Fallacy Directory
A comprehensive database of logical fallacies with examples from religious debates.
Definition
Attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself.
Example
""You can't trust his economic policy—he's been divorced three times!""
Religious Example
""You only reject God because you want to sin without consequences.""
How to Respond
""My personal life has no bearing on whether my argument is logically valid. Can you address the actual points I've made?""
Definition
Using an authority figure's opinion as evidence, especially when they're not an expert in the relevant field.
Example
""A famous actor said vaccines are dangerous, so it must be true.""
Religious Example
""Famous scientist X believed in God, therefore God exists.""
How to Respond
""What matters is the evidence itself, not who believes it. Even experts can be wrong, and their expertise may not apply here.""
Definition
Claiming something is true because it hasn't been proven false.
Example
"**"No one has proven aliens don't visit Earth, so they must be real."**"
Religious Example
"**"You can't prove God doesn't exist, therefore He does."**"
How to Respond
"**"The burden of proof lies with the one making the claim."**"
Definition
Assuming the conclusion in the premise; circular reasoning.
Example
"**"The Bible is true because God said so."**"
Religious Example
"**"God must exist because the universe couldn't exist without Him."**"
How to Respond
"**"You're assuming God exists to prove God exists. That's circular."**"
Definition
Using the conclusion as a premise; assuming what you're trying to prove.
Example
""The law is the law because it's written in the law books.""
Religious Example
""The Bible is true because it's the word of God, and we know it's God's word because the Bible says so.""
How to Respond
""You're assuming the very thing you're trying to prove. We need independent evidence.""
Definition
Assuming what is true of parts is true of the whole.
Example
"**"Each brick is light, so the wall must be light."**"
Religious Example
"**"Everything in the universe has a cause, so the universe must have a cause."**"
How to Respond
"**"Properties of parts don't transfer to the whole."**"
Definition
Using a word with multiple meanings ambiguously.
Example
"**"A feather is light. Light cannot be dark. Therefore, a feather cannot be dark."**"
Religious Example
"**"Faith in science is just like faith in God—everyone has faith."**"
How to Respond
"**"You're using 'faith' in two different senses."**"
Definition
Presenting only two options when more exist.
Example
""You're either with us or against us.""
Religious Example
""Either the universe was designed or it's all meaningless chaos.""
How to Respond
""These aren't the only two options. There are other possibilities you haven't considered.""
Definition
Attributing anything currently unexplained to divine intervention.
Example
""We don't know how consciousness works, therefore God.""
Religious Example
""Science can't explain the origin of life, so God must have created it.""
How to Respond
""Not knowing something doesn't mean we should insert a supernatural explanation. History shows gaps in knowledge get filled by natural explanations.""
Definition
Redefining a group to exclude counterexamples.
Example
""No true Scotsman puts sugar in his porridge.""
Religious Example
""Those Christians who did terrible things weren't *real* Christians.""
How to Respond
""You're changing the definition to protect your claim from counterexamples. That's not a valid move.""
Definition
Claiming one event will inevitably lead to extreme consequences.
Example
"**"If we allow students to redo tests, they'll expect to redo everything."**"
Religious Example
"**"If we allow same-sex marriage, next people will marry animals."**"
How to Respond
"**"You haven't demonstrated a causal chain."**"
Definition
Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack.
Example
""So you're saying we should just let criminals run free?""
Religious Example
""Atheists believe everything came from nothing by accident.""
How to Respond
""That's not my position. Let me clarify what I actually said...""
Definition
Arguing truth based on desirable consequences.
Example
"**"Climate change can't be real—it would be too devastating."**"
Religious Example
"**"Without God, there'd be no morality, so God must exist."**"
How to Respond
"**"Desirability doesn't determine truth."**"
Definition
Using fear to convince rather than evidence.
Example
"**"If you don't buy this security system, you're in danger."**"
Religious Example
"**"If you don't believe, you'll burn in hell."**"
How to Respond
"**"Threatening consequences doesn't make your claim true."**"
Definition
Arguing something is good because it's natural.
Example
"**"Organic food is better because it's natural."**"
Religious Example
"**"Homosexuality is wrong because it's unnatural."**"
How to Respond
"**"Natural doesn't mean good. Arsenic is natural."**"
Definition
Using sympathy instead of evidence.
Example
"**"You have to pass me—I studied so hard!"**"
Religious Example
"**"Don't you want to see your loved ones in heaven?"**"
How to Respond
"**"Whether I want something doesn't affect whether it's true."**"
Definition
Claiming something is true because many people believe it.
Example
"**"Millions of people buy this product."**"
Religious Example
"**"Billions believe in God—they can't all be wrong."**"
How to Respond
"**"Popular belief doesn't determine truth."**"
Definition
Claiming something is correct because it has always been done.
Example
"**"We've always done it this way."**"
Religious Example
"**"People have believed in God for thousands of years."**"
How to Respond
"**"Longevity doesn't equal truth."**"
Definition
Judging something based on its origin rather than merit.
Example
"**"That idea came from a criminal, so it must be wrong."**"
Religious Example
"**"Atheism leads to nihilism because Nietzsche went mad."**"
How to Respond
"**"The origin doesn't determine validity."**"
Definition
Asking a question with an unestablished presupposition.
Example
"**"Have you stopped cheating on tests?"**"
Religious Example
"**"Why do you hate God?"**"
How to Respond
"**"I reject the premise. I don't hate what I don't believe in."**"
Definition
Assuming because B followed A, A caused B.
Example
"**"I wore my lucky socks and we won."**"
Religious Example
"**"I prayed for healing and got better."**"
How to Respond
"**"Correlation isn't causation."**"
Definition
Introducing an irrelevant topic to divert attention.
Example
"**"Why worry about pollution when there are homeless people?"**"
Religious Example
"**"You question God, but look at the good churches do."**"
How to Respond
"**"Church charity is separate from whether God exists."**"
Definition
Assuming a complex event has only one cause.
Example
"**"Video games cause violence."**"
Religious Example
"**"Society's problems are because people abandoned God."**"
How to Respond
"**"Complex phenomena have multiple causes."**"
Definition
Cherry-picking data to suit an argument.
Example
"**"Look at all these cancer cases on this street!"**"
Religious Example
"**"These prophecies were fulfilled!" (ignoring failures)**"
How to Respond
"**"You're selecting hits and ignoring misses."**"
Definition
Deflecting criticism by pointing out hypocrisy.
Example
"**"You criticize my diet? You eat junk food too!"**"
Religious Example
"**"How can you judge the Crusades? Atheist regimes killed millions."**"
How to Respond
"**"My behavior doesn't affect my argument's validity."**"
Definition
Manipulating emotions rather than using logic to make a point.
Example
""Think of the children!""
Religious Example
""Without God, life has no hope or meaning. Don't you want there to be meaning?""
How to Respond
""I understand this is an emotional topic, but whether something makes us feel good doesn't determine whether it's true.""