Logic consists of ordering our thoughts. In a culture of confusion, where one source claims the truth and another claims the exact opposite as truth, how do we know what is legit? We need to reason correctly and we’ll be able to wade through the conflicts and find truth. The easy road is often the wrong one, so we’ve got to dig a little to find the right path.
Years ago, logic was no longer taught in schools. Oh my, I can surely tell! There are so many gullible people out there, especially naive kids. If it’s on YouTube, they’ll often believe it.
So, how can we develop “right thinking” in an age of uncertainty, and come up with proper conclusions? In Come Let Us Reason: An Introduction to Logical Thinking, by Norman Geisler & Ronald Brooks, they say “from the standpoint of reality, we understand that God is the basis of all logic. As the ultimate reality, all truth is found in Him.”
How does this play out? What are some practical ways we can apply logic to today’s over-saturated information age?
On reasons.org, Professor Ken Samples states this: the following acrostic may serve as a guideline to keep one’s reasoning on the logical TRACK: (http://www.reasons.org/articles/logic-lessons–keeping-your-thinking-on-track)
True support: All premises must be factually true or intellectually acceptable.
Relevant support: The premises must be connected and readily applicable to the conclusion.
Adequate support: The premises must provide enough support—sufficient in number, kind, and weight—to justify the conclusion.
Clear support: The premises must possess clarity, thus avoiding vagueness, ambiguity, and grammatical error.
Knowledgeable support: The premises must qualify as knowledge (justified, true belief), avoiding unwarranted presumption and vulnerability to possible counter evidence.
“Paying heed to the principles of logic makes our arguments and viewpoints rational, and therefore persuasive. It behooves us as Christians to excel in our thinking. Sound reasoning not only helps remove obstacles to faith in Jesus Christ, but it also—especially when combined with a winsome spirit—exemplifies Christian virtue. Careful thinking brings honor and glory to our Creator and Lord (Rom. 12:2).” Kenneth Samples.
Do you want to see how you rate logically? Check out this test here: http://www.think-logically.co.uk/lt.htm
I scored a 53% on this test – fail! Ugh, I need to improve on my thinking-logically skills!
