Instructions
Reflective Integration
Write a two to three-page paper (not including cover and reference pages) that responds to the following prompt:
You are getting settled into your seat for a very long plane ride home.
As you get to know the person next to you, you learn that they are a devout atheist
who believes that God is a myth that people have invented to make them feel better.
After listening carefully to why this person does not believe in God, you have an oppor-tunity to explain why you do believe in God. What would you say?
In your response, you may share your personal story or testimony of faith (although not required), but you must share some objective evidence to support your faith in God
and back up this evidence with solid, academic sources.
Incorporate at least four references from the reading assignments,
supplementary reading material, class lectures, and personal observations into your
paper. Use APA 7th formatting and be sure to properly source and cite all references.
Why do you believe God exists?
What are your logic-based reasons?
If your personal testimony never occurred, or before your personal experience happened, were there logical reasons to believe in the existence of God?
Your paper should explain why is it more logical to believe in theism (“God exists”)
rather than in atheism (“God does not exist”).
Select one argument (and only one argument) for the existence of God,
and then provide a depth of analysis on that single argument.
The following list provides popular arguments for the existence of God:
Video: The Argument from Design: The Fine-Tuning of the Universe
Website: The First Cause Argument
Website: The Argument from Conscience
Website: The Argument from Morality
Website: The Argument from Desire
To defend and analyze an argument means to answer Yes to these questions and give an explanation: Are the key terms clear? Are the premises true? Is the conclusion logical? Logical thinking skills must be demonstrated in contrast to merely sharing stories, experiences, or emotions. The vast majority of the paper should primarily focus on presenting an argument for the existence of God, rather than focus on responding to objections against the existence of God. Again, present with depth a logical argument and then defend it.
You must share some objective evidence to support your belief in God’s existence, and back up this objective evidence with solid, academic sources. Objective evidence means logic and data. For this philosophy course, the paper should not try and prove the validity nor historicity of the Bible, but instead, present the philosophical logic for the existence of God. After the first half-page, the paper should not (a) share personal testimonies, or (b) share subjective experiences, or (c) merely quote the Bible as supernatural revelation, which an atheist would not consider authoritative.
Note: This is a dialogue. Write as if you are having the conversation with this person.
It might be hard to fully write a complete back-and-forth of every part of the exchange, but make sure to include how you would present your personal experience and your rational arguments for God’s existence. This paper is intentionally moving you toward a personal formulation of your worldview and preparing you to write your final worldview paper for this class.
