Let us Reason Together
Mark Roberts
In The Dallas Morning News two Episcopalians were debating “Was it Wrong to Elect a Gay Bishop?” in light of the Episcopal Church’s decision to ordain an openly homosexual man. In her part of the debate Katie Sherrod said in defense of this action “We demonstrated to a broken, hurting world that the Episcopal Church is not only including more of the baptized in the full life of the church but also valuing and nourishing their gifts and ministries... isn’t this what Christians are supposed to do?”
Read those sentences carefully. Do you see the argument that Sherrod is making here? In just a couple of short sentences Ms. Sherrod violated a number of key laws of logic and reasoning. To advance error, for example, she disregarded the Law of Harmony. Sherrod chooses to camp on the truth that we should value and nourish Christians (which is so), but fails to harmonize that with the many passages that call Christians to condemn sin (cf 1 Cor 5). She thus has the Bible contradicting itself. Terrible, yes?
But wait – there’s more! Sherrod is also making an ad hominem argument (a Latin term for “attack the man”). Did you see it? Sherrod doesn’t appeal to Scripture or any evidence to support her viewpoint, but instead insinuates that anyone who doesn’t accept the ordination of homosexuals somehow doesn’t know what Christians ought to be doing. Who wants to be that kind of ignoramus? So Sherrod subtly influences the reader to agree with her. As if this is not enough, she also ran roughshod over the Law of Consistency and Consequences (how will Ms. Sherrod tell a serial murderer he can’t be a bishop, since the Episcopal Church has ignored one sin why should it not ignore others?).
To finish it off, she resorted to a classic emotional appeal. Did you catch the emotionally weighted terms “broken” and “hurting” as well as “nourishing?” Sherrod finds that it feels good to be warm and accepting of people and so we ought to do so, because it feels good to do so. What an amazing “defense” of ordaining homosexuals! Yet, as the letters to the editor the next week showed, many agreed with Sherrod’s defense. Even though, when analyzed from a strictly logic and reasoning standpoint, she offered no real defense whatsoever many thought she had carried the day. This one example demonstrates a sad truth: our society often lacks the basic tools and understanding necessary to discern truth from error. Today many people cannot reason and think clearly, and thus are swayed by the false arguments like Sherrod (and many others) offer.
The Hebrew writer calls disciples to do better than this: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb 5:14). Can you do that? Can you discern good and evil or would bogus argumentation like Katie Sherrod’s sway you to the side of error?
For many years I have been highly interested in this important area: how do Christians think and reason? Can disciples listen to a false teacher, hear his or her erroneous and false arguments, and be able to understand why they are wrong? So this year in Abundant Life I have decided to write monthly on this topic, under the title “Reasoning Together,” that we might all be better equipped to reason from the Word of God correctly and consistently. We will look at the tactics of false teachers, discuss basic reasoning strategies and see how to discern truth from error. Let’s begin with some quick ideas about reasoning, logic and clear thinking as they relate to our walk with God.
First, don’t let the term “logic” throw you. These articles will not be filled with formal logic terms like “affirming the consequent” or “distributing the terms.” There may be value such but our purpose here is not to learn formal logic, but simply to better understand false means of reasoning. You should be forewarned, however: if you are not careful you might just learn a little logic along the way! This is so because logic just means “putting your thoughts in order” or “a way to think so that we can come to correct conclusions” (Geisler and Brooks, Come Let Us Reason, Baker, 1990, p. 13). That is very much what we are chasing after, isn’t it?
Secondly, it is vital that all realize that reasoning and clear thinking are something God Himself is vitally interested in. His invitation to us is “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). Our God is a God of order and rationalism (Genesis 1 &2; Psalm 19:1-2; 1 Cor. 14:40). He has given us His word that we might understand Him and be able to please Him (1 Cor 2:10-11; 2 Tim 3:16-17). He expects people to understand His instructions as they would any other kind of communcation and to act accordingly (see Noah, for example, in Genesis 6). Thus the rules of using words and working with a communication to properly understand it do indeed apply to our understanding of the Bible and the teaching that is done from it. Some are sure to oppose the attempt to think to a correct conclusion by arguing that reasoning has no place in Christianity, or that we are only trying to subjugate God to human logic. By the way, isn’t it interesting that some will construct a logical argument to prove we should not use logic and reason? That is more than a little self-contradictory, isn’t it?
Still, despite its internal self-contradictions, let us answer this charge. Christians are commanded to think clearly (see 1 Peter 4:1) and commended for doing so (Rev 2:2). If we are truly to refuse those who don’t bring the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-10) we will have to reason and consider what is the doctrine of Christ and who is (and is not) bringing it. Using our God-given intellect isn’t making logic into some sort of god. Indeed, we are not judging God with human reason or logic. We want to examine statements and teaching done about God. Does it conform to the divine standard? Is it harmonious with all of the revelation God has given to us? Clear reasoning just helps us see if what is being said is true.
If someone thinks such an examination is wrong he or she will have to contend with the example of Christ, for Jesus did exactly the kind of reasoning we want to do when He confronted error in Matthew 22. Watch how Jesus was unafraid to reason clearly and decisively, even building an elaborate argument for the resurrection that turns upon a single word. In Matthew 22:31-32 He replies to the Sadducees trick question about the woman married seven times by saying “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” The whole crux of Jesus’ argument rests on the simple word “am.” Jesus notes that God didn’t say “I was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” because they are dead and exist no more, but instead “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” That present tense verb must mean, Jesus reasons, that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have continued existence. It seems quite hard to believe that reasoning and logic have no place in the Christian’s life when we see our Master employ it with ruthless effect! This point is sharpened further by Jesus’ early statement that “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (22:29). The Sadducees’ inability to use the Scriptures properly, Jesus says, means they don’t even really know them at all! We conclude that reasoning and better thinking skills are indeed God-approved.
Third, we should also see how the ability to reason is necessary and helpful in making an ordered and powerful presentation of the Gospel. Notice how Paul “reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17). Paul did not tell people he knew they should become Christians because of a “feeling in his heart” or “because everyone is doing it.” No, he offered powerful proofs from Scripture and in the miracles he did to prove his assertions about Jesus of Nazareth. Can you construct a wellreasoned and well-proven case for Christianity? I have heard people argue they know the Bible is the word of God because it says it is. Yet the circular nature of this dog-chasing-his-tail claim seemed to elude them. When Christians today present bad arguments to justify and prove Christianity’s claim they are damaging the cause of Christ. We can and must do better.
Paul tells us that “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:3-5). It is clear: reasoning, critical thinking and yes, logical thinking, are part of a mature disciple’s makeup so that he can affirm and live the truth while resisting error. It is hoped this column on clear thinking will help us all do precisely that.