Life after Death!

Directions: Your answer to these questions should be at least one paragraph long (6-7 sentences). When you reply to another student, you can reply to any student's answer to any one of these questions. You do not need to reply to another student's answer to all of these questions. Just reply to another student's answer to one question. Your reply to another student should be one paragraph (6-7 sentences) as well, and make sure your reply to another student includes some type of question about that student's post.

Post using the Anonymous Profile and be sure to type your Full Name in all posts. You will not receive credit for any posts without your Full Name.

Also, remember that if your posts are very long, you may need to break up your post into two or most posts. 

Last, remember to type your work first in a Word document before posting it and then copy and paste it to post it. If you have any trouble posting your answer to my questions or replying to another student, then print off your work and bring it as a hard copy to class the day it is due.

1. I asked you to read Chapter 9 of Reason and Religious Belief as background to our study of The Problem of Evil against God's Existence.  We went into detail on many of the ideas in this chapter.  However, on page 187 there is reference made to the good parent analogy that Rowe uses to argue against God's existence.  Using our book, explain the good parent analogy and how Rowe uses this to object to God's existence.  Last, after explaining Rowe's position, state whether you think that his argument is a good one.  Be sure to make your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with him clear.

2. Start off by defining materialism.  One argument for materialism we discussed in class is the argument from Artificial Intelligence.  State this argument we covered in class.  After stating this argument, state whether you think it is a strong argument for materialism.  Be sure to make your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with it clear.

3. One further argument for materialism that we covered in class was called The Brain Chemistry Argument.  State this argument we covered in class.  Moreover, as background for the topic of Life after Death, I asked you to read Chapter 11 of Reason and Religious Belief.  Pages 240-241 elaborate on the Brain Chemistry Argument further by talking about lots of examples of the tight connection between thinking, feeling, and desiring and what happens in the brain.  Using pages 240-241 of our text, discuss three specific examples, which we didn't discuss in class, of the tight connection between thinking, feeling, and desiring and what happens in the brain.  Last, offer up your assessment on the Brain Chemistry Argument for Materialism.  Do you think it is a good argument?  Why or why not?  Be sure to make your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with it clear.

4. Start off by defining dualism.  Also, define the Identity of Indiscernibles.  One argument we studied for dualism involves the Identity of Indiscernibles.  Explain this argument.  Last, do you think it is a good argument?  Why or why not?  Be sure to make your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with it clear.

5. As background for the topic of Life after Death, I asked you to read Chapter 11 of Reason and Religious Belief.  Pages 252-253 of this chapter talk about how some use near-death experiences to provide evidence for the possibility of life after death.  This is not a topic we will discuss much in class, but lots of people raise it in the context of life after death.  As such, it's good to think about at this point.  Using our book, explain how some use near-death experiences to argue for life after death.  Be sure to explain at least one of the "amazingly accurate" things people that have undergone near death experiences have discovered.  Last, offer your thoughts on whether near-experiences provide evidence of life after death.

Thomas Merton

Directions: Your answer to these questions should be at least one paragraph long (6-7 sentences). When you reply to another student, you can reply to any student's answer to any one of these questions. You do not need to reply to another student's answer to all of these questions. Just reply to another student's answer to one question. Your reply to another student should be one paragraph (6-7 sentences) as well, and make sure your reply to another student includes some type of question about that student's post.

Post using the Anonymous Profile and be sure to type your Full Name in all posts. You will not receive credit for any posts without your Full Name.

Also, remember that if your posts are very long, you may need to break up your post into two or most posts. 

Last, remember to type your work first in a Word document before posting it and then copy and paste it to post it. If you have any trouble posting your answer to my questions or replying to another student, then print off your work and bring it as a hard copy to class the day it is due.

1. In class, we have spent a good amount of time just trying to understand Thomas Merton's biography.  What strikes you as particularly interesting about Merton's biography?  Also, why do you think that so many people found and continue to find Thomas Merton to be such an interesting and important religious figure?

