Philosophy homework help. APOLOGETICS APPLICATION PAPER – PART 2 SUBMISSION FORM
Make sure you read and understand the Apologetics Application Paper Instructions document (available in Blackboard) before you attempt to complete any part of this form.
Do not change any aspect of this form; and do not delete anything from this form. Instead, just type your content in the spaces provided, below. Before typing your content, you should review the entire document to be sure you understand what is required.
Type your name here:
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Instructions for this submission.
The purpose of Part 2 is to provide you the opportunity to solidify the structure and content of what will become your final paper, as well as revise and refine the material you submitted in Part 1.
Recall that, based on the requirements listed in the Apologetics Application Paper instructions, the basic outline for your paper will follow this structure:
This is the outline for the Final paper, Part 3
- Introduction
- Summary of the Worldview
III. Evaluation of the Worldview
- Evaluation of Christianity
- Defense of Christianity
- Conclusion
In this submission, you will provide the introduction paragraph for the final paper, detailed content for each of the four major sections in the body of the paper, and a complete bibliography.
Section I. Introduction Paragraph for the Final Paper: Write an introduction for the final paper.
This paper will review and compare Secular Humanism to Christianity. (Follow the instructions below)
In the space below, type a draft of the introduction paragraph for your final paper. The introduction will include only the following required elements:
- Identify the topic of the paper, the purpose of the paper, and the worldview you are writing about.
- State clearly in 1 sentence your main claim about the worldview you have selected. This is your thesis sentence. This sentence will be evaluative in nature and must be consistent with the instructions and goals of the assignment. (Example thesis: “This paper will show that secular humanism fails when evaluated by objective criteria and that Christianity provides a superior belief system.”)
- Give a concise overview of what you will present in the paper that supports the thesis.
Type your draft introduction paragraph here:
Secular humanism refers to the basic belief that religion needs not to be taught with an education system that is publicly. It is a common practice that comes with the observation of the correct practices that focuses on religious and other important factors. The aspect has the basic notion that people have the ability of becoming moral and ethical without belief or religion as part of the deity. It is a belief that most people practice. A detailed comparison between it and Christianity is a common practice that is carried out in the society today. The paper analyses secular humanism with precise knowledge on the benefits involved with the practice. The theory and Christianity have differences that ought to be properly addressed based on the implication that is deeply aligned with it.
Section II: Summary of the Worldview (Secular Humanism)
Restate and build on what you submitted for Part 1. In the space below, type the major categories of belief, and for each one describe the beliefs of the worldview you are writing about. As with Part 1, each item listed below must be one of the main categories of belief named in Chapter 4 of the Groothuis text. This section will reflect your progress in correcting, refining, restating, and expanding what you submitted in Part 1.
(Please expand on what I have below concering Secular Humanism. This is where research from other sources can help)
- ULTIMATE REALITY (For the worldview you selected above, what is ultimately real?):
Secular humanism argues that human beings lack the ability of being moral and ethical without religion being part of their daily practice. It does not have the assumption that humans are either evil or good and does not give the presentation that humans are superior to nature. The aspect focuses on the fact that people have the capability to perfectly assess situations and apply critical thinking to do their daily activities that is a basic issue of concern that is perfectly addressed in this case. It offers a realistic approach towards human nature and ethics that are key issues that defines the basic characters of individuals (McFarlane & Telegram, 2016).
- SOURCE OF ULTIMATE AUTHORITY (For the worldview you selected above, what is ultimately authoritative?):
The ultimate source of authority is defined as the natural development of people that needs to be guided with moral incentives that focuses on the interest of the people in an appropriate way. It is the human nature for people to have religious practices as it gives them the sense of moral direction that they need in life to tackle basic issues that surrounds them. This is in regards to other basic practices that involves the observation of discipline in the society. The ability of people to think critically and assess situations is a basic issue of concern that is perfectly addressed in this case. It entails the evaluation of the necessary facts together with dominant notions that focuses on the interest of the people in a positive way. The practice comes with the correct implementation of concepts that focuses on the well-being of people in terms of moral and ethics (Marquand, 2017).
