Proof by repeated assertion is one of the many smokescreens that are used to cover the fact that the reasoning is based on one of the three fallacies of Agrippa's trilemma. Whenever a logical fallacy is committed, the fallacy has its roots in Agrippa's trilemma. All human thought (without Divine revelation) is based on one of three unhappy possibilities. These three possibilities are infinite regression, circular reasoning, or axiomatic thinking. This problem is known as Agrippa's trilemma. Some have claimed that only logic and math can be known without Divine revelation; however, that is not true. Without Divine revelation, neither logic nor math can be known. Science is also limited to the pragmatic because of the weakness on human reasoning, which is known as Agrippa's trilemma.

The Logical Fallacy of Proof by Assertion / argument by repetition / argumentum ad nauseum / nagging occurs when a proposition is repeatedly restated regardless of contradiction, when someone simply repeats a conclusion when asked to supply some premise that would support the conclusion.

Examples of the Logical Fallacy of Proof by Assertion / Proof by Repeated Assertion /Argument by Repetition / Argumentum Ad Nauseam / Nagging

Sandy: "The Bible is the Word of God, without error."

Zeke: "I would like to believe that. How can I know that?"

Sandy: "It is God’s Word. He wrote it through the prophets. There are no errors."

Zeke: "But how can I know that?"

Sandy: "God’s Word is the Bible. It has no errors."

Either Al doesn’t know Jesus or he knows Jesus and doesn’t know how to tell anyone about it. If Al knows Jesus, Jesus leads him. Jesus Himself declares to anyone who follows Him that the Bible is His Word without error. Jesus declares this fact through the Bible and by speaking into the innermost mind of every person who will listen. The way that Bill can know that is to seek Jesus with sincerity, humility, respect, and a will to do God’s will. Everyone who seeks Jesus does find Him. Unfortunately, Bill has to walk this road to Jesus himself. It may help him if he gets into a church that is alive with the Holy Spirit or to have some people who are willing to pray for him and with him, but he alone can supply the submission to Jesus Christ. No one else can accept the free gift for him.

Sandra: "How can you possibly think that there is anything wrong with abortion? Abortion is a woman’s right."

Roxanne: "There is only One Who determines what is right and what is wrong, God. And God has revealed through the Bible that murder is wrong. In addition, God has revealed through science that the moment of fertilization, a new separate human being exists in the womb. Killing that human being would be murder."

Sandra: "That’s just religious mumbo jumbo. Get your Bible off of my body. Women have been oppressed too long. Our right to an abortion is not to be violated."

Milly is certainly proclaiming her message, but she gives no premise, no reason to believe her. Restating the same claim in different words is not helpful at all.

Note that evolution is repeated from every form of communication (schools, news, movies, advertising, etc.) using assumptive language that just assumes it to be an undisputed fact. Every evidence against it is ignored or swept away with logical fallacies. Hearing the same story told from so many sources ends up being very convincing, yet the only evidence for evolution rests on creative stories, arbitrary assumptions, irrational thinking, and even lies. On the other hand, through the Bible, God Himself reveals that He created the Heavens and the Earth in six days.

Relativism is repeatedly taught in schools and through many media outlets, yet it contradicts itself. If everything is relative, then that statement itself is relative. If there is no truth, then it is not true to say that there is no truth. If we can't know truth, then we can't know that we can't know truth. Any way you state relativism, it is self-refuting.

Fallacy Abuse

Roxanne: "Every evidence for molecules-to-man evolution or billions of years, and every evidence against the Bible, is unreliable, being based on made-up stories, arbitrary assumptions, irrational statements, or outright lies."

Sandra: "Ha! Ha! That is the logical fallacy of proof by repeated assertion. You repeated that same statement several times."

Roxanne: "The logical fallacy of proof by repeated assertion only stands if someone brings contradictory evidence. I have actually been looking for some contradictory evidence for a couple decades now and have seen none. If you have some evidence that is not based on made-up stories, arbitrary assumptions, irrational statements, or outright lies, please tell me what it is."

Sandra: "See, you repeated the same words again. Ha! Ha!"

Sandra is misunderstanding the fallacy. Roxanne never said that the lack of evidence disproves molecules-to-man evolution or billions of years. She merely stated that there is no real evidence. It is irrational to say these are proven or to be dogmatic about them. At the same time, Roxanne is building her logic on the Rock, Jesus Christ, and His revelation as He speaks to Her in her innermost mind through the Bible, although this is unstated.