Christian Logic. No! Really!

Believe it or not, this is a theological argument used by the Christian apologist, Norman Geisler.   I have taken it from "Why I became an Atheist: A  Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" by John W. Loftus.

Supposedly, each step leads inexorably to the next in a 'logical' progression towards a therefore irrefutable conclusion:

1. Truth about reality is knowable.


2. Opposites cannot both be true.


3. The theistic God exists.


4. Miracles are possible.


5. Miracles performed in connection with a truth claim are acts of God to confirm the truth of Gods through a messenger of God.


6. The New Testament documents are reliable.


7. As Witnessed in the New Testament, Jesus claimed to be God.


8. Jesus' claim do divinity was proven by a unique convergence of miracles.


9. Therefore, Jesus was God in human flesh.


10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) affirmed as truth, is true.


11. Jesus affirmed that the Bible is the word of God and whatever is opposed to any biblical truth is false.

Can anyone discern a logical progression leading inexorably and irrefutably to the conclusion here?  Apart from maybe the first two points, is there anything which is more than just an assertion or a statement of faith, with no connection with the preceding statement?

Let's see if it works with some other proposition.  Let's see if we can use this method to 'prove' that the Pacific Ocean is composed of Scotch Whisky.

1. Truth about Whisky is knowable.


2. Opposites cannot both be true.


3. The Pacific Ocean is compose of Scotch Whisky.


4. Scotch Whisky is possible.


5. Scotch Whisky made in connection with the claim that the Pacific Ocean is made of Scotch Whisky is an act of people who distil Scotch Whisky to confirm the truth of the claim.


6. This blog is reliable.


7. As witnessed in this blog, the Pacific Ocean is composed of Scotch Whisky.


8. The claim that the Pacific Ocean is made of Scotch Whisky has been proven by the miracle of sea water turning into Scotch Whisky in the Pacific Ocean.


9. Therefore the Pacific Ocean is composed of Scotch Whisky.


10. Whatever is affirmed in this blog is true.


11. This blog affirms that the Pacific Ocean is composed of Scotch Whisky and whatever opposes the truth in this blog is false.

YAYHEY!  It works!

Pacific Ocean, Made of Scotch Whisky

So, we have proved beyond any possible shadow of a doubt that the Pacific Ocean if composed of Scotch Whisky.  AND, anything which opposes that, including scientific analysis, is false.  So that proves it, then!

So, given that devastating demonstration of the wondrous power of this theological reasoning, how can anyone now seriously doubt the existence of the Christian god and the truth of the Bible?

Well, that, folks, is the standard of 'logic' which convinces religious people and so gives them the self-confidence to dispense 'truth' to the rest of us and to pontificate on and interfere in all aspects of our lives, the education of our children, our laws and our legal system.

Or is it just the clever-sounding hogwash they use to bamboozle the people they fleece for a living and to gain a power and trust they could never earn on merit?