If you've had a few conversations with an atheist, you've probably heard of the "No True Scotsman" argument, which is a logical fallacy often aimed at born-again Christians. For those of you who may not know or remember what the argument is, let's take a look at a definition given by the Logical Fallacies website:
"The No True Scotsman fallacy involves discounting evidence that would refute a proposition,concluding that it hasn’t been falsified when in fact it has ."
-Logical Fallacies, "'No True Scotsman' Fallacy," retrieved Feb 23, 2017, [logicalfallacies.info/presumption/no-true-scotsman]
For most of you, that was probably more confusing than helpful, so I'll give a simple example using Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish:
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The problem I'm addressing is that atheists, in their willful ignorance, apply this fallacy to Christians. In fact, the Logically Fallacious website (based on a book) has a note beside the section on "No True Scotsman" that reads "
"In 2011, Christian broadcaster, Harold Camping, (once again) predicted the end of the world via Jesus, and managed to get many Christians to join his alarmist campaign. During this time, and especially after the Armageddon date had passed, many Christian groups publicly declared that Camping is not a 'true Christian'.On a personal note, I think Camping was and is as much of a Christian as any other self-proclaimed Christian and religious/political/ethical beliefs aside, I admire him for having the cojones to make a falsifiable claim about his religious beliefs."
-Bo Bennett, "No True Scotsman," Logically Fallacious, retrieved Feb 23, 2017, [logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/135/No-True-Scotsman]
There are numerous problems with this; the first being that any Christian student of the Bible could tell immediately that Camping was a false prophet BEFORE the timing of his prediction. Camping was a part of the "Pre-Tribulation" crowd that relies heavily on false doctrine and removes Scripture from the Bible in order to believe in a "feel-good" message, and such doctrine was never taught by the church prior to its invention in the late 18th century by a charismatic cult in England, and they adopted that idea from Jesuit authors from the 17th century. The Bible very clearly teaches a handful of events that must take place before Christ's return, and based on the gravity of those events, we are nowhere close to seeing those things come to pass yet.
(Read "Beginner's Guide: Tribulation and Rapture" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
The Lord God took the crime of false prophets so seriously, they were executed in Jewish society, so at the very least, we can say God does not look favorably upon them:
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
-Deuteronomy 18:20
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Let's suppose a man fell, hit his head, and entered into a coma, but when he woke up, he believed and claimed he was Elvis Presley. Just because he CLAIMS to be Elvis Presley, doesn't automatically make him Elvis Presley, and likewise, just because a man CLAIMS to be a Christian, doesn't automatically make him a Christian.
The fallacy atheists commonly use looks like this:
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For example, after reading some of the articles on my website, no atheist has ever assumed I was an atheist, and even if I said I was an atheist, my words and actions do not give enough evidence for them to believe it. If I claimed to be an atheist while still holding on to the beliefs that I maintain on this website, then I would be a liar and should not be believed because I would have provided no evidence to what an atheist is supposed to be.
The reason that atheists so often use the "No False Scotsman" fallacy is that they don't want to have to do the work of looking at Scripture to figure out how the Bible defines a Christian. A good example are the Pharisees and Sadducees, which were seen as the most esteemed followers of God in Jewish society during the days Christ walked amongst them, however, they were not of God, rebuked by Christ in numerous places for being wicked deceivers, and Christ warned His students to beware of something important:
Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
-Matthew 16:6
How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
-Matthew 16:11-12
When Harold Camping made the claim about a 2011 return of Jesus, he lied. The man is a liar. He lied about the Lord Jesus Christ because he didn't read the Word of God to gain understanding, and the Bible says Camping can't understand it anyway because he's not of God:
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
-1 Corinthians 2:14
The Catholic Church is a pagan institution that was invented by Rome; it has never had anything to do with Christianity. However, the Catholic Church CLAIMS to be Christian, and therefore, atheists (along with the rest of the world) falsely believe they are Christians, so when they talk about "Christianity," people like me get blamed for the Inquisition.
(Read "Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism" here at creationliberty.com for more details; this article includes information on the Bible's prophecy that the Catholic Church would be the harlot to bathe herself in the blood of the true Christians.)
For example, atheist Mark Humphrys, under the title "Killings for Christianity," writes:
"The Church started killing unbelievers as early as the 4th century. The killing (often with torture) of heretics, church splinter groups, dissenters, atheists, agnostics, deists, pagans, infidels and unbelievers wassupported by almost all mainstream Christian theology for over a thousand years, starting with the intolerant St. Augustine (died 430 AD)."
-Mark Humphrys, "Killings for Christianity," retrieved Feb 23, 2017, [markhumphrys.com/christianity.killings.html]
The "Church" he's referring to is the Catholic Church (i.e. St. Augustine was Catholic, not Christian). Humphrys refers to Catholicism as "mainstream Christian theology," but it is not BIBLICAL Christian theology; the difference between them is tradition versus the actual doctrines Christ taught in Scripture.
Humphrys correctly mentions torture and murder by the Catholic Church, and the Lord Jesus Christ did not teach His church to do these things:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
-Matthew 5:44
The Christian studies the Word of God to learn the doctrines of Christ.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
-2 Timothy 2:15
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
-Romans 10:17
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
-James 2:26
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
-Ephesians 5:11
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?... Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
-2 Corinthians 6:14-17
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
-Matthew 15:8
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
-Matthew 7:15
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
-Matthew 7:18-20
These wolves in costume need to come to repentance (i.e. godly sorrow in humility) before they can acknowledge the truth, just as atheists need to come to repentance to acknowledge their own sin of lying and deceiving others.
(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Once more from the Logical Fallacies website:
"The No True Scotsman fallacy involvesdiscounting evidence that would refute a proposition , concluding that it hasn't been falsified when in fact it has."
-Logical Fallacies, "'No True Scotsman' Fallacy," retrieved Feb 23, 2017, [logicalfallacies.info/presumption/no-true-scotsman]
The fallacy this author is pointing out is that someone is denying evidence that contradicts their personal belief, but in the instance of the atheists and false Christians, they are denying evidence that contridicts someone's CLAIM to a personal belief. The next time an atheist might accuse you of the "No True Scotsman" fallacy, you can point out the embarrassment of their "No False Scotsman" fallacy by simply explaining to them that they are, in child-like fashion, automatically believing whatever they're told without looking at the facts.
Finally, the Bible tells us that there is no such thing as an atheist, which makes every atheist a liar:
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
-Romans 1:20-22