Logical Fallacy of False Dichotomy / Black-and-White Fallacy / The Fallacy of Exhaustive Hypothesis / Bifurcation

Bifurcation is one of the many smokescreens that are used to cover the fact that the reasoning is based on one of the three fallacies of Agrippa's trilemma. Whenever a logical fallacy is committed, the fallacy has its roots in Agrippa's trilemma. All human thought (without Divine revelation) is based on one of three unhappy possibilities. These three possibilities are infinite regress, circular reasoning, or axiomatic thinking. This problem is known as Agrippa's trilemma. Some have claimed that only logic and math can be known without Divine revelation; however, that is not true. There is no reason to trust either logic or math without Divine revelation. Science is also limited to the pragmatic because of the weakness on human reasoning, which is known as Agrippa's trilemma.

The logical fallacy of false dichotomy / bifurcation occurs when someone falsely assumes that there are only two choices.

There are instances where the choice is either/or. God either created the Universe or not. Natural causes (without God) either created everything from nothing or they didn’t. In any moment, we either acknowledge God’s leading, receive His faith and hope and allow His grace to do His Love/Righteousness through us, or we do not.

Examples of the Logical Fallacy of Logical Fallacy of False Dichotomy / Black-and-White Fallacy / The Fallacy of Exhaustive Hypothesis / Bifurcation

Sandy: "The results from the annual Gallup survey on creationism are out, with the numbers right about where they’ve been for the past 30 years. Finding yet again that 46 percent of Americans do not “believe” in evolution remains, to me, “dismaying.” There are variations of both of these theories but, generally speaking, those are the options for creationists. To believe in creationism, either you must believe that there is a global conspiracy of scientists intent on lying to you, or you must believe that God is intent on lying to you."

Rocky: "Are you sure that those are the only two options? What if most scientists are not intent on lying but are rather working within the limits of a worldview/fake-reality/paradigm that causes them to have strong bias when interpreting their observations? What if most of them except the current group-held paradigm without question? What if those who question the paradigm experience severe damage to their careers making it unlikely that anyone else will speak up when they discover the many inconsistencies?"

This top bifurcation is actually being made on an evolutionism web site. The motivation is given. The person is intent on convincing everyone in the world that molecules-to-man evolution actually happened, but despite the brainwashing system that has been created to do just this, people are still sticking to their biblical beliefs, and he hates that.

“You either accept evolution as fact or you are unscientific.”

Of course, we can be very scientific and question or reject evolution.

“No real scientist believes that God created the Universe.”

This is actually the black-and-white fallacy in that it says that a scientist either rejects what God has revealed about creation and is a real scientist or that scientist has only one other alternative, to accept what God has revealed about creation and not be a real scientist. In reality, a real scientist can also believe what God is saying.

“You must either hold your religion (the way that the ungodly usually refer to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ) very loosely or you will not be popular.”

How about walking so closely with Jesus Christ that His joy, peace, and love is flowing out through you to others so that those who love what is right and is good are drawn to you?

Fallacy Abuse

Roxanne: "You are either with Christ or against Him."

Sandra: "Ha! Ha! That is black and white thinking, the fallacy of the false delimma. I don’t believe in Christ, so I am neither for Him nor against Him."

Roxanne: "Christ reveals that everyone is responsible since He has revealed Himself through His creation. In addition, I have told you the Good News about Jesus Christ, which you have chosen to reject. By rejecting what I have said to you, you have rejected Christ speaking to you through me by His Holy Spirit. There is more to this, and I would be glad to discuss it if your mind is open to it."

Sandy is looking for a way out. Some things are black and white. Some things are true, and truth is exclusive of the lie by its very nature. You cannot get rid of the law of the excluded middle in logic. As Ravi Zacharias says, “When I step off the curb I look both ways. It’s either me or the bus. It can’t be both.”