Optional revision or rewrite of Harris paper due in less than two weeks: next Friday (November 9), both online via Turnitin and in hardcopy in class.

Recall that the assignment, simply put, is this: explain three of Harris's main claims or arguments, raise at least one objection to those claims or arguments and evaluate that objection. Your paper, of course, should be well organized and clearly written. It should be such that you could submit it as a writing sample. You should follow all the advice from Vaughn, Pryor and from class.

You are encouraged to visit the writing center(s) and meet with Dr. Nobis. Here are some tips below.

To improve your writing, make a Youtube video (or Vimeo, which allows for password protection), or an MP3, of yourself reading your paper out loud! Then listen/watch critically: does what you say make sense? Are you easy to follow? Is your paper / presentation well organized? Then revise and rewrite accordingly!

Another tip: erase the first paragraph, copy the last paragraph, paste it at the beginning of the paper, and rewrite it so it's the introduction. Does that improve the paper?
 

Here are this week's assignments. I have to go to Tuskegee University today for some bioethics talks, so I will miss class. :(

Monday - please work on revising or rewriting your Harris papers. I encourage you to visit the writing center.

Morehouse Writing Center
Brawley 200

The Writing Center is open 9-5 for tutoring and/or independent use of computers. Tutors do not proofread or edit papers. They provide overall guidance on how students can improve their papers. The approach tutors take is peer review. They frequently reference the grammar text so students have some reference point.

Wednesday Oct 24 - Read Ch. 3 on Cosmological Arguments, write detailed summary of the chapter to turn in in class and via Turnitin. I will get these slots up very soon.

Friday Oct 24 - Read Ch. 2 on The Design Argument write detailed summary of the chapter to turn in in class and via Turnitin. I will get these slots up very soon.

Thanks! NN

Reading and writing assignments:

For this Friday - finish Ch. 8, including discussion of Pascal's Wager.

Monday - TBA

Wednesday Oct 24 - Read Ch. 3 on Cosmological Arguments, write detailed summary of the chapter to turn in in class and via Turnitin

Friday Oct 24 - Read Ch. 2 on The Design Argument write detailed summary of the chapter to turn in in class and via Turnitin.

I was thinking that instead of the cosmological argument, we should first look at this chapter:
Stairs 8: Faith and pragmatic reasons for belief
We will discuss this chapter Wednesday and Friday. Please read it carefully!

Guest speaker:
Dr. Horace Griffin !

Course:
Philosophy of Religion:

Main concerns:

Is there a God? Are there good reasons, good arguments, good evidence, to believe that there's a God? Or should we believe there's not a God (given the evils and, e.g., forms of discrimination -- e.g., racism, homophobia, etc., that have occurred?)? Which (if any) religious beliefs are rational?

Related (psychological / sociological / moral) concerns:

How do various religious beliefs influence one's moral views and ability to think about moral issues? Do they help? Hinder? How should religious beliefs influence social policy (if at all)?

68th Annual Family Institute Conference
October 14-17, 2012

Schedule

'

