The Sufficiency of Scripture & Sound Reasoning (Part 1)

Does the Bible teach us the principles of sound reasoning?   Yes, it most certainly does. 

Here are some examples…

1- Is - Ought Fallacy - Human anatomy is said to provide  a blueprint for sexual ethics.  We examined this in my previous article.  A moral “ought” is derived from a physical “is.” The disputant makes an illicit leap from what is to what ought to be. A classic example is the way some homosexuals defend their sexual ethics by appealing to their biology/genetics. 

At its heart, the Is-Ought Fallacy is defined as the use of the state the created order to justify/warrant abstract moral principles.  For example, Greg Koukl writes: 

People sometimes argue in favor of homosexuality by arguing that their inclination is natural, and if it’s natural, then we shouldn’t be making any moral objections about it. If that is their argument they are guilty of is-ought.

This is true, insofar as the disputant is looking to the state of the created order, his or her biogenetics and/or psychology in order to warrant his or her sexual ethics. 

What does the Bible teach?  In Romans 1:20, the text teaches us that the purpose (teleology) of the created order is to testify to God’s existence, attributes, & authority.    The rest of the chapter informs us that as a result of the Fall, peoe supplanted God’s image & authority and supplanted it with their own, thereby crafting idols that looked like people & animals.   They then behaved accordingly, crafting their worship & sexual ethics out of the authorization & use of images drawn from the created order.   This resulted in the pouring out of God’s wrath.  

Likewise, we are constitutionally unable to do any spiritual good accompanying our own salvation (John 6:44, Romans 8:7 - 11).    Moreover, God creates our souls (Zech. 12:1).    If using the created order is a proper, sufficient epistemic warrant for human ethics, then that means there is no moral imperative to exercise saving repentance & faith. 

The definition of the Is-Ought Fallacy is supported by Scripture correctly understood.    

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3)