Introduction
- Psalms 32:8-9 – God wants us to think!
- Matthew 22:44
Equivocation
- Deceptively switch the meaning of a word.
- Example: “A feather is light. What is light cannot be dark. Therefore, a feather cannot be dark.”
- This is also called “bait and switch.”
- Ephesians 4:25
- Sometimes this is used as a joke or a rhetorical device and is not a logical fallacy.
- II Corinthians 5:21 – “Sin” is used in two different ways, but it is not a fallacy.
- The word “evolution” can mean minor changes or major changes.
- Clear, precise language can prevent misunderstandings.
- I Peter 3:21
- The Bible uses “baptism” in several different contexts.
- And people today use it in different ways.
- Infant baptism
- Baptism into a denomination
- Baptism as an outward sign of inward grace.
Circular reasoning
- Assuming what you are trying to prove.
- Mark 2:1-12 – How did Jesus prove He could forgive sins? By miraculously healing a paralytic.
- II Timothy 3:15-17 – The Bible claims to be inspired, but that claim alone is not sufficient to prove it.
- Dating fossils and rock layers is often done using circular reasoning.
- Matthew 26:63-66 – “Jesus is not the Christ” because “He blasphemes (by claiming to be the Christ)” because “Jesus is not the Christ” …
- Example: Evolution occurred because we are here!
- It’s easy to slip into this if you are speaking to an audience that already agrees with you.