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Jefferson Glapski1. Appealing to authority (Jesus) is a logical fallacy--it is not an argument.
Eyler CoatesBut I wasn't making an argument; I was merely asserting a parallel. If I had said that the statement was true because Jesus said it, then that would be an appeal to authority. But I was making a statement with which most thoughtful persons would agree (I think), and only referring to Jesus for a kind of literary support.
Jefferson Glapski2. Something propagated by Jesus should more likely be treated as falsehood than truth.
Eyler CoatesNow that is not an argument, but an unsupported assertion. Must we accept what you say on your personal authority? I could as easily make such a statement about Ayn Rand, but if I did, it would be of no value unless I could demonstrate where and how she distorted facts and truth.
Jefferson Glapski3. Justice applies to not only those who do bad, but those who do good. Rewarding the good is as important a component of being just as remaining intransigent against the bad.
Eyler CoatesNo just-minded person would dispute that statement, except, perhaps, to say that we are under no obligation to "reward" the good. That which is good, and those who do good, find rewards from goodness itself. "Virtue is its own reward." Similarly, we don't "reward" those who are honest and truthful. Often, in fact, they are punished! But in an ultimate sense, a mature person knows that honesty and truthfulness must finally prevail, and those who indulge in lies, deceit and manipulation can at best only receive temporary rewards and advantages. This is because honesty and truthfulness are aspects of reality, and lies and deceit are perversions thereof.
As someone once said so well, "Lies are the language of control and manipulation," and a diversion from precise meaning when trying to establish philosophical principles is unforgivable, more especially when it is used to form a basic concept that becomes the foundation of a whole system of thought.
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