Read the following essay and answer the question, “Do you agree or disagree? Please explain why.”
Feel free to submit your essay below for review or contribute your thoughts on other essays posted. Both activities will help you prepare for the exam and the more you contribute, the more you will get out of this section.
ESSAY PROMPT
Evidence and Deeply Held Beliefs
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be just as quickly rejected without evidence.”
A god, by definition, is a being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers. However, there is no evidence for the existence of anything supernatural ever having any influence on our natural world. In the absence of evidence for the supernatural, it cannot be demonstrated that a god is even a possibility let alone a reality; never mind your specific Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, or other gods. While anyone can believe a god exists or that Santa Claus streaks across the night sky to billions of people inside 24 hours driven by reindeer, belief is not knowledge. Knowledge requires evidence. Therefore, with the same certainty there is neither Santa Claus nor flying reindeer nor leprechauns nor fairies, the assertion of any gods can be flatly rejected.
“Do you agree or disagree? Please explain why.”
Your essay should be well-organized and include support from the story for your main ideas.
If commenting on the essays please remember the rules and stick with positive suggestions that can help the author. Focus on the essay structure and quality. The following guidelines are by no means compete, but can serve as a guide for useful suggestions.
- Quality and impact of thesis statement and opening paragraph. This may be the most important paragraph. Does it provide a roadmap for the essay?
- Supporting paragraphs. Do these follow the outline of the 1st paragraph? Do they use explicit examples and not deviate unnecessarily from topic?
- Prose. Are the sentences direct and effective with proper grammar and correct spelling?
- Conclusion. Perhaps the least important paragraph. Does it wrap it all up?
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Hi,
I wrote this essay in 40 minutes and have typed it exactly as I wrote it, without revising. I also had a question, on the test will there generally be a passage from which we should cite evidence or will it be an open ended question like this one? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!
Nothing can be claimed until there is proof. There is no evidence against mythical beings. Many concepts of today’s world could be seen as unrealistic as fairies and dragons in the 1500’s. Computers, for example. The possibility of communicating with someone across the globe through a machine that emits light and displays figures would seem unbelievable. However, they cannot prove it impossible.
Many religions have specific landmarks or visions of gods. For example, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa claimed to have witnessed visions of various gods – Kali from the Hindu faith and Jesus from Christianity. There are other landmarks such as places gods were born for example which are significant. In Hinduism, for example, Lord Krishna’s feet are said to have touched and purified the now holy river, Yamuna.
Despite these specific incidents, some could be described as impossible. Could one’s feet touching a river cleanse it for miles? Somethings are impossible, for example talking food. In an Indian parable, patties help an innocent woman by speaking the truth. However, it is nearly impossible for patties to talk. These incidents make very minimal sense, same goes for Santa Claus. Is it really possible, for a man to travel the globe and stop at billions of homes? This could not be accomplished even if he spent one second at each house. Therefore, some of these characters traits could be claimed fictional.
The existence of gods is likely as there is no proof against their existence, and there have been claims of envisioning him and of his being. Many things used to be seen as impossible: space travel, wireless phones, etc. To add on, characteristics from books, like Harry Potter are coming to life. Scientists have started a quest for an invisibility cloak by deflecting light off the object. Transportation is also underway. Even in the Wizarding World there are limits though. Gaunts Law of Elemental Transfiguration, from Harry Potter, states that food is one of the five that cannot be conjured from mid-air. God and mythical beings have a very likely chance of existing, their acceptance info society is just waiting on some proof.
Great response! It’s a completely erroneous conclusion from the perspective of the scientific method, but it is an interesting take on an emotional topic supported with arguments and examples from your perspective. I think you mean to say, “although there is no evidence mythical beings do exist, there is no evidence(better stated as proof) they do not.” Is that correct? You actually wrote do not..do not, but I think you are attempting to argue that gods cannot be disproven therefore they are likely. That is true the existence of god(s) cannot be disproven, but neither can leprechauns, Santa Claus or even talking veggie patties. In fact, by that logic no belief can be disproven, but should we accept every belief as true or likely to be true in the future as a result? Is that the way the scientific method works? Should it work that way or is there good reason it does not? That is where the argument falls apart. There is no reason to think there will likely be a real leprechaun in the future in part because that is a make believe, supernatural character. Note the difference between the never observed supernatural and your examples in body para 3 which may have once seemed impossible, but were nonetheless natural. Add to that list lightning and volcanoes and more which once had supernatural (even god-like) explanations and were later explained by natural means.
