“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who replace darkness with light and light with darkness.” — Isaiah 5:20
During my apologetics course in seminary, a thoughtful Christian philosopher introduced me to logical fallacies—errors in reasoning that can weaken arguments and lead to misunderstandings. One fallacy that has stuck with me is the straw man fallacy. This occurs when someone misrepresents or oversimplifies another's argument, making it easier to attack. Instead of engaging with the actual point, they create a "straw man"—a distorted version that can be easily knocked down.
Here are some examples:
- Original Argument: "We should consider regulations on pesticide use to protect the environment."
Straw Man: "My opponent wants to ban all farming and destroy our food supply!" - Original Argument: "We should have stricter laws on texting while driving."
Straw Man: "My opponent wants to take away everyone's phones!" - Original Situation: "Someone at school called me ugly."
Straw Man: "I must be worthless and unlovable." - Original Situation: "My parent had a short temper and no time for me."
Straw Man: "God is just like my parent."
We engage in this behavior all too often! We judge others without truly understanding them, make assumptions about their ideas, and dismiss things we dislike. This gives us a false sense of power and certainty. I see this happen in my book club when someone attacks an author’s argument without fully grasping it.
To counter this, let’s practice humility. Make an effort to listen and articulate others' perspectives before critiquing them. Much of the division in our world arises from misunderstandings and attacks on straw men, which can have significant implications for our relationships, evangelism, and spiritual growth.
Instead of assuming, let’s ask better questions. Take the time to listen and understand what people truly mean. Define terms. Ask a person why they did what they did. Seek first to understand more than to be understood.
As we transition from the harvest season into Christmas, let’s commit to saying goodbye to straw men.