2. Start of by explaining Clarke's distinction between a dependent being and a necessary being that we covered in class when we talked about some of the arguments for God's existence.  Next, look at pages 185-189 from The Seven Storey Mountain.  Here Merton talks about some of the thoughts/ideas he came across that led him to convert from his wild ways in the past to Christianity.  One of these ideas involves a particular idea about God that he learned from a book written by a French philosopher, namely, Etienne Gilson's The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy.  What concept did Merton learn about God from Gilson?  Moreover, do you see any similarities between this concept from Gilson that Merton talks about and Clarke's idea of a necessary being?  If so, explain.  Last, Merton talks about how this concept regarding God made a "profound impression" on him and how it "revolutionized" his life.  Why do you think that this concept made such as "profound impression" on him and "revolutionized" his life? 

3. Look at pages 346-364 of The Seven Storey Mountain.  Here Merton talks about what it was like to visit The Abbey of Gethsemani for the first time in his life.  The first time his visited The Abbey of Gethsemani was for a retreat around Easter time during 1941.  Before he visited Gethsemani for the first time, Merton researched a bit about different types of Christian hermits.  Starting on page 346 Merton talks a bit about what fascinated him about the life of Carthusian hermits and some of their hermitages at Camaldolese.  Explain in your own words what Merton found so fascinating and refreshing about the Carthusian hermits and some of their hermitages at Camaldolese.  After this, Merton goes on to talk about his first trip to Gethsemani, and he goes into great detail about this.  What stands out to you as interesting, significant, and important in Merton's account of his first visit to Gethsemani.  At one point, Merton says this about Gethsemani, "This is the center of all the vitality that is in America.  This is the cause and reason why the nation is holding together.  These men, hidden in the anonymity of their choir and their white cowls, are doing for their land what no army, no congress, no president could ever do as such: they are winning for it the grace and the protection and the friendship of God" (356).  What do you think that Merton is saying here?

4. Look at pages 140-142 of Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander.  Here Merton describes his famous "4th and Walnut" epiphany that happened in downtown Louisville.  We will be visiting this spot on our trip to Louisville, because it was extremely significant in Merton life.  It is so significant that the state of Kentucky has put a landmark there to Merton that we will see.  Describe in your own words what happened to Merton at 4th and Walnut.  Also, do you think the insight Merton had was a good one?

5. I have given you Merton's preface to his book Faith and Violence.  He starts off telling a provocative story.  Summarize the story he tells in your own words.  Last, he uses this story as a way to make some provocative and fiery comments about "faith."  Explain what you take Merton to be saying about "faith" with this story.  Last, do you agree with Merton?  Why or why not?

6. I have given you a short essay from Merton called "Target Equals City."  Here Merton talks about some of his views on the wars of his time.  One thing he talks about throughout this piece is the dropping of the atom bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II.  From what Merton says in this piece, do you think that he believed dropping the atom bomb was ethical?  Why or why not (be sure to include a quote or two to support your view)?  Last, do you agree with Merton?  Why or why not?

Theistic Arguments

Directions: Your answer to these questions should be at least one paragraph long (6-7 sentences). When you reply to another student, you can reply to any student's answer to any one of these questions. You do not need to reply to another student's answer to all of these questions. Just reply to another student's answer to one question. Your reply to another student should be one paragraph (6-7 sentences) as well, and make sure your reply to another student includes some type of question about that student's post.

Post using the Anonymous Profile and be sure to type your Full Name in all posts. You will not receive credit for any posts without your Full Name.

Also, remember that if your posts are very long, you may need to break up your post into two or most posts. 

Last, remember to type your work first in a Word document before posting it and then copy and paste it to post it. If you have any trouble posting your answer to my questions or replying to another student, then print off your work and bring it as a hard copy to class the day it is due.

1. In class, we saw that Reformed Epistemologists leveled three criticisms against Clifford's view that we need hard evidence for all of our beliefs to be rational.  Explain two of the criticisms that we covered in class that Reformed Epistemologists leveled against Clifford (you can pick the two you discuss).  Also, look at page 62 of our book Reason and Religion Belief.  On page 62, there is a criticism against Clifford involving the "lack of time" that many people have.  I didn't talk about this objection a lot in class, but this objection on page 62 is another one that Reformed Epistemologists make of Clifford.  Explain this objection that our book raises on page 62.  End by stating who you think has presented the stronger case here.  Do you think that Clifford is right that we must have hard evidence for all of our beliefs to be rational, or do you think the Reformed Epistemologist is right that we do not need to have hard evidence for all of our beliefs to be rational?  Be sure to express clearly your reasons for favoring one side of this debate over the other.

