Avoiding Logical Fallacies

Introduction

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.
  - Matthew 3:11
  - Mark 10:38-39
  - Acts 1:5; 19:3
  - Romans 6:3
  - I Corinthians 10:2
- And people today use it in different ways.
  - Infant baptism
  - Baptism into a denomination
  - Baptism as an outward sign of inward grace.

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.