Expected to be Logical

“If you were to enter into a discussion with an atheist, you might try asking if they expect you to be logical in stating your case for the existence of God. They would certainly say, “Yes, of course.” They would probably even think that it was a very odd question. Then you could ask them why they think you should be logical. If they’ve never had anyone ask this question before (which is very likely) they may stammer a bit for an answer (which is very understandable), but eventually they would convey to you that it is the only way to really have a meaningful conversation. Let’s convert all of this to a sample conversation that will make it easier to follow.

Christian: Do you expect me to be logical in stating my case for the existence of God?

Atheist: Yes of course! That’s a very odd question.

Christian: Why should I be logical?

Atheist: It’s the only way to really have a meaningful conversation.

Christian: I completely agree, but in your atheistic worldview, where does it state that everyone has to be logical? How do you even know you can trust your logic? And whose logic do we use? Are there different types of logic? Where does logic come from in your worldview? Can different types of logic exist that contradict each other? If so, how and why? If not, why not? [Note: These are not easy questions for most people, atheist or otherwise, so don’t expect them to be extremely eloquent when responding.]

Atheist: No, one set of logic cannot contradict another, because that would be illogical. I trust my logic because of my own personal experience. It has shown itself to be reliable.

Christian: So there’s only one set of laws that define logic. And apparently, these laws are pragmatic in nature, meaning that they are true because they seem to work well according to your reasoning. How do you know you can trust your own reasoning?

Atheist: Again, because of my own experience.

Christian: So you use your own reason to determine that you can trust your reason. That sounds very circular. It also seems like the laws of logic are subjective, because different people have different reasoning and different experiences. You have yours, I have mine, others have their own. Where did the laws of logic actually come from?

Atheist: The laws of logic are simply mental constructs that reflect reality.

Christian: But mental constructs are products of our reasoning, and if different people have different reasoning (which you and I certainly do) doesn’t that mean there would be different laws of logic that would at least potentially contradict each other? How would we determine which set of laws are correct? How would we even know there was a ‘correct’ set?

Atheist: No, the laws of logic are not subjective. There aren’t numerous contradictory sets of these laws.

Christian: So you believe that the laws of logic are universal, meaning they are the same everywhere for everyone?

Atheist: Yes.

Christian: Do you believe these laws are unchanging, meaning they are the same today as they were yesterday and as they will be tomorrow? If not, could you tell me why?

Atheist: Yes, I believe they are unchanging.

Christian: Are the laws of logic physical entities? Can we observe them under a microscope? Do they have weight, size, mass, color, etc.?”

Atheist: No, they are immaterial, nonphysical. They are abstract.

Christian: Then I ask again, where did the laws of logic come from? If, according to your atheistic worldview, the physical universe is all that exists, where did these immaterial, universal, unchanging laws come from? Can matter and energy produce non-physical things? If so, can you give me an example? If not, then where did the laws of logic come from?

Atheist: They just exist. They are properties of matter.

Christian: I’ve never heard any scientist say they have measured the laws of logic before. All other properties of matter can be measured; length, width, height, mass, temperature, etc. Could you give me some documentation regarding the law of logic being properties of matter? And since different types of matter have different properties (densities, electric charges, etc.), do they each have their own laws of logic?

(Seegert, Creation & Evolution)