(also called Appeal to Authority) Stating a claim is true because a person or group of perceived authority says it’s true. The claimant emphasizes the many years of experience and/or formal degrees held by the person or organization making the claim.

This argument is the opposite of the Ad Hominem Argument because the arguer appeals to positive characteristics of the source to support their argument, such as its perceived authority. If an advertisement shows someone wearing a white labcoat or a stern business suit, that is an appeal to authority.

This is Part 5 in a series I introduced the other day about Logical Fallacies, Misconceptions, False Beliefs. We’re going to go through one fallacy at a time. There are about 20 main fallacies altogether. I’m going to try to explain them with examples then find ways to help you refute those arguments when they occur.

While it’s reasonable to take into account the proper background of education and credentials, or to be suspicious of someone without such expertise, it must inevitably come down to logic and evidence to support the claim, not the person promoting it.

A good authority supports a position because there is evidence or other justifiable reasons that the argument merits, not the other way around. So, good scientists do not attach significance to their own authority. The theory needs to stand on its own and be peer reviewed. There is no need for an appeal to authority. Read more…

I don’t normally argue the ‘finer’ points of the bible because I’m an atheist; god doesn’t exist, therefore the bible is simply a poorly written book from the Iron Ages. Its only value to me is perhaps a bit of history, but it isn’t even very good with that, because it’s been translated and copied so many times.

That being said, I do have a couple of bibles. Mainly I use the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible when I need one now, though. The thing about being a skeptic/atheist, you have to know more than the “true believer”.

Here are 50 inconsistencies in the old testament that you can keep in your back pocket for arguments.

1. Man was created equal, male and female. Gen.1:27.
   Woman was created as a companion to the man only after he rejected the animals. Gen.2:18-24.
2. Man was created after the plants. Gen.1:12, 26.
   Man was created before the plants. Gen.2:5-9.
3. The birds were created out of the water. Gen.1:20.
   The birds were created out of the land. Gen.2:19.
4. The animals were created before man. Gen.1:24-26.
   The animals were created after man. Gen.2:19.
5. On the first day, God created and separated light and darkness. Gen.1:3-5.
   On the fourth day, God again created and separated light and darkness. Gen.1:14-18.
6. God encouraged reproduction. Gen.1:28.
   He said it was an unclean process. Lev.12:1-8 (Note that bearing a daughter is more unclean than bearing a son).
7. God was pleased with his creation. Gen.1:31.
   God was not pleased with his creation. Gen.6:6. Read more…
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Argumentum Ad ignorantiam means the Argument from Ignorance. It basically states that a specific belief is true because we don’t know that it isn’t true. This logical fallacy can also be called the Negative Proof Argument, or Appeal to Ignorance.

This is Part 4 in a series I introduced the other day about Logical Fallacies, Misconceptions, False Beliefs. We’re going to go through one fallacy at a time. There are about 20 main fallacies altogether. I’m going to try to explain them with examples then find ways to help you refute those arguments when they occur.

James stated it quite perfectly in the comments of our last fallacy lesson:

Atheist: “You cannot prove that God exists.”
Theist: “Oh yeah? Well, you cannot prove that God DOESN’T exist!”

Of course this brings up the rule: The burden of proof lies on the claimant. Basically, if you state that god exists, the burden of proof lies on you. Read more…

Tu quoque is Latin for “You too”. So you justify your wrong action because someone else also does it. “My evidence may be invalid, but so is yours.”

This is Part 3 in a series I introduced the other day about Logical Fallacies, Misconceptions, False Beliefs. We’re going to go through one fallacy at a time. There are about 20 main fallacies altogether. I’m going to try to explain them with examples then find ways to help you refute those arguments when they occur.

My mother did this on the phone the other day. We were talking about religion when my mother told me I should start a cult or my own religion, because they make so much money. (WTF?) Read more…

Today’s logical fallacy is also very common, in my experience. It’s called Ad Hominem, which is roughly translated from the Latin for “to the person.” It’s a personal attack against you instead of your argument. It can be subtle because it isn’t just that they call you a bad name, but they use a weakness or characteristic of you to imply that your argument is weak.

This is Part 2 in a series I introduced the other day about Logical Fallacies, Misconceptions, False Beliefs. We’re going to go through one fallacy at a time. There are about 20 main fallacies altogether. I’m going to try to explain them with examples then find ways to help you refute those arguments when they occur.

Example: You: I don’t believe in UFO’s.
Opponent: You’re so close minded!

Example: Opponent: I believe in UFO’s.
You: You’re crazy and/or stupid. Read more…