Sunday, October 14
2:30-4:50pm Wheeler Hall Rm. 214F	FACES Advisory Board Meeting
5:00-5:50pm Executive Conference Center Banquet Rooms	Pre Event Meet & Greet / Reception with VIP’s
6:00-8:30pm Executive Conference Center Banquet Rooms	Welcome Banquet and Opening Plenary Hosted by President Dr. Robert Franklin, President of Morehouse College Keynote: Michael Kimmel
Monday, October 15
9:00am-5pm Motorola Lobby	Conference Registration
9:00-10:30am Executive Conference Center Meeting Rooms A-F	Concurrent Sessions Moderators: Critical Thinking Leaders Session I:  The Power of Teaching Entrepreneurship to Black Children. Presenter: Ms. Samora Sobakwe-SoDaye Session II: The Masculinity Project. Presenters: Mr. DeWayne Powell and Mr. Daniel Edwards Session III: Transitions in Manhood: A Global Perspective Presenter: Dr. Mohanty Purna; Lineal Regeneration: Managing the Assets of Masculinity. Presenter: Mr. Charles Williams
11:00-12:30 Bank of America Auditorium	Plenary Session Men and African American Families Panelists: Michael Messner; Jennifer Hammer, Adia Harvey-Winfield, and Armon Perry
12:30-1:30pm	****LUNCH on your OWN ***
1:00-2:50pm Wheeler Hall Rm. 214F	Film Screening “Tough Guise” written by Jackson Katz Open forum discussion to follow Moderator: Dr. Anne Borden and Dr. M. Bilal King
3:00-5:00pm Bank of America Auditorium	Plenary Session Religion and Sexuality: The Role of Religion in Understanding Sexuality Panelists: Dr. Harold Bennett, Rev. Ernest Brooks, Mr. Chavis Jones. Moderator: Dr. Josef Sorett
6:00-8:00pm Bank of America Auditorium	Film Screening of “Hoodwinked”: What Black Men Think. Open forum discussion to follow Moderator: Mr. Janks Morton
Tuesday, October 16
9:00-5:00pm   Motorola Lobby	Registration
10:45-1:00pm African American Hall of Fame	Conference Luncheon Men Stopping Violence against Women Panelists: Dr. Anne Baird; Dr. Cynthia Neal Spence; Dr. Halbrook Polite, and Mr. Ramesh Kathanadhi (Men Stopping Violence)
1:00-2:15pm Executive Conference Center Meeting Rooms A-F	Concurrent Sessions Moderators:Dr. Fred Knight Session IV: Resonant Echoes: From Morehouse Men and Mentors-Benjamin Mays, Howard Thurman, Martin Luther King Jr. -21st Century issues of Personal Identity among Men at Morehouse. Presenters: Professors Dr. Kipton E. Jensen, Dr. Sam Livingston, and Dr. Illya Davis, Kyle Moore (student), Chavis Jones (student), and Katanga Johnson (student) Session V: Black Male Fathers: A Workshop. Presenter: Dr. Narviar Barker
2:25-3:40pm Executive Conference Center Meeting Rooms A-F	Plenary Session Black Masculinity and Health Outcomes Panelists: Dr. William L. Jeffries IV, Dr. Robert Aronson, and Mr. Robert B. Peterson
3:50-5:05 Executive Conference Center Meeting Rooms A-F	Concurrent Sessions Moderators:Dr. Fred Knight Session VI. Faculty interaction with campus diversity: Moderators: Dr. Linda Zatlin and Mr. Tre'vell Anderson; Discussants: FACULTY of Morehouse College (Faculty Session) Session VII. Integrating Masculinities and Sexualities into the Classroom. Presenters: Dr. Nathan Nobis; Dr. Anne Borden Gender Differences in Navigating Guyland. Presenter: Dr. Donald Gregory
6:30-9:00pm Ray Charles Performing Arts Center	Theatrical Presentation: “Emergency” Obie Award Winner Daniel Beaty Performance is 80 minutes and an informed discussion will follow the play.
Wednesday, October 17
10:00-11:50am Bank of America Leadership Auditorium	Anna Harvin Grant Student Paper Competition The First, Second, and Third Place student winners will present their work in a plenary session. Student Presenters TBA
12:00-1:00pm	Lunch on your own
1:00-2:30pm Wheeler Hall Rm. 214F	Word on the Campus: Student Dialogs What does it mean to be a “Man” at Morehouse College in the 21st Century? Moderator: Devon Lambert   Closing Remarks: Dr. Michael Hodge, Chair Department of Sociology, Morehouse College

Philosophy of Religion Paper on Harris Evaluation sheet; 20 points; due Monday, in class, Oct 14, in hardcopy and via Turnitin.com 

PLEASE BE ON TIME SINCE WE WILL LIKELY HAVE A GUEST OUTSIDE SPEAKER

Available in PDF here: https://docs.google.com/open?id=1HXT0JkAUy3X3KyUIxhZp5QxdEKvRW-JJU0n564cZQI9ZUqetizL8VRBEQiVn 

Recall the assignment:

“In this paper you should present three of the main claims or arguments from Harris, explain at least one objection to his arguments found in some online source, [changed, see below] and explain whether that objection is a strong objection or not, as well as explain - in your own view -- whether the other arguments from Harris are sound or not. Your paper should conform to all the guidance from Vaughn, and you must submit [a paragraph of reflection on how your paper has changed over the various drafts]. Note: obviously, you have done much of the work for this paper: now you must revise that work and expand on it.” “While I asked you to find some criticism(s) of Harris's claims, this perhaps was too ambitious at this time, and we will revisit this after we have met with the librarian. So, the assignment is now to write an essay where you clearly present and explain three of Harris's main claims or arguments in his Letter to a Christian Nation and you then explain whether at least one of those claims are true or his argument(s) sound or unsound. While you can use an outside source (as you were asked to find in an earlier assignment), you are not required to do so.”

Concern	Yes – No – Other	Comments
1.       Is there an introduction that conforms to Vaughn’s/Pryor’s guidance?
2.       Are three distinct main claims or arguments discussed?
3.       Are these three claims or arguments well explained? (Would Harris agree that you have accurately stated his claims or arguments and why he accepts them?)
4.       Is an objection to or an argument against at least one of the developed claims or arguments presented and adequately developed?
5.       Is this objection evaluated, i.e., do you explain whether the objection is a good one? (Do you think about how Harris would respond to the objection?)
6.       Is the paper well organized? Could it be outlined to display its structure?
7.       Are the sentences grammatical? Are all words spelled correctly?  Are all sentences punctuated correctly?
8.       Is the writing clear and straightforward, with short sentences and ordinary, common words?
9.       Would someone unfamiliar with Harris, or philosophy of religion, be able to read (or listen to) your paper and understand it?
10.    Is a proper citation method used?

Additional comments: