The Illogical Argument Series

The Illogical Argument

Job 6:25 How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove?

Introduction:

1. The Devil loves this argument because…it’s true. There is no proof that God exists.

a. Strictly in the sense that we haven’t personally seen him.

1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

b. But we can see evidence of Him

i. E.g. deer hunters

Acts 28:27 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with theireyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

2. We live by faith

Romans 1:17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

I Cor.5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight.

3. God is not going to prove himself

Mark 8:12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.”

4. The agnostic believes that it is illogical to believe in God whom we haven’t seen.

5. This argument is illogical

a. Arguing against God is arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all. C.S. Lewis.

b. Illogical=not logical; contrary to or disregardful of the rules of logic;unreasoning:

c. It is logic that makes me ill

d. An example of illogical thinking- Neary all sick people have eaten carrots. Obviously, the effects are cumulative.

i. - An estimated 99.9% of all people who die from cancer and heart disease have eaten carrots.

ii. - 99.9% of people involved in car crashes ate carrots within 60 days of their accidents.

iii. - 93.1% of juvenile delinquents come from homes where carrots are served regularly.

iv. - Among the people born in 1839 who later ate carrots, there has been a 100% mortality rate.

Discussion:

1. We don’t require proof of other beliefs we hold

a. Examples

i. E.g. George Washington was the first President

ii. E.g. gravity

iii. Taking medicine—how do you know it’s going to work?

iv. Ghosts-42% believe in ghosts, 29% believe in astrology, 26% believe in witches, 24% believe in reincarnation.

b. The agnostic believes in science

i. "Science is simply common sense at its best, that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic."

ii. There’s just one problem with that, it’s wrong. How many times has science been wrong. And yet we continue to believe in it.

• Jonathan Haidt: “We may think we're being scientists, but we're actually being lawyers”

c. The scientist is like everyone else, they tend to see what they want to see

• The military commander had grown increasingly anxious over rumors of an impending air strike from the enemy. So, he summoned a corporal. “I want you to climb that mountain and report any signs of a military activity.” The corporal trudged up the mountain. As soon as he crossed the ridge, he saw a squadron of planes heading their way. “There are many planes coming!” he promptly radioed back. “Friends or enemies?” the commander demanded urgently. The corporal again lifted his binoculars to the sky. “They’re flying very closely together, he replied. “I think they must be friends.”

i. Top 10 Errors in Science (The Science Channel)

1. Doctors used to believe that the liver circulated the blood and they taught that the heart circulated “the vital spirit” (whatever that is)

2. Ptolemy wrote that the earth was the center of the universe and the scientific world taught that for 1400 years until Copernicus refuted it.

3. It wasn’t until the 19th century that surgeons felt the need to wash their hands

4. DNA was discovered in 1869 but scientists believed that protein passed on heredity until 1953.

5. It wasn’t until the 20th century that scientist believed that the atom wasn’t the smallest particle in existence.

6. For centuries we believed that plowing caused rain.

7. Phlogiston was an element, it made combustion possible. Now we know that it is oxygen.

8. It wasn’t until Galileo that we discarded the notion that heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones.

9. Alchemy: turning lead into gold

10. Piltdown man (the missing link)

11. Archaeoraptor-the missing link b/w reptiles and birds (a forgery)

12. In 18th-century England, Mary Toft convinced doctors she had given birth to 16 rabbits. A Short Narrative of an Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbets was written by King George's surgeon about her case. People stopped serving rabbit stew.