False dilemma (“either … or”)

• Spiritual importance

  • Can you think of any other possibilities for each of the following?

    • “Either you have faith, or you are rational.”

    • “The Bible vs. science.”

    • “The Bible teaches that ‘in Christ all things hold together’ (Colossians 1:17). But we now know that the forces of gravity and electromagnetism are what hold the universe together.”

      • Hebrews 1:2-3

    • “You must not really believe that God is going to answer your request for healing; otherwise you would not have gone to the doctor.”

      • Colossians 4:3

  • Perhaps the most common example of this fallacy occurs with the topic of salvation – “Either we’re saved by grace or by works!”

    • Salvation by grace only is a core doctrine of many churches.

    • Compare Ephesians 2:8-9; James 2:24. Make sure you avoid the equivocation fallacy in regard to the word “works” in these passages.

Special pleading

• What is it?

  • Proverbs 20:23

  • “Special pleading is the fallacy of applying a double standard.”

• Spiritual importance

  • Romans 2:1-3, 17-24

  • Notice the hypocrisy in Matthew 23:3-4. Could that sort of thing happen to so-called Christians today?

  • Evaluate the declaration “You shouldn’t judge people!”