Arguments of unbelievers are like suicide bombers who miss their mark by a long shot: They not only fail to destroy their intended target (i.e., that Christianity is true), but they annihilate their own anti-Christian philosophy in the process.
This is not surprising. Unbelievers oppose God, Who is truth; and to oppose truth is to embrace falsehood with its contradictions and absurdities that cause one’s philosophic system to self-destruct.
Consider how anti-Christians (note: all non-Christians are anti-Chrisitans [Mark 12:30]) employ self-refuting statements when arguing against Christianity.
Self-refuting statements prove themselves to be false by their own criteria. For example, the statement “I can’t express a word of English” expresses English words in order to deny being able to express English words. Self refuting statements then cannot exist without employing the very thing that they reject; thus they refute themselves and are false by their own standards.
Self-refuting statements prove themselves to be false by their own criteria. For example, the statement “I can’t express a word of English” expresses English words in order to deny being able to express English words. Self refuting statements then cannot exist without employing the very thing that they reject; thus they refute themselves and are false by their own standards.
The self refuting statement, in short, proves itself to be false by slitting its own throat. It is verbal suicide.
The following are self-refuting statements based on fundamental premises of certain anti-Christian philosophies. As such, these statements show their respective philosophies to be false. Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
Atheism
“There is no God.”
For someone to know that there is no God, he would have to be all knowing. But if he is all-knowing, he would have to be God, for only God can be all-knowing. Thus this statement refutes itself by saying all knowingly that no being is all-knowing.
Deconstructionism
“Words have no meaning.”
If words have no meaning, then this statement, which uses words, has no meaning. And since this statement is presented as if it has meaning, it is self-refuting, as it says, "Words have no meaning, including the words of this statement."
Empiricism
“All knowledge comes from the senses.”
If all knowledge comes from the senses, then for this statement to be true, it itself must be knowledge derived from the senses. But nowhere can the proposition “all knowledge comes from the senses” be discovered by the senses. Can we touch it, taste it, smell it, hear it, or see it? Is this knowledge growing somewhere in Pittsburgh
Similarly, an empiricist might argue,
“Knowledge is only attained by science.”
If knowledge is only proven by science, then for this statement to be true, it itself must be knowledge attained by science. But no scientific experiment has ever proven that knowledge is only attained by science. Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says, “Knowledge attained in a non-scientific way reveals that knowledge is only attained by science.”
Irrationalism
“There is no law of non-contradiction.”
If there is no law of non-contradiction, then this statement can contradict itself. But if this statement contradicts itself, then it cannot be true. Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says, "The law of non-contradiction contradicts the notion that there is no law of non-contradiction."
Materialism
“Only matter exists.”
If only matter exists, then truth does not exist, since truth is immaterial. But if truth does not exist, then this statement is not true. Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says, "It is an immaterial truth that only matter exists."
Nihilism
“Nothing is knowable.”
If nothing is knowable, then we couldn’t know that nothing is knowable. Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says, “It is knowable that nothing is knowable.”
Pluralism
“People cannot impose their views on others.”
If people cannot impose their views on others, then people cannot impose on others the view that says that people cannot impose their views on others. Thus this statement is self refuting, as it says, “I’m imposing my view on you that says that people cannot impose their views on you.”
Postmodernism
“There is no truth.”
If there is no truth, then this statement isn’t true. But if this statement isn’t true, then it is false. Thus this statement is self refuting, as it says, “It is true that there is no truth.”
Relativism
“Everything is relative.”
If everything is relative, then so is this statement. But if this statement is relative, then it is not absolute. If it is not absolute, then it is not absolutely the case that everything is relative. Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says “It is relative that everything is relative,” which is like saying, “It is not an absolute that there are no absolutes.”
Skepticism
“Be skeptical of everything.”
If we must be skeptical of everything, then we must be skeptical of this statement. But if we must be skeptical of this statement, then we have no reason to be skeptical of everything. Thus this statement is self-refuting by saying, “Be skeptical of everything, including this statement.”
Other anti-Christian self-refuting statements:
“Reality is an Illusion.”
If reality is an illusion, then so is this statement and the alleged truth behind this statement—both of which are given in the context of reality. Thus this statement is self refuting, as it says, “It is an illusion that reality is an illusion.”
“Don’t judge!”
If what is meant by judging is, “don’t recognize any wrong in others,” then it is wrong to recognize the alleged wrong of judging others. Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says, “I am judging you for judging, which you shouldn’t do!”
“You can’t say the Bible is true because the Bible says so! That’s a circular argument, and you can’t make circular arguments!”
The very argument that you can’t make a circular argument is circular (that is, it assumes what it has not proven). Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says, “I’m making a circular argument that you can’t make circular arguments.”
“Suspend your assumptions and be neutral.”
If we must suspend our assumptions in order to be neutral, and since this statement reflects an assumption, then we must suspend the very assumption that we should suspend our assumptions. Thus this statement is self-refuting, as it says, “Suspend your assumptions, including the assumption that we should suspend our assumptions.”
2 comments:
Wouldn't it be a self-refuting statement for people who call themselves Christians to say that we don't have to obey any law in the "New Covenant" era?
Sure - they'd be advocating a law that says we don't have to obey any law.
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