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Presuppositional Fallacies
#1
Presuppositional Fallacies
(Re-posted from an earlier thread)

I recently saw a Non-Stamp Collector video on Presuppositional Apologetics and thought I'd like to try to catalog all the logical fallacies this argument for Christianity uses. I could use everyone's help to review it and see if I've missed any.

First, here's a source on what the argument is.

Argument from Ignorance:
"You can't explain the laws of logic"

Argument from Incredulity:
"I can't imagine any other way to account for the laws of logic except Jesus"

Bare Assertion:
"(Yahweh)'s existence accounts for the laws of logic."

Bare Assertion to justify a bare assertion:
"Only by assuming (Yahweh's) existence can we account for the laws of logic"

Circular Reasoning:
"(Yahweh's) existence accounts for reason and that's why we can reason (Yahweh) exists."

Ad Hominem Tu Quoque
"Well, every philosophy is circular. You have unfounded presuppositions too. ...Do so! ...Do so!"

Special Pleading:
"None of the other gods can account for the laws of logic. They're not real. They're just made up. But Jesus, he's real."

Shifting of the Burden of Proof:
"The skeptic can't account for..."
a.k.a. "Neener, neener, you don't know everything, therefore Jesus"

False Equivalency:
"Well, you have faith in all that science and evolution and stuff. That's no different than my faith in the Bible."

God-Verb-It:
OK, this technically isn't a logical fallacy but presenting it as an "explanation" for anything should be.

Raising the Bar:
"Explain why we use reason without using reason, otherwise, I'll say 'that's circular reasoning'."

Non-Sequitur:
If you can't account for the laws of logic, I'll take that as proof of Jesus.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
...      -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
...       -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
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#2
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
Presuppositional apologetics:

Jesus must be true on a level more transcendent, in some nebulous and yet surely overwhelming way, than any contrary argument cuz I believe in Jesus and I am right!
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#3
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
Very nice to have them laid out so plain like this.

(August 12, 2012 at 12:15 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: God-Verb-It:
OK, this technically isn't a logical fallacy but presenting it as an "explanation" for anything should be.

Probably handled by "bare assertion" with a dash of "special pleading". Maybe this should be filed as a subset of "bare assertion" under a heading of 'Remarkably naive & unnuanced'.

(August 12, 2012 at 12:31 pm)Chuck Wrote: Presuppositional apologetics:

Jesus must be true on a level more transcendent, in some nebulous and yet surely overwhelming way, than any contrary argument cuz I believe in Jesus and I am right!

Or, my favorite,

How could humans conceive of "the most perfect" if there wasn't necessarily a "most perfect being" .. who would not only enable that category to exist but would also, single handedly, be responsible for the creation of everything there is or ever was. As a surprise bonus, this being would also have carved out a corner of his most perfectness where we can sing his praises for eternity, while every other animal on the planet who is born to a mother shall continue to disappear entirely in a natural death. We are truly blessed.

What a powerful idea! Spread the good news!
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#4
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
Would a strawman fallacy fit in here?
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#5
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
(August 12, 2012 at 2:00 pm)catfish Wrote: Would a strawman fallacy fit in here?

It might, except for the fact that we've heard these very arguments time after time.
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#6
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
(August 12, 2012 at 2:00 pm)catfish Wrote: Would a strawman fallacy fit in here?

I'd say you've just proven it can.
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#7
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
(August 12, 2012 at 2:10 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:
(August 12, 2012 at 2:00 pm)catfish Wrote: Would a strawman fallacy fit in here?

It might, except for the fact that we've heard these very arguments time after time.

Well, not all Christians believe that Jesus is God...


Special Pleading:
"None of the other gods can account for the laws of logic. They're not real. They're just made up. But Jesus, he's real."

(August 12, 2012 at 2:11 pm)whateverist Wrote:
(August 12, 2012 at 2:00 pm)catfish Wrote: Would a strawman fallacy fit in here?

I'd say you've just proven it can.

I'd say you don't know the difference between an assertion and a question...
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#8
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
(August 12, 2012 at 2:14 pm)catfish Wrote:
(August 12, 2012 at 2:11 pm)whateverist Wrote: I'd say you've just proven it can.

I'd say you don't know the difference between an assertion and a question...

Some speech acts are wolves in sheep's clothing.
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#9
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
I believe that the OP was saying that these are fallacious arguments are often used in apologetics, not that they were used by all Christians.

So I'd have to say the strawman is in your corner.
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#10
RE: Presuppositional Fallacies
Wow, you guys need to learn the definition of a strawman I think.
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