- EPISTEMOLOGY (For the worldview you selected above, how do we gain knowledge?):
Secular humanism is built on three basic components that entail skeptics, methodological naturalism and reason. The humanist have the basic belief that reason or the basic ability of people to perceive and then take the action is an action that is natural and does not need any factor such as faith to guide it. The three components play an important role in giving people the required form of direction that is supposed to be observed when the interest of the people come in place. The action that people take has faith that gives the perfect guidance in terms of decisions (Machelor, 2018).
- HUMAN BEINGS (For the worldview you selected above, what are human beings?):
Secular humanists assert that man came from natural processes. It views humans as just a higher life form than other life on earth such as plants and animals. Human beings play an important part in forming part of the society that is keen at observing positive social practices within the society. The role that human beings play in secular humanism is critical to the theory itself (Ani, 2018).
- SOURCE OF MORALITY (For the worldview you selected above, where does morality come from and what is its nature?):
Secular humanist base their morality on their subjective opinions. Whatever a person feels is moral, right, or good must be. Larger, more acceptable moral views are derived from society when those with common thoughts come together. Morality is a key factor that drives the theory based on the fact that important and essential units are clearly addressed as important topics are not left out as they reflect the interest of the people in a positive way which is a key factor of concern that needs to be appropriately addressed (Balez, 2017).
(add as much as necessary to adequately summarize the main beliefs of the worldview)
Section III: Evaluation of the Worldview (Secular Humanism)
Restate and build on what you submitted for Part 1. In the space below, type the evaluation criteria you will use to evaluate the worldview. As with Part 1, each item must be one of the main evaluation criteria named in Groothuis Chapter 3. This section will reflect your progress in correcting, refining, restating, and expanding what you submitted in Part 1.
(Please expand on what I have below concering Secular Humanism. This is where research from other sources can help)
- Explains What It Ought To Explain: If humans are the same as all other life on earth, how do they explain the large intelligence and dominance gap between man and other life?
- Existential Viability: With secular humanism it is not possible to consistently live it out morally. This is because their morality is based on the thoughts and opinions of people. As we know, people are constantly shifting in their beliefs and feelings. To be true to their practitioners, good and evil must be defined by each individual believer.
- Simpler Explanations Are Better Than Complex Ones: Secular humanists have embraced a simple, naturalistic cause for man’s complexity, yet view his value equal to all life. Simple in theory but disagreement in the complexity of the how and why.
(add as much as necessary to adequately evaluate the worldview)
Section IV: Evaluation of Christianity
(Please note that we will now use similar criteria as above to evaluate Christianity.)
This is new material, not previously submitted with Part 1. While you have already used Groothuis’s criteria for worldview evaluation to evaluate the worldview you are writing about, here you will use those same criteria to evaluate Christianity. In the space below, list the exact same evaluation criteria you listed in Section III, and give a brief explanation of how Christianity passes each test and comes out better than the other worldview.
- ULTIMATE REALITY (For Christianity, what is ultimately real?):
The ultimate reality in this case is that God exists. The fact that he has control over most things taking place in the society gives the perfect view in regards to the situation that is being addressed (Tubbs, 2017).
- SOURCE OF ULTIMATE AUTHORITY (For Christianity, what is ultimately authoritative?):
The source of authority in regards to the world view is God himself. He is the person that gives the meaning of religion which is a dominant factor that guides our way of life.
- EPISTEMOLOGY (For Christianity, how do we gain knowledge?):
Human beings are the creatures of God in regards to the view. Christians gain knowledge by seeking to know God and Jesus more through the use of the bible.
- HUMAN BEINGS (For Christianity, what are human beings?):
Human beings are regarded as the creature of God. God is the one that created us an we have a duty to live to serve and praise him. The role that God plays in the life of a person is a key issue that is clearly elaborated.