2. Start off by defining the sensus divinitatis.  After defining the sensus divinitatis, explain why the Reformed Epistemologist thinks that the sensus divinitatis can make it rational for a person to believe in God even if that person has no hard evidence for their belief.  End by stating whether you think that the Reformed Epistemologist's view is plausible.  Do you think they are right that the sensus divinitatis can make it rational for a person to believe in God even if that person has no hard evidence for their belief, or do you think that this claim is implausible?  Be sure to state clearly the reason for your position.

3. Start off by defining a cosmological argument.  We looked at a number of cosmological arguments for God's existence: Aquinas' Cosmological Argument, Clarke's Cosmological Argument, and the Kalam Cosmological Argument.  Do you find any of them plausible in terms of showing it is plausible that God exists?  If so, state which one or more of these arguments you find plausible.  Moreover, if you find one or more of them plausible, then pick one of the arguments you find plausible and explain it in your own words and why you find that particular argument plausible (Note: you don't have to explain all of the different versions of the cosmological argument you may find plausible; instead, you just have to pick one of them you may find plausible and explain that one and why you find it plausible).  If you don't find any of these cosmological arguments plausible, then explain your objections to them.

4. After thinking about God's existence, the next topic we are going to move into involves the implications that God's existence and religion may have for how someone thinks about issues of ethics and morality (i.e. issues of right and wrong).  Right now, what are your thoughts on this issue?  Do you think that believing in God and a particular religion like Christianity could influence a lot how someone thinks about ethics and morality?  If so, explain how you think that believing in God and a particular religion like Christianity could influence a lot how someone thinks about ethics and morality?  If you do not think that believing in God or a particular religion like Christianity has any implications for how someone thinks about ethics and morality, then explain why you adopt that position.

Faith and Reason

Directions: Your answer to these questions should be at least one paragraph long (6-7 sentences). When you reply to another student, you can reply to any student's answer to any one of these questions. You do not need to reply to another student's answer to all of these questions. Just reply to another student's answer to one question. Your reply to another student should be one paragraph (6-7 sentences) as well.

Post using the Anonymous Profile and be sure to type your Full Name in all posts. You will not receive credit for any posts without your Full Name.

Also, remember that if your posts are very long, you may need to break up your post into two or most posts. 

Last, remember to type your work first in a Word document before posting it and then copy and paste it to post it. If you have any trouble posting your answer to my questions or replying to another student, then print off your work and bring it as a hard copy to class the day it is due.

1. In our introduction to philosophy, one concept we talked about is the idea of a worldview.  Begin by defining the concept of a worldview.  After defining the concept of a worldview, explain whether you think that most people examine their worldviews today.  Why or why not?  End by addressing this point: if someone spends his or her entire life without examining his or her worldview, why might that be a bad thing?

2. After introducing you to the discipline of philosophy, I introduced you to the discipline of philosophy of religion – the subject of our class.  We have talked about a number of issues and questions asked in the philosophy of religion.  Start off by listing some of the issues and questions that you find interesting to think more about.  End by addressing this issue: from what you have learned thus far, why is the philosophy of religion relevant and important for people in today’s world?

3. In our discussion of Faith and Reason, we talked about fideism.  Start off by defining fideism.  On page 67 of our text Reason and Religious Belief, there is an objection raised to fideism.  This objection raised on page 67 involves a ‘person who is searching for faith’ and sees several alternatives they might adopt.  Explain this objection that arises on page 67 in your own words.  Do you think that this objection that our book raises is good?  Why or why not?  Next, think about this verse in the Bible: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reasons for the hope that you have" (I Peter 3:15).  What do you think that this verse is saying, and is it consistent with fideism?  End by addressing this point: do you think that fideism is a plausible attitude for religious people to adopt?  Why or why not?

4. Start off by explaining Clifford’s argument for the view that we need hard evidence from our senses or science for all of our beliefs.  After explaining Clifford’s argument, summarize the conclusion he draws from his position for the rationality of religious beliefs such as a belief in God’s existence.  End by assessing Clifford’s position.  Do you think that he has argued persuasively for it?  Why or why not?