Question

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Kris

What's wrong with this logic?

After agreeing with Pastor Wooten that the woman I was dating at the time wasn't a good fit for me, he replied now let's focus on your moderate alcohol consumption, the music you listen to, and the anatomy you study in art class. He said, Kris, since I was right about the woman you were dating, perhaps we need to closely consider other areas in your life that need improvement. Kris, you need to be aligned with God's will. God's never going to steer you wrong as long as you put trust in him. 

asked on Wednesday, Mar 05, 2025 06:45:40 PM by Kris

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Answers

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Mr. Wednesday
1

Going into this with no knowledge of how your relationship was or how this conversation went, I've seen similar scenarios play out in a couple different ways.

  1. The girlfriend was a bad fit, and the person giving advice actually had some helpful insight.
  2. The girlfriend was a bad fit, and it was so obvious that most people on the outside realized it.
  3. The girlfriend was a bad fit, but not for the reasons the person giving advice said, but it got the boyfriend to think about seperate issues that did exist.
  4. The girlfriend wasn't a bad fit, but the person giving advice was able to convince them that it wasn't working.

So, the fact that you and the pastor agreed that this woman wasn't a good fit for you may have demonstrated that he knows you well enough to bring up something you weren't aware of, or it may not have. But, assuming he did, I think he's still making an argument from false authority . He's using the fact that he was able to make accurate observations about one aspect of your life to assert that he knows what's best for you in a totally different aspect of your life.

With regards to the areas of improvement listed: From a non-theological perspective, alcohol consumption can be a problem for some people, but "moderate" generally implies that it isn't. Choice of music and studying anatomy, I could only see being a problem in extreme circumstances. From a theological perspective, I tend to go on high alert whenever anyone claims to know God's will, as they're typically committing an appeal to heaven . For Christians, at least, I think an easy check on this is to see whether the claimed will of God is consistent with scripture. I haven't opened a Bible in a while, but I can think of two Gospel stories off the top of my head where Jesus provided people with wine. I can't think of any where musical styles are discussed, and I doubt it was even an issue they thought of back then. With regards to anatomy drawing, I can think of one passage that warns against looking at other people sexually, but having done nude figure drawing myself, a strong case can be made that those are not the same thing.
answered on Saturday, Mar 08, 2025 12:36:31 AM by Mr. Wednesday

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AI Fallacy Master writes:
[To Mr. Wednesday] The student's answer highlights some key logical and reasoning issues in the pastor's argument and the overall situation described in the original post. Here's an analysis of the student's response with respect to logic and reasoning:

1. **Argument from False Authority**: The student correctly identifies that the pastor is making an "argument from false authority." This fallacy arises when someone uses their limited success or expertise in one area as proof of their authority or expertise in another, unrelated area. Just because the pastor was perceived as correct about the suitability of a particular relationship doesn't automatically give him authority over personal matters like alcohol consumption, music, or art.

2. **Appeal to Heaven**: The student also points out the "appeal to heaven" fallacy. This occurs when someone claims to know or assert what is God's will without reliable justification, often using it as a decisive argument without supporting evidence. Such a stance can be problematic because it doesn't allow for questioning or evidence-based reasoning, as it's based on an unverifiable claim.

3. **Lack of Distinguishing Evidence**: In suggesting that the pastor might have insights into aspects of life beyond relationships, the student doesn't ignore that the advice might be well-meant. However, without evidence or reasoning specific to those areas, the pastor's leap from one correct observation to general authority isn't logically sound.

4. **General Observations**: The student's outline of four possible scenarios (1-4) regarding the relationship advice adds valuable context. It shows that there can be multiple explanations behind why the pastor's relationship advice seemed accurate, ranging from genuine insight to sheer persuasion.

5. **Contextual Considerations**: From a theological perspective, as pointed out by the student, the advice could be scrutinized against religious texts. The student makes a good point that if the claims about divine will are inconsistent with scripture, they may not hold theological weight.

Overall, the student's answer demonstrates a nuanced understanding of logical fallacies, particularly in identifying false authority and appeals to heaven. It effectively blends logical critique with theological consideration, providing a balanced examination of the situation.
posted on Saturday, Mar 08, 2025 12:36:46 AM
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AI Fallacy Master
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The logic presented in Pastor Wooten's advice to Kris contains several issues that can be pointed out:

1. **Hasty Generalization**: Just because Pastor Wooten may have been correct about the woman not being a good fit, it doesn't automatically follow that he is correct about all the other aspects of Kris's life. Assuming that being right in one instance means he is right in others is a hasty generalization.

2. **Appeal to Authority**: Pastor Wooten suggests trusting in God's will as an authoritative source of guidance in Kris's life. However, this assumes that the pastor's interpretation of God's will is accurate and universally applicable, which can be an overly simplistic approach to addressing personal and complex issues like lifestyle choices.

3. **Non Sequitur**: The conclusion drawn by Pastor Wooten that because he was right about Kris's relationship, he must also be right about other areas of Kris's life does not logically follow. Each aspect mentioned (alcohol consumption, music taste, and art studies) requires separate consideration based on their own merits, not on the correctness of a separate, unrelated judgment.

4. **Slippery Slope**: Implied is the notion that failing to align with what is perceived as God's will in smaller areas (like music or art) might lead to unspecified negative consequences. This kind of slippery slope reasoning assumes a direct connection without evidence.

5. **Assumption of Universality**: The suggestion that adherence to God's will as interpreted by the pastor will universally avoid misguidance assumes a universal truth that may not align with Kris's beliefs, experiences, or the complexity of human life decisions.

Each of these logical fallacies suggests that Kris should critically assess each aspect of his life individually, rather than accepting a broad application of what might have worked in one aspect to all areas.
answered on Wednesday, Mar 05, 2025 06:46:08 PM by AI Fallacy Master

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