- SOURCE OF MORALITY (For Christianity, where does morality come from and what is its nature?):
The source of morality comes from the Christianity teachings that focus on the common good. The bible provides the perfect guidance. Studying the bible enables one to follow proper moral practices.
(add as much as necessary to adequately evaluate Christianity, to form a parallel with Section III of your paper)
Section V: Defense of Christianity
(Please choose two or three of the items below and answer based on the Christian view.)
This is new material, not previously submitted with Part 1. In this section, you will build a defense of Christianity. As you think specifically about the worldview you are addressing in this paper, use the various arguments and evidences presented in the course materials to develop a defense of Christianity. The instructions indicate that this section of the paper must include at least 2 of the following items:
- Christianity’s answer to the problem of evil
- several arguments for God’s existence
- defense of the resurrection of Jesus
- defense of objective truth and moral values.
In the space below, list at least two of these items, and provide a brief explanation of how you will use them to support and defend Christianity in the final paper.
- Christianity offers the perfect answer to evil based on the fact that it addresses basic issues that involves the religion. It contains a precise notion that addreses the necessity of adhering to proper Christian practices. through it, evil is defeated.
- There are arguments presented about the existence of God. This is based on the existence of natural calamities that leads to the loss of life. The existence of suffering within a believer is also a key factor that gives contradictory argument with respect to the practice.
- The fact that Jesus resurrected is a key notion that exist among people. The bible documents the facts based on the fact that it addresses basic issues that involved the interest of the community.
- The objective truth is given a perfect guideline that addresses the necessary practices that involves the interest of the believers. It is a key factor that deeply relies on the existence of facts.
(adjust the number of points in this section of the outline, as appropriate)
Section VI: Conclusion
Your final paper must have a proper conclusion, but you are not required to write your conclusion paragraph for this Part 2 submission. When you do write it for your final paper, keep in mind that the conclusion must give a very brief summary of your paper. It should give an overview of the main points you used in your paper to defend your thesis. In many ways, the conclusion will parallel the introduction.
Bibliography
In the space below list at least 10 scholarly sources (not including your course textbooks) that you will use in your research for this paper. You may use the course textbooks in writing the final paper, but do not list them here. Abide by the guidelines and definitions of what a scholarly source is, as stated in the instructions.
Ani, E. I. (2018). Theistic humanism and a critique of Wiredu’s notion of supernaturalism. Critical Research on Religion, 6(1), 69–84.
Anne Mackay-Smith. (2015). Schools are becoming the battleground in the fight against secular humanism. Wall Street Journal
Balez, P. (2017). Book Review : Bioethicsand Secular Humanism: The Search fora Common Morality, by H. Tristram Englehardt, Jr. London, SCM Press, 1991. xvii + 206 pp. £22.50. Studies in Christian Ethics, 5(2), 79–81.
Machelor, P. (2018). Atheist seeks converts to secular humanism. McClatchy – Tribune Business News
Marquand, R. (2017). Battle over textbook ideas; ‘secular humanism’ issues. The Christian Science Monitor
McFarlane, C., & Telegram, &. G. S. (2016). Secular humanism itself seen a form of religion: [WORCESTER edition]. Telegram & Gazette
O’Hara, M. (2019). When I Use the Term Humanistic Psychology… Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 29(2), 263–273.
Reidy, M. (2015). Book Review: Bioethics and Secular Humanism: The Search for a Common Morality. By H. Tristram Englehardt, Jnr. London: SCM Press/Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1991. Pp. 206. £22.50 stg. Irish Theological Quarterly, 60(3), 229–230.
Smith, M. B. (2018). Psychology and Humanism. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 22(2), 44–55.
Tubbs, J. B. (2017). Book Review: Bioethics and Secular Humanism: The Search for a Common Morality. Union Seminary Review, 47(2), 221–221.