Too many Christians behave and speak obnoxiously at times, and then when the world responds with hatred, we automatically attribute that hatred to our faithfulness to Christ.

There seems to be a common misconception among many Christians that if the world hates them, it’s incontrovertible proof that they must be doing something right. They must be faithfully following Jesus.

It is true that the world hates those whom Christ has chosen out of this world (John 15:18–25). It is true that the world hates Christians because it hates Christ.

What is the logical fallacy known as “affirming the consequent”?

The problem is that many Christians commit a logical fallacy when thinking about this issue. They assume that if the world hates them, then it must be the case that they are faithfully following Jesus. Let me lay out the statements to make this easier to see.

True Conditional Statement:

If you faithfully follow Jesus, then the world will hate you. (If P, therefore Q).

Logically Fallacious Conclusion:

The world hates me, therefore I must be faithfully following Jesus (Q, therefore P).

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