Pointing Out Some Fallacies in Protestant Apologetics.

The following video includes a discussion on how to do Christian apologetics. Some of the statements by the Presbyterian minister reveal some of the entrenched problems with Protestantism which cannot be resolved.

Presuppositional Apologetics Series - Part 01 - Contrasting Methods (Note - The entire Youtube channel entitled "Protestant witness" was deleted at around about 13 September 2018).

At about time 28:40 the speaker begins to enunciate the biblical method of apologetics, where he says -

I don't look for evidences and proofs for the validity of Gods word. God's word is my starting point. God's word is the presupposition by which I evaluate everything else. Some may object and say your world view is circular. All word view commitments are completely circular.

The problems with the biblical method of apologetics are as follows -

1) The method begins with a false argument which is logically invalid through the fallacy of circularity. Such a method of apologetics can only be as good as other methods if all other methods also begin with a false argument. Therefore if the biblical method of apologetics is the preferred method, then all Christian apologetics is false. The Christian apologist is then forced to make an argument against say, atheism, when the Christian position is also false. Such a method is self-defeating and therefore false.

2) The method assumes the truth of the Presbyterian minister's version of sola scriptora. When in fact sola scriptora was a human invention of Martin Luther and other Reformers about 500 years ago. The diverse versions of sola scriptora have never been defended, for sola scriptora always falls into the fallacy of -

2a) Self-referencing authority - the scriptures are inspired, for the scriptures say they are inspired. Such a statement is circular.

2b) Reference to an external authority inconsistent with the principle being defended - If an external authority is appealed to, to establish sola scriptora, such as the church fathers, or church councils, the external witness does not establish the authority of the text. For the text's inspiration and inspiration is not dependent upon an external witness according to sola scriptora. The inspired text is inspired because God wrote the text and not because an external witness says only the text was written by God.

3) The minister's claim that all worldviews start with a circular premise is also a claim that is not verified, and also false. There are other worldviews that are not Christian, which do not begin with a circular premise but are false for other reasons. Alternatively, there is another worldview that is true, but not Protestant and does not suffer from any logical fallacy at all.

4) Alternatively, if the biblical method of apologetics begins with a false method and claims all worldviews begin with the same fallacy, then all worldviews are false. Therefore the biblical method of apologetics is a false worldview arguing against all other false worldviews, for the other worldviews to be dropped in favour of the false Protestant worldview. The biblical method of apologetics is a pessimistic method that assumes everyone is locked into a false position and nobody has the truth, but seeks for the conversion of others to another false worldview.

Conclusion - The Protestant version of the biblical method of apologetics is false, based upon the true premise of the inspired text, derived from the fallacy of circular reasoning, and the fale claim that all worldviews are also based upon the same fallacy.