In the last few weeks I have had to read several articles from “Christian” bloggers that were just plain stupid badly argued.  Is logic and argumentation not taught anymore?  (That sentence makes me feel like an old curmudgeon.)  I would love to expound upon all the logical fallacies in these article (which shall remain unnamed to protect the guilty), but it would take far too long.  Take a class, read a book, review your notes from your beginning English and Public Speaking courses . . .

I would like to take this opportunity to point out one facet of argumentation within a Christian sphere that is pretty crucial.  Here it is — A bad argument does not negate a right conclusion.  In other words, it doesn’t matter how many idiotic arguments are offered up for something True, the Truth remains. Let me give a silly example.  I can argue that gravity exists because we all have magnetic feet and that the earth  is a giant magnet to which we all stick.  This is patently false.  No matter how hardily I argue my theory of magnetic feet, no matter how many people I convert to my cause, the Truth of gravity remains unchanged, because gravity is a Truth that exists independently of me (and you). This seems basic, but it is an absolutely vital place to start theologically.  If we believe in Truth (as opposed to truth) than the Truth exist to be known apart from all human interference and logic.  (This is not at all to negate the wonder of logic.  I believe logic is a gift from God to help us understand the world around us.  But like most good things it is all too easily corrupted.) 

Here’s the practical upshot. How many arguments for all kinds of changes in the church are based on the logic that because the former generation(s) gave horrible arguments for implementation, support, or continuation of “x” we should abandon, denounce, curtail, modify our use, support, or belief in “x”? Congratulations you have discovered that just like this current generation of Christians the former generations of Christians didn’t always give very well reasoned arguments for why they did what they did.  But this is ALL you have done – nothing more. You have not impeached the validity of their conclusion one iota.  That is an entirely different process and one that can only be done through careful, considered application of the entirety of the Word of God (not just those five favorite verses that you think prove you can do anything you want).

Coming down off that soapbox! Thanks for listening to me rant.