Appeal to Faith

Description: This is an abandonment of reason in an argument and a call to faith, usually when reason clearly leads to disproving the conclusion of an argument.  It is the assertion that one must have (the right kind of) faith in order to understand the argument. 

Even arguments which heavily rely on reason that ultimately require faith, abandon reason.

Logical Form:

X is true.

If you have faith, you will see that.

Example #1:

Jimmie: How can you possibly associate gentle Jesus with the same God who says, “I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.”? (Deuteronomy 32:42)

Hollie: You are trying to interpret those words through your carnal mind.  You need to read those words through the eyes of faith.

Jimmie: What does that even mean?

Hollie: If you had faith, you would understand.

Explanation: There are some things, some believe, that are beyond reason and logic.  Fair enough, but the moment we accept this, absent of any objective method of telling what is beyond reason and why, anything goes.  Anything can be explained away without having to explain anything.

Example #2:

Tina: So please explain how Jesus can also be God, yet two separate persons who talk to each other.

St. Bingo: My child, you will only see that answer clearly through the eyes of faith.

Explanation: It should be obvious that reason and logic are not being used, but rather “faith”.  While St. Bingo may be right, there is still no valid reason offered.  The problem also arises in the vagueness of the appeal to faith.  St. Bingo’s answer can be used to answer virtually any question imaginable, yet the answer is really a deflection.

St. Bingo: You need to massage my feet.

Tina: Why?

St. Bingo: My child, you will only see that answer clearly through the eyes of faith.

Exception: No exceptions -- the appeal to faith is always a fallacy when used to justify a conclusion in absence of reason.