3 logical fallacies and why they matter

When you know the rules of engagement, you won’t be caught off guard

In first grade, I had to write my name on the board for whispering with a friend during quiet time. 

I was devastated. 20-something years later, I still carry the scars of my public shame. 

Okay, that’s dramatic. But I never got in trouble for talking again for the rest of my school career. In fact, I wouldn’t speak in class unless my teacher had explicitly stated that talking was permitted. 

I’m a rule follower. I think that’s partially why philosophy appeals to me—there are clear rules of engagement when it comes to philosophical discussion and debate, and I want to talk a bit about them this week.

Where we’re going 

The longer I spend writing Warranted, the more my mission begins to crystallize. At first, my main goal was to make brothers and sisters in Christ more confident in their faith by sharing about the discipline of apologetics. 

We’re about 20 posts in now, and I am continually gaining a clearer vision of what my goal with Warranted is. Yes, I still think apologetics is extremely important for Christians in the 21st century—there’s no plan to abandon that topic. But the mission encompasses a bit more than what is captured when we refer to apologetics. I think I inadvertently summarized it best a couple of months ago: 

“Your faith in Christ, and your relationship with God, is the most important project you’ll ever be entrusted with. It underlies your duties to your family, contextualizes your responsibilities at work, and imbues your every breath with meaning.”

From Being the light, originally published June 1, 2023

In summary: I want you to think deeper. I want you to take your faith seriously. I want you to know what you believe and why. You don’t have to know it all now—I certainly don’t. In fact, the truly exciting thing is that there’s a lifetime (maybe even an eternity?) of learning to be done. 

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So, with that being said, I want to spend a little time talking about common logical fallacies you’ll run across as you continue to grow and learn. 

These fallacies aren’t just used by Christianity’s detractors. You’re likely to see them any time two viewpoints are being rigorously debated, whether the topic is the existence of God or the meaning of Romans 9.

Here are 3 examples of common logical fallacies. Keep reading for definitions and examples, plus why it even matters that you learn how to spot them. 

Straw man

What it is: A straw man is when someone intentionally misrepresents an opposing argument to make it look weaker. By default, it makes their point appear stronger. 

How to avoid it: Allow me to introduce you to the Straw Man’s logically coherent cousin: The Steel Man. “Steel manning” an argument means that you’ve made a good faith effort to understand it in its entirety. Doing this won’t just make you a better conversation partner—it’ll actually help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your own responses, as well.  

Example: “You claim Jesus rose from the dead just because it says so in the Bible. That’s circular reasoning.”
Response: “Biblical sources are relevant for historical research and have been used for centuries for academic purposes. Also, evidence for Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection can be attested outside of the scriptures, as well.” 

False Dichotomy

What it is: A false dichotomy occurs when a problem is presented with only two possible outcomes, and no alternatives or in-betweens. I discussed an example that I ran across in this post from May.  

How to avoid it: Remember that almost everything is more nuanced than it may appear. If your gut is telling you that a black-or-white, either-or approach to a situation doesn’t make sense, you may be right. Don’t be afraid to wrestle with it. 

Example: “The existence of evil means that God is either not all-powerful or not all-good.” 
Response: “This assumes that God cannot have good reasons to allow evil.”

Genetic Fallacy

What it is: A genetic fallacy is a claim that an idea isn’t logically coherent or true simply because of where it or the person discussing it comes from. 

How to avoid it: Remember the distinction between person and idea.

Example: “You only believe in Christianity because you were born in the Bible Belt. If you’d been born in the Middle East, you’d probably be a Muslim.” 
Response: “While that may be true, it doesn’t change the strength of the arguments in favor of Christianity.”

Why does it matter?

So, I get it. It’s unlikely (though not impossible!!) that you’ll be engaging in a formal debate anytime soon. But I think we sell ourselves short when we get into the habit of thinking that more “academic” matters like the rules of logic are for “other people.” 

As I alluded to earlier, these fallacies don’t just pop up on debate stages and in academic literature. I’ll admit I haven’t studied the linguistics behind them, but I’d hazard a guess that these kinds of appeals are hard-wired into us. Heck—I’m sure I’ve been guilty of using one or more of these in discussions with my husband. It’s just instinct to do what it takes to make your “side” seem better. 

When you’re traveling through the wild wasteland of ideas, though, you’re bound to encounter things that challenge your belief. The first time I heard the third claim—that I’d likely have a different religion if I was born in another part of the world—I couldn’t identify it as a fallacious argument, and I was a little shaken by it. 

Thankfully, I first heard that claim in a Christian context, where it was swiftly identified and debunked. My concern didn’t have to last for long. But that just underscores the importance of proactively learning about these fallacies, rather than waiting for the argument to come to you. 

You’ll be able to parry any enemy’s attack when you prepare properly. You’ll be able to analyze any argument when you know the rules of engagement. And the most important thing: your faith will be stronger for it. 

Now, LMK:

What logical fallacy do you spot most often? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

And a recommendation:

I found this fun website while I was looking up some definitions for this piece. Next time someone commits a logical fallacy against you, don’t be shy—let them know! (But only in good fun, of course.)