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Jumpstarter 8 of 10

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How to Arrive at Truth Through Critical Thinking  /  Questions About Critical Thinking  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 8
David says the modesty debate often commits the “fallacy of the beard/continuum fallacy”: because we can’t draw an exact line, people conclude there is no line; where do you see that same fallacy operating in current Christian debates (wealth, entertainment, divorce, violence, sexuality), and what would it look like to reject the fallacy without becoming Pharisaical?
Another way to ask: David says people commit the “continuum fallacy” about modesty: if we can’t draw a perfect line, they say there is no line. Where do you see that same mistake in Christian debates today, and how can you avoid it without becoming harsh and self-righteous?

Direct Answer The transcript’s main application is modesty, but David explicitly says the same fallacy appears “all the time” in many forms; a reasonable inference is it also shows up anywhere Christians argue, “since we can’t define the exact cutoff, the category doesn’t exist.” Rejecting the fallacy means admitting real moral boundaries exist even if churches must draw some “arbitrary” lines, while keeping the focus on truthful principles rather than boundary-pushing.

Support from Transcript:

  • He identifies the error: because Christians can’t agree “where to draw the line,” they conclude “there isn’t a line.”
  • He names it the “fallacy of the beard,” now usually called the “continuum fallacy.”
  • His illustrations: beard hairs (“how many whiskers”), and “good boy or a bad boy” (“how many times do they have to disobey”).
  • He argues that needing an “arbitrary line” doesn’t erase truth: “there is hair that’s long, and there is hair that’s short.”
  • He warns against “pushing the boundaries” of standards to see “how far they can violate the letter or spirit.”
Discussion Follow-ups Where have you heard: “Since the Bible doesn’t give an exact number, it must not matter”? How can churches set boundaries that help holiness without turning into rule-making for its own sake?

Jumpstarter 8 of 10
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