A standalone study on reasoning well and arguing fairly, for the sake of the gospel.
The big question
Most arguments that go nowhere go nowhere because someone broke a rule of reasoning without noticing. We attack the person, or we fight a cartoon of what they believe, or we judge everyone by one bad example. Dr. CJ Rhodes calls these logical fallacies, and learning to spot them does two things at once: it keeps us honest, and it makes us the kind of people others will actually listen to. This study walks the three most common fallacies and the discipline that cures them.
Key takeaways
- A logical fallacy is a break in reasoning, a step quietly skipped.
- Ad hominem attacks the person instead of the argument.
- The straw man attacks the worst caricature of a view, not the real thing.
- The hasty generalization judges a whole group by one case.
- The cure is to state the other view fairly and start from common ground, the way Paul did at Mars Hill.
Scripture to sit with
Proverbs 18:17. The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. Scripture itself warns against the one-sided argument.
Proverbs 18:13. If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Listening first is a command, not just a courtesy.
Colossians 4:6. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. How you argue is part of the witness.
Acts 17:22-23. Paul begins with the altar to an unknown god, a point of intersection, before he preaches Christ. Common ground first.
Quotes worth discussing
Rhodes says, “Logical fallacies are a defect, a break in our reasoning.”
On the straw man, Rhodes says, “All of Christianity cannot be subsumed by the crusades or by transatlantic slave trading.”
On the discipline that cures it, Rhodes says, “I need to represent the other’s argument in such a way that they recognize it.”
On how to engage, Rhodes says of Paul, “He starts with a point of intersection and then moves to the point of distinction.”
Discussion questions
- Which of the three fallacies do you catch yourself committing most often?
- Think of a time someone attacked you instead of your point. How did it feel, and how did you respond?
- Have you ever rejected a view based on its worst example? What would the fair version have been?
- Who is someone you disagree with? Could you state their view so well that they would recognize it?
- Where could you start from common ground this week before raising a hard truth?
Go deeper
This study comes from the Jude 3 Project’s Philosophy 101 course with Dr. CJ Rhodes. For a related conversation, see the Jude 3 episode on why conversations beat debates.
A closing reflection
This week, pick one disagreement you are in. Before you say a word in response, write down the other person’s view in a way they would accept as fair. Then notice how differently the conversation goes. Clear thinking is a form of love.