Have I identified the correct fallacies in my Christian friend's argument?

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Joshua	Have I identified the correct fallacies in my Christian friend's argument? Hey :) My friend argued that, “We are all caught up and twisted by our rejection of God as king. It undermines both our ability to discern and our ability to interpret truth. Sin is self-deceptive. This means, that you can fill a room with the most intelligent and brilliant minds in the universe. For as long as you like. And they will not come to the truth.” In this argument, I identify the fallacy of begging the question, and the fallacy of special pleading. I also identify the fallacy of self-sealing argument (as you can’t argue against that position, and as a result, it is vacuous, or meaningless). Have I identified the correct fallacy(s)? :) <3
	asked on Saturday, Aug 08, 2015 07:04:35 AM by Joshua
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Bo Bennett, PhD 0	Hi Joshua, Your friend's argument is ripe with fallacies, as you point out. Of course, it is our sinful nature that causes us to see these as fallacies rather than "truth." :) There are many fallacies that can fit in here, and I think you did fine, providing you can point out exactly where the fallacies are an why. So here is my attempt at breaking this down: We are all caught up and twisted by our rejection of God as king. Classic question begging. This assumes the conclusion... that God is king. It is also an unfalsifiable hypothesis (or just unfalsifiable) by stating that "we are all caught up and twisted by our rejection," since there is no possible way to test this claim. Further, emotive language is being used by saying we "reject" God as king rather than simply don't believe. It undermines both our ability to discern and our ability to interpret truth. Question begging again... that there is ultimate "truth" out there. And it is an unfalsifiable hypothesis that this "undermines both our ability to discern and our ability to interpret truth". Sin is self-deceptive. Begs the question that "sin" exists. An unfalsifiable hypothesis that it is self-deceptive. Also, a major self-defeating argument here: P1: We are all sinners (including all the people who wrote the Bible) P2: Sin is self-deceptive and undermines both our ability to discern and our ability to interpret truth C: Therefore, I can't possibly claim that this argument I am trying to make is true.
	answered on Saturday, Aug 08, 2015 07:23:31 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD
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