The Equal Authority Of The Bible And Logic

"If somewhere within the Bible, I were to find a passage that said 2 + 2 = 5, I wouldn't question what I'm reading in the Bible. I would believe it, accept it as true, and then do my best to work it out and understand it."
--Peter LaRuffa, Pastor


Christians, if another self-proclaimed Christian said that the Bible is correct even if it claims that 2+2=5, would you agree with him or her?  Would you reject the Bible, reject traditional mathematics, or would you try to reconcile the two seemingly contradictory positions?  Of course, let's remove the ambiguity that comes from our classification of numbers.  Even if we have the wrong names for numbers, mathematical truths are just numeric extensions of logic and are thus inescapably true by necessity, so the core logic of 2+2=4 remains true by necessity even if the titles for the numbers are incorrect.

So, what would you say to this Christian?  How would you modify or reinforce your belief in either the Bible or mathematics?  Hopefully you realize that you do not have to pit the two against each other.  Contrary to what some Christians may believe, it is actually impossible for the Bible to have more authority than logic (and by extension, mathematics, which is numeric logic) and, if the Bible is true, vice versa.  How, you ask?

Firstly, without logic no one would be capable of understanding the Bible, much less any sensory or conscious experience of any kind, so belittling logic will never help anyone demonstrate that a conclusion about the Bible is true.  Second, if the Bible is true, it is no truer than logic and both hold equal authority, for then both will reflect truth and will overlap with each other.  The idea that something can be more true than another truth may factor into why some people elevate the veracity of the Bible over reason, as Christians may sometimes believe that reason is true but the Bible even more so.  However, it is impossible for any truth to be "more true" than another truth; one may be more important, but both are equally true.  A proposition is either true or false (law of excluded middle) and thus there are no such things as truths that possess greater trueness than others.

If true, the Bible stands alongside and in harmony with reason
and does not possess some special additional veracity or authority.

The Bible, if true, stands alongside logic and not in front of it, for both would then ultimately testify to the same truths.  The petty, fallacious myth that the Bible is truer than logic needs to be removed from the lips and thoughts of Christians everywhere, especially if they want to advance in conversations with intelligent non-Christians.  This delusion represents a falsity that deeply damages the perceived credibility of the Bible and Christianity, enrages rational seekers of truth, and destroys the ability of Christians to accurately understand reality.  If a Christian or non-Christian ever asks you how you would respond if the Bible said that 2+2=5 or that the law of identity is false, do not fear, and explain why if the Bible is true then no one has to decide between allegiance to logic or the Bible, because both are equally valid.