by Scott Cherry
In other words, the Bible gives us a coherent framework for understanding the existence of logic, not only its general source—God—but also a specific one, the God of the Bible—Yahweh or Adonai in Hebrew. Why? Logic is the outflow of the reciprocal cognition between God the Father and Jesus the Son. Therefore, by extension, at the onset of the created order, including all laws of nature and of logic, the co-eternal Jesus the Christ became both the Instrument and the Sustainer of creation and, or the chief Engineer and Operator. To use a biblical term, he is the “Author” of the master ‘program’ known as logic. As the Head Programmer of the super-computer that is our Reality, Jesus encoded the pre-existing laws and principles of logic into the master program of the entire universe. Logic is all about the Logos.
I have been laboring to use reason and logic to analyze rationality and the rational order. They are the best and only tools at my disposal for this task. As I’ve said before, this is interesting to me, that I’m thinking about thinking. In fact, right now I am thinking about thinking about thinking! (This is what we call meta-cognition which only rational beings can do.) For you to think about my ideas you must also use reason and logic to analyze my logic because there is no other way. You will probably not get your own private revelation about it (though some do, or claim to); you have the Bible.
In the final analysis, some things rightly DO presuppose other things, necessarily, or deductively. This is just plain good logic. Alluding again to Martin’s initial examples, it really depends on how the arguments are set up. It is valid that a speaker using a given language to address his/her audience doesn’t presuppose that the audience understands that language, technically, but it certainly does strongly suggest they do in light of other logical considerations which are every bit as valid. More to the point, an audience that demonstrates reception and understanding of the content of a lecture necessarily presupposes that there was a transmission of content they received in their language, which in turn presupposes an intelligent transmitter with still other presupposed qualities. It is also valid that scientists listening for radio signals from extra-terrestrials does not presuppose the existence of extra-terrestrials, nor even the possibility of them; only the belief in their possibility. But, the reception of such radio signals, by definition, does.
These are properly re-structured examples of sound deductive logic which are both valid and true. (And the content of those transmissions will tell us a lot about the nature of the transmitter.) Deductive logic does work and validity is not a myth. It is a fixed law of logic that binds us and points to us to a divine Lawgiver or Programmer. To reach true conclusions the premises must be both valid and true; validity is necessary but not sufficient. But even then, the premises must be carefully selected and properly ordered for deductive logic to work, as I hope I have shown.
We should use the very same kind of logic to presuppose the existence of an Intelligent, Supernatural Transmitter who has certain qualities that best match the biblical description of Him. Therefore I submit that the Logos principle is one of the best evidences for God, and the existence of the Judeo-Christian God—Yahweh, Adonai—is the best explanation for reason, logic, order and intelligibility. This is the Logos principle.
This is the Reason for Reason.
Copyright notices
The Reason of Reason
Copyright 2017 by Scott Cherry
Dearborn, MI 48126
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy,
Printed in the United States of America
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
· http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/theogloss/logos-body.html
· Kant, Immanuel. Critique of Pure Reason, Intro, II.A
· Descartes, Rene’. Discourses on Method, AT VII 25; CSM II 16–17
· Aristotle. Metaphysics, Book 1, part 1
· Townley, Barbara. Reason’s Neglect: Rationality and Organizing, p. 4. Oxford University Press, as found in Google Books: http://bit.ly/2bpWAFW
· Schaeffer, Francis. Wheaton, Tyndale House: He is there and He is Not Silent, p. 291 (1972)
· Hume, David. A Treatise of Human Nature, 1969, as taken from http://www2.onu.edu/~m-dixon/100/Causation.html
· Martin, Michael. Blog: The Secular Web, “Does Logic presuppose the existence of the Christian God?” (2000) https://infidels.org/library/modern/michael_martin/logic.html
· Rand, Ayn. For the New Intellectual, p. 125: http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/logic.html
· Martin, Michael. Blog: The Secular Web, “Does Logic presuppose the existence of the Christian God?” (2000). https://infidels.org/library/modern/michael_martin/logic.html
“Thomas Nagel: Thoughts Are Real”, Paige Turner. New Yorker Magazine, July 16, 2013. http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/thomas-nagel-thoughts-are-real
· Emperor Julian, The Classics, Greek & Latin: v. 1. Epic literature, V. Parke, 1909, p. 314.
· Chesterton, G.K. Orthodoxy. New York: Image Books, 1959, p. 33
· Lewis, C.S. Miracles. New York: HarperCollins, 1947/60, Appendix C, paragraph 5
· Heschmeyer, Joe. Blog: Shameless Popery, “Two Interesting Arguments for God: Intelligibility and Desire”, 2012. http://shamelesspopery.com/two-interesting-arguments-for-god-intelligibility-desire/
· Lewis, C.S. Miracles. New York: HarperCollins, 1947/60, Appendix C, paragraph 6 (?)
· Henry Ford Estate website: http://www.henryfordestate.org/
· Barron, Robert. New York: Random House: Catholicism, 2014, pp. 67-69
· Barron, Robert. New York: Random House: Catholicism, 2014, pp. 67-69
· Gretchen Joanna. Blog, Gladsome Lights: “Gleanings—Logos and Intelligibility”, 2014. https://gretchenjoanna.com/2014/10/11/gleanings-logos-and-intelligibility/
· Heschmeyer, Joe. Blog: Shameless Popery, “Two Interesting Arguments for God: Intelligibility and Desire”, 2012. http://shamelesspopery.com/two-interesting-arguments-for-god-intelligibility-desire/
· Davies, Paul. First Things online, “Physics and the Mind of God”. http://www.firstthings.com/article/ 1995/08/003-physics-and-the-mind-of-god-the-templeton-prize-address-24
· Encyclopedia Britannica online: Hericlitus. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Heraclitus