Lesson
Logical Fallacies
A fallacy is a mistake in reasoning. These are the ones that come up most when people argue about the Bible, on both sides.
October 10, 2026
What a Fallacy Is
A fallacy is a mistake in reasoning. The conclusion might even be true, but the argument does not get you there.
We all make them. Skeptics make them about the Bible, and Christians make them while defending it. Learning them is less about winning and more about being honest. "The first to state his case seems right until another comes and -examines him."
The Laws of Logic are the rules. A fallacy is a quieter way of breaking them.
Mistakes About the Person
Some arguments go after the person instead of the claim: . Some judge a claim by where it came from: . Some write off people for living long ago: .
Mistakes in the Argument
Some answer a view no one holds: . Some assume what they set out to prove: . Some offer two choices when there are more: . Some count heads instead of reasons: . Some keep changing what would count as proof: .
Mistakes with the Text
These three build most of the contradiction lists. Using one word in two senses: . Treating silence as a denial: . Pulling a verse out of its place: .
The kinds of difference these mistakes create are named in the lesson on Contradictions. The pairs themselves are in Supposed Contradictions.
How to Use Them
Jesus warned about looking at "the speck in your brother's eye" while we "fail to notice the beam in your own eye." Check your own arguments first.
Naming a fallacy does not end a conversation. Saying "That is a straw man" helps only if we then state the real view fairly. Peter tells us to give our reasons "with gentleness and respect."
And a bad argument for something does not make it false. People have given poor reasons for true things. The question underneath every argument is the same one: is it true?
This lesson's home is Apologetics.