Logical fallacy examples

Question 1

1. You only believe that because you were born into a Christian family.
2. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Answer 1

Genetic Fallacy

-Ideas are rejected on the basis of their origin.

Question 2

1. Students should get better study guides for this class. Response: We shouldn’t just give out easy A’s to everyone!
2. Beauty and the Beast - Gaston paints a picture of the beast as a monster and then attacks that image
3. Muslims in this country are going to establish sharia law so we must drive them out now!

Answer 2

Straw man fallacy

- making a false case or a weak case in order to attack it

Question 3

1. On the phone you sounded like you were annoyed and in a hurry so when I was driving over I got a speeding ticket.
2. I was praying about my failing marriage when immediately I looked up and saw so and so. We started talking and just really connected. I think the Lord just wants me to be happy.

Answer 3

Post-hoc fallacy
(short for “post hoc ergo propter hoc” means “after this, therefore because of this.”)

two events running in parallel are joined together causally

Question 4

Premise 1: The laws of nature cannot be violated
Premise 2: Miracles are violations of the laws of nature
Conclusion: Therefore, miracles do not occur
John 18:30, “‘If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.’”
God is real because the Bible says so. And the Bible is God’s true word.

Answer 4

Begging the question

the person makes an assumption that puts the conclusion into one of the premises

Question 5

Christians are all hypocrites.
Americans are so violent.
All Kiukuyu are thieves.

Answer 5

Hasty generalisations

-making assumptions about the whole based on a small sample set