There is a difference between contrary statements and contradictory statements.
Contrary statements are statements that cannot both be true, but both can be false.
Contradictory statements are when either one statement is true or one statement is false.
"All world religions are true" is contrary in relationship with "no world religions are true." Both cannot be true, but both can be false. Both can be false if "Some (or at least one) world religions are true."
Christianity's claim that Christianity is true and that no other religions are true is contradictory with the atheistic position that no world religions are true.
Understanding these two concepts, contrary, and contradictory, can be helpful when addressing the relationship of pluralism, atheism, and historic Christianity.
As before, the information in this apologetic is basically common sense. However, I got the information from Kenneth Samples' book A World of Difference. A list of his book can be found in the slide show below.
Showing posts with label Logic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Logic. Show all posts
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Logic Apologetic #2
Logic Apologetic - This type of defense takes a look at laws of logic and rules for good argumentation and applies these principles to defending the Christian faith.
Drawing once more from Kenneth Richard Samples' book A World of Difference, I want to share the "Law of Excluded Middle". This law states that "A" either is "A" or "non-A". This means something is or it is not. In application this means a statement is either true or it is false.
Again this works great when looking at religious pluralism, the belief or idea that all religions are equally valid and true. Let's take Jesus' often quoted statement from John 14:6, "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." According to the "Law of Excluded Middle" this statement is either true or it is false. Religious pluralism tries to take all religions and say they are true and valid. When we use the "Law of Noncontradiction" which I used in Logic Apologetic #1, we can see that the claims applied to Christ in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism can't all be true because they are contradictory.
In John 14:6, Jesus is saying that all other ways are incorrect! Since the center of all of Christian Scripture says that He can't be put into the same box as all the other gods, then he can't be. Because of Jesus' exclusive claims, all religions cannot be true! All religions except the exclusive ones (such as Christianity and Islam) can be true. Or all religions can be false! But let's be respectful of what the religions teach and use proper laws of logic and not say that all religions are true. To legitimately say that all religions are true and equally valid must require the individual teachings of each religion to be distorted and striped of all that makes each religion unique and appealing in the first place.
Drawing once more from Kenneth Richard Samples' book A World of Difference, I want to share the "Law of Excluded Middle". This law states that "A" either is "A" or "non-A". This means something is or it is not. In application this means a statement is either true or it is false.
Again this works great when looking at religious pluralism, the belief or idea that all religions are equally valid and true. Let's take Jesus' often quoted statement from John 14:6, "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." According to the "Law of Excluded Middle" this statement is either true or it is false. Religious pluralism tries to take all religions and say they are true and valid. When we use the "Law of Noncontradiction" which I used in Logic Apologetic #1, we can see that the claims applied to Christ in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism can't all be true because they are contradictory.
In John 14:6, Jesus is saying that all other ways are incorrect! Since the center of all of Christian Scripture says that He can't be put into the same box as all the other gods, then he can't be. Because of Jesus' exclusive claims, all religions cannot be true! All religions except the exclusive ones (such as Christianity and Islam) can be true. Or all religions can be false! But let's be respectful of what the religions teach and use proper laws of logic and not say that all religions are true. To legitimately say that all religions are true and equally valid must require the individual teachings of each religion to be distorted and striped of all that makes each religion unique and appealing in the first place.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Logic Apologetic #1
Logic Apologetic - This type of defense takes a look at laws of logic and rules for good argumentation and applies these principles to defending the Christian faith.
The Law of non-contradiction might be the most obvious law of logic. It simply states that A cannot be both A and non-A at the same time in the same respect. This means that a statement cannot be both true and false simultaneously and in the same way.
This law in application means that two statements cannot contradict each other and both be true. For example, I could say that a ball is completely black, and you could say that the ball is completely white. One of us must be wrong. According to the law of non-contradiction the ball cannot be both A (black) and non-A (white) at the same time and in the same respect.
Using this law of non-contradiction can prove to be helpful when addressing religious pluralism, the belief that all religions are equally valid and true.
For instance, Christians say that Jesus is the Son of God.
Muslims say that Jesus was not the Son of God, but a prophet.
Jews would say that Jesus was just a man.
Some Hindus might say that Jesus was an avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu, or that he was God, but God in the sense that all things are divine.
These religions clearly contradict each other on the historical person of Jesus Christ. Jesus cannot be A (God) and non-A (not God) at the same time in the same respect. According to the law of non-Contradiction, religious pluralism commits a logical fallacy, either that it is an intolerant position which denies each religion of true teachings and uniqueness or it is an ignorant position only made by those who have not taken the time to study the world's religions.
The following video shows this apologetic put into practice:
A world of Difference by Kenneth Richard Samples contains a chapter entitled Logic 101 and Christian Truth-Claims, which might prove as a helpful read if you want to know more on this subject.
The Law of non-contradiction might be the most obvious law of logic. It simply states that A cannot be both A and non-A at the same time in the same respect. This means that a statement cannot be both true and false simultaneously and in the same way.
This law in application means that two statements cannot contradict each other and both be true. For example, I could say that a ball is completely black, and you could say that the ball is completely white. One of us must be wrong. According to the law of non-contradiction the ball cannot be both A (black) and non-A (white) at the same time and in the same respect.
Using this law of non-contradiction can prove to be helpful when addressing religious pluralism, the belief that all religions are equally valid and true.
For instance, Christians say that Jesus is the Son of God.
Muslims say that Jesus was not the Son of God, but a prophet.
Jews would say that Jesus was just a man.
Some Hindus might say that Jesus was an avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu, or that he was God, but God in the sense that all things are divine.
These religions clearly contradict each other on the historical person of Jesus Christ. Jesus cannot be A (God) and non-A (not God) at the same time in the same respect. According to the law of non-Contradiction, religious pluralism commits a logical fallacy, either that it is an intolerant position which denies each religion of true teachings and uniqueness or it is an ignorant position only made by those who have not taken the time to study the world's religions.
The following video shows this apologetic put into practice:
A world of Difference by Kenneth Richard Samples contains a chapter entitled Logic 101 and Christian Truth-Claims, which might prove as a helpful read if you want to know more on this subject.
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