the important differences – the authority and completeness of the scriptures, the Trinity, the deity of Christ, redemption, assurance of salvation, etc.

| Agnosticism A contradiction in terms! Claim: “One does not know if God exists”. An agnostic would say: “The wise man will always suspend judgement about matters of ultimate reality”.

| Critique An agnostic knows for sure that you cannot be sure of God’s existence! –A breach of the law of non-contradiction –This is like saying – the truth is “there are no true statements”! –How can one be sure and not sure at the same time?

| Biblical Critique Romans 1:18-22 makes it clear that we can know that God exists. Agnosticism is not a neutral option, but a definite denial of the existence of God.