As Christians it is so important for us to discern and accept all truth, so we need to be aware of the false arguments that can interfere with accepting the truth and honestly following God. Presented by Tim Martens, March 26, 2022, at United Church of God in Northwest Arkansas.

1. Deceiving Ourselves
with Logical Fallacies
The Impact of Willing Ignorance
© 2022 Tim Martens
United Church of God-Northwest Arkansas
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2. The Description of Our Calling
Romans 11:25
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be
ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your
own opinion,…
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3. The Description of our Calling
2 Corinthians 2:11
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not
ignorant of his devices.
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4. To Honor God
We Must Use Wise Reasoning
Romans 1:21-22 Common English Bible
21 Although they knew God, they didn’t honor God as
God or thank him. Instead, their reasoning became
pointless, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 While
they were claiming to be wise, they made fools of
themselves.
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5. What is a logical fallacy?
A fallacy is an idea which many people believe to
be true, but which is in fact false because it is
based on incorrect information or reasoning.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/logical-fallacy
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6. We Can Deceive Ourselves
James 1:22 Common English Bible
You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who
mislead themselves.
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7. We Are Individually Responsible
2 Timothy 2:15 Common English Bible
15 Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-
and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is
one who interprets the message of truth correctly.
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8. Ad Hominem Fallacy
This means “against the man.”
This type of fallacy is sometimes called name calling or the
personal attack fallacy. This type of fallacy occurs when
someone attacks the person instead of attacking his or her
argument.
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9. Ad Hominem Fallacy
Ephesians 4:29 Common English Bible
Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only
say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the
community so that it benefits those who hear what you say.
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10. Types of Ad Hominem Fallacies #1
Abusive - This is where the person is directly attacked.
Proverbs 30:33 NKJV
For as the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing
the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath produces
strife.
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11. Types of Ad Hominem Fallacies #2
Circumstantial - Personal circumstances motivate a
person's argument, so it must be false.
Proverbs 16:2 NKJV
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
But the Lord weighs the spirits.
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12. Types of Ad Hominem Fallacies #3
Guilt by Association - Due to an association to something
negative, an argument is discredited.
Mark 2:16 NKJV
And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with
the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples,
“How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and
sinners?”
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13. Types of Ad Hominem Fallacies #4
Tu Quoque - Past actions discredit your argument.
Matthew 15:1-3 NKJV
Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem
came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress
the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their
hands when they eat bread.”
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14. Four Types of Ad Hominem Fallacies
Abusive - This is where the person is directly attacked.
Circumstantial - Personal circumstances motivate a
person's argument, so it must be false.
Guilt by Association - Due to an association to something
negative, an argument is discredited.
Tu Quoque - Past actions discredit your argument.
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15. Red Herring Fallacy
The red herring is an attempt to divert the attention away
from the relevant issue by introducing another, irrelevant
issue.
It is an intentionally made distraction to move the
argument or a question to a different issue that is easier to
respond to.
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16. Red Herring Fallacy
Matthew 15:1-2 NKJV
Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem
came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress
the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their
hands when they eat bread.”
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17. Straw Man Fallacy
The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply
ignores a person’s actual position and substitutes a
distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that
position.
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18. Straw Man Fallacy
Titus 3:9 NKJV
But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and
strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and
useless.
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19. Bandwagon Fallacy
A bandwagon fallacy is a type of argumentative fallacy that
is based on an appeal to popular belief and behavior, not
on valid and logical points.
An argument based on this fallacy usually bears a format
similar to "everyone else believes this, so it must be true" or
"everyone else does this, so it must be right.“
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20. Bandwagon Fallacy
Matthew 7:13 NKJV
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is
the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who
go in by it.
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21. Slippery Slope Fallacy
A slippery slope argument refers to a logical fallacy,
meaning a flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument.
It happens when someone asserts that a certain proposition
or action must be rejected because it would have
unintended consequences, typically leading to a disastrous
outcome.
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22. Slippery Slope Fallacy
Proverbs 26:13 NKJV
The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road! A fierce
lion is in the streets!”
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23. Appeal to Nature Fallacy
The appeal to nature is a logical fallacy that occurs when
something is claimed to be good because it’s perceived as
natural, or bad because it’s perceived as unnatural.
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24. Appeal to Nature Fallacy
Genesis 1:31 NKJV
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it
was very good…
Genesis 2:15 NKJV
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the
garden of Eden to tend and keep it.
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25. What is a logical fallacy?
A fallacy is an idea which many people believe to
be true, but which is in fact false because it is
based on incorrect information or reasoning.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/logical-fallacy
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26. Logical Fallacies
• Ad Hominem
• Red Herring
• Straw Man
• Bandwagon
• Slippery Slope
• Appeal to Nature
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27. Our Individual Responsibility
I Thessalonians 5:21-22 NKJV
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
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28. Deceiving Ourselves
with Logical Fallacies
The Impact of Willing Ignorance
© 2022 Tim Martens
United Church of God-Northwest Arkansas
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