Elements of Critical Thinking

The poor analysis and critical thinking skills of the general population, especially of Christians, has pained me for some time. I've even sketched out ideas about how to set up a training seminar on thinking wisely (meaning, solid reasoning coupled with a biblical worldview).

So I was delighted to see that the great folks at Stand to Reason have just published a free newsletter outlining key critical thinking skills (note: PDF format). Their focus in this issue is taking on the "new athiests" arguments about the evils of religion. But you can, and should, apply these same critical thought patterns of reasoning to other areas.

Quick summary:

The task of critical thinking is to weed out irrelevant details so you can see the core argument and assess its strength. Work through these four questions:
1. What is the claim?
2. What are the reasons given to support the claim?
3. Which appeals are irrelevant?
4. Does the conclusion follow from the evidence?

I highly recommend the entire newsletter. Build these skills yourself, and practice them with your families.