Misleading Witnesses

Having seen some 35 methods of scripture twisting which cults frequently use to pervert God’s truth, we will now review numerous logical fallacies which are easily made, yielding misinterpretations. 

[TBC: Here is the link to the entire article along with the list of the 35 false arguments often used by cults or cultic groups.

https://blog.lifeassuranceministries.org/2025/02/06/logical-fallacies-in-biblical-interpretation/

Here is one example:]

Witness Leading: This is often a complaint in a court, where a lawyer leads a witness to make the conclusion [which] he wants the witness to make, instead of his own from the objective facts at hand. Ministers may do this at the expense of their hearers or readers, e. g., SDA’s George Vandeman’s book Planet in Rebellion where he composes and carries on a dialogue with you his reader, by using lines like “‘But how’, you ask, ‘will it all come about?’” (p. 319); then the obvious fallacy “you can readily see that” (p. 320); “let me take you” and “for instance we read that” (ibid.); then assuming control over you in the conversation he dictates “Now listen” (p. 321) and asks “Is that clear?” (p. 322); and he stuffs more words in your mouth “‘Oh’, you say, ‘it came from _ and you are right’”. In this manner he leads you, his reader in stately ‘pied-piper’ fashion down into the sea of Seventh-day Adventism!

—Dr. Verle Streifling (raised in a devout Adventist family, graduated from Adventist schools, born again at age 26; intensive Bible study and the Holy Spirit led him out of Adventism. Retired Pastor and Theologian, He and his wife have retired into full-time ministry in the Philippines).