Logical fallacy exposed

Reflection

John Lennox's response is that Hitchens' argument often moves from the claim that religion has been used to commit evil to the much broader conclusion that religion itself is evil. Lennox challenges that logic: the misuse of a belief system does not, by itself, establish that the belief system is false or inherently immoral. For example, Christianity can be judged by what Jesus actually taught, love of enemies, forgiveness, care for the poor, humility and self-sacrifice, rather than simply by the actions of people who have claimed Christianity while behaving contrary to those teachings.

Questions to sit with

• Does the misuse of a belief system prove the belief system itself is false?
• How would you fairly judge Christianity: by Christ's teachings or by those who have misrepresented them?
• Have you ever dismissed faith because of its worst examples rather than its best?

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