Some comments by others have prompted me to post the following...
Logic and Truth
3 logical operations that can be done to IF-THEN / CAUSE-EFFECT
statements that I run across often in my Computer Science studies:
Given: IF x THEN y
#1: Negative - IF NOT(x) THEN NOT (y)
#2: Transitive - IF y THEN x
#3: Contrapositive - IF NOT (y) THEN NOT (x)
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(#3 is kind of a combination of #1 and #2)
Well, out of these 3 operations, only #3 preserves logical consistency. Here's a quick example:
LET x = 2 + 2, LET y = 4
so the given is IF 2+2 THEN 4 (or saying it another way, the cause 2+2 will always produce 4).
This statement, being the given, is logically true 100% of the time.
#1: the negative - if NOT (2+2), then NOT (4). (when you don't have 2+2, then you will never produce the effect/result: 4).
As you can see, this statement is not true 100% of the time.
you can have 1+3, or 5+-1 or other combinations and it will result in
4.
#2: the transitive - IF 4 THEN 2+2. (the 4 = 2 + 2. While this statement again is possibly true, it is not absolutely true. Again 4 = 3+1, 4 = 5+-1 are possible statements.
#3: the contrapositive - IF NOT(4) THEN NOT (2+2). (If the
cause is not 4, then the effect can NOT be 2 + 2.) This is an
absolutely true statement. If you don't have 4, then you can
never have 2+2, since 2+2 will always result in 4. (the given)
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The reason
I'm writing about all this is because when we read
the bible, we use logical functions in order to really dig into the
principles that are in God's word. Since we use logic to
interpret the words of scripture, it's important that we are careful of
committing logical fallacies.
One particular logical fallacy that is prevalent among christians is
taken from the verse in James 2:26 - Faith, without deeds is dead.
Constructed another way: (1) IF (No Deeds) THEN (Faith is dead)
The problem is that this is often interpreted as "I need to DO more
to show/prove that my faith is not dead. Again this statement
can be constructed like this:
(2) IF (deeds) THEN (alive faith)
Statement 2 is simply Statement 1 with the NEGATIVE function applied
to it this making it a logical fallicy deriving Statement 2 from
Statement 1.
A sound logical function of Statement 1 would be:
(3) IF (alive faith) THEN (deeds)
or in otherwords: true faith RESULTS in deeds.
Now I'm not making a big deal about this merely to be
nitpicky, but because of logical fallicies such as this which result in
an incorrect understanding of our lives of faith, we are caught in
bondage. We choose to live our lives trying to perform deeds in
order to show our faith, but because that's not how God meant it to be,
we are left with failure with no other alternatives but a life of
frustration. I believe this is the reason why so many Christians
go through the "cycle" of Spiritual Highs and Lows. Because they
believe incorrectly that their faith depends on deeds, and when the
deeds are there, you're on that high, but then eventually you grow
weary, so you're back to the low.
We can break out of that bondage by recognizing the truth, that good
deeds are fruits of our faith. They are not causal agents, but
results.
Man, there is so much more to say about this, but my thoughts aren't
organized enough to write them down, so I'll leave it at this.
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free"
-Jesus (John 8:32) | 
