Rethinking Hell contributors Joey Dear and Chris Date respond to Pastor John MacArthur’s 2011 sermon, “The Truth About Hell.” This episode contains the third and final part of their discussion.
Continue reading “Episode 56: The [True] Truth About Hell; A Response to John MacArthur, with Joey Dear and Chris Date (Part 3)”
Month: May 2014
Previously, when we looked at the importance of considering the logical implications of one’s arguments, we looked at a failed attempt to use physical laws to prove that all men live forever (in the way everyone means “live” except when talking about hell).1See Part 1. Here, we will be looking at two more examples of arguments that fail when the logical implications are considered.
Immortality Through Creation In The Image of God
The fact that men are made in the image of God comes up in discussions on the nature of hell. This involves a number of ideas, but in no case does it succeed in demonstrating the eternal conscious existence of all people.
Continue reading “Hell and the Logical Implications of One’s Arguments (Part 2)”
Rethinking Hell contributors Joey Dear and Chris Date respond to Pastor John MacArthur’s 2011 sermon, “The Truth About Hell.” This episode contains part two of their discussion; stay tuned for an upcoming episode containing part three.
Continue reading “Episode 55: The [True] Truth About Hell; A Response to John MacArthur, with Joey Dear and Chris Date (Part 2)”
The Importance of Logically Valid Arguments
In all sorts of debates, well beyond just those on the nature of hell, having good logic, having sound reasoning, is essential to being correct. Sometimes logic is panned as being too “Greek” or too “Western” to apply to the Bible. But we aren’t talking about specific forms of arguing or classical rhetorical methods or standards that do indeed vary from culture to culture and era to era. We are talking about simple objective truth. Whether we think in a linear or non linear manner, or whether we use three-part syllogisms or multiple, unlabeled ideas spread throughout a paragraph, there is a point where something is either true or it isn’t. God either exists or he doesn’t. Either A equals B or it doesn’t.
No matter how much or how little we formalize it, and no matter how many or how few technical terms we use, we use logic every day. The same was true of the Hebrews in the Old Testament, and of the apostles, and even of Jesus. Any time you make any type of persuasive argument, you employ logic.
And where there is logic, there can be bad logic.
Continue reading “Logical Fallacies – Part 1: The Non Sequitur”