(May 5, 2009 at 4:38 pm)Tiberius Wrote: For instance, if you were to say "Catholics are not Christians because they pray to saints" then you would be committing the NTS because you have redefined the word "Christian" to include a clause about not praying to saints. Unless the definition includes such a clause, you are redefining it on the fly, thus creating the fallacy.
Nonsense. Here's why:
A 'Christian' wouldn't be following Christ if he prayed to saints, if Christ expressly forbade it. Christ described what was right and wrong to him, so to follow him you need to do stuff he does. There's the definition and the clause.
I wouldn't ever say that Catholics weren't Christians BY praying to saints. I would say that Catholics were committing a non Christian act, as would a Christian be doing if they did the same thing.
(May 5, 2009 at 4:38 pm)Tiberius Wrote: Likewise, saying "Murderers cannot be Christians because they break one of the 10 commandments" is a NTS. There is no definition of Christianity that says murderers are excluded (in fact most people say that if you repent your sins and accept Jesus Christ you will go to Heaven, etc).
Exactly so, for the reason stated above.
(May 5, 2009 at 4:38 pm)Tiberius Wrote: "People who do not believe in Jesus Christ are not Christians". The definition of a Christian includes a clause about believing in Jesus Christ, ergo the fallacy is not made.
So where did I go wrong again?