The burden of proof, logically, is on the one making the positive claim like god exists. Why should you believe anything in the absence of evidence? Isn’t that an unreliable path to the truth? The one making the claim must show the evidence and the more extraordinary the claim the stronger the evidence required. You are about to embark on a journey in the scientific method where you will try to prove hypotheses incorrect rather than faithfully engage in wishful thinking somewhat contrary to human nature. Question everything and think critically.
Great job. I particularly like the phrase, “It is nearly impossible for patties to talk.” Nearly…?
I wrote this in 35 minutes and didn’t have enough time to read through the whole thing to check over.
Does evidence really determine what is real and not real? If so, is there evidence fairies don’t exist? There is no evidence to prove either sides. The argument about whether or not these supernatural beings/ objects are real without any evidence is controversial. Although there is no proof they are real, some things can’t be proven with science.
Not everything can be proven with science without proof. Since fairies don’t leave evidence behind of themselves when they go places, they are considered mythological. No one was witnessed Santa Claus in the sky flying reindeer, or see Santa climbing out of someone’s chimney. Since there is no physical proof, many people around the world think they aren’t real, but who says so?
There may be no evidence of these creatures being here on this planet, but there is no evidence they aren’t on earth for sure. If these supernatural creatures existed and wanted to stay hidden from the outside world, don’t they have the ability to use their powers to cover up their tracks? Vampires may be roaming the earth, and no one would know because there is no evidence of them being real or not. Maybe these creatures like to stay hidden so that they don’t become a science project. Somethings cannot be proven scientifically. Sometimes it take belief.
Do you know how many different cultures there are all over the world? So many that you probably have to google it! Every culture has a different way of doing something and believing in something/ someone. The followers of the Hindu culture believe in multiple gods. There is no physical proof that these people had supernatural power, but they believe it any way. Not everything was made out of thin air, they had to believe there was a way to make it possible and try it.
There could be supernatural creatures on planet earth, but they could all just be a fairy tale. There is no strong evidence for them being real and no proof of them being mythical. The argument of whether these creatures are real or not can keep going, but there is no correct answer until some proof is found.
Any feedback would be good please!
-+
Here is my essay:
In the Hindu religion, there has said to be remains of Goddess Sita’s hair and blood remains when she entered the Earth thousands of years ago. In Sita Marhi in the region of Bihar, India, people say if you rip the grass in a certain part of the sacred temple that is there, you will find hair and eventually rip out blood of her head. Could these people be telling the truth? You never know, because why hasn’t there been anybody digging up the area and finding Her bones or remains? This is a question many human people are wondering around the world, and is yet to find out.
If Santa Claus was real, why couldn’t someone stay up in the middle of the night and watch him delivering the presents? Also, could he reach over a billion homes around the world in just one night? I wonder about these things, and just think to myself that if he did this, where is the proof? You could literally just set up a camera outside your house on Christmas Eve, and see if he WAS giving presents beside your Christmas tree. I mean, could you really catch him doing it in the act? Another big thing to talk about; On September 23rd, 2017, there was supposedly a belief that the world was going to end, and Jesus was going to come back on that day. Did anything happen? I’m here writing today, on October 10, 2017, and nothing happened to me. This is what people believe that’s going to happen, but nothing did occur.
The idea of God can be true, but there also has to be SOME evidence, and you also have to test that. Can you really rip up blood and hair of Goddess Sita’s remains in India? Can you really see Santa delivering gifts and treats, and could he do it a billion times in one night? Lastly, did Jesus come back on September 23, 2017, and mark the end of this world as we know it? I’m not saying the existence of God or any supernatural being ISN’T real, but there can be a little doubt, and some evidence is need for these claims.
I get lost. What are you saying in the last two sentences of the intro? What is the thesis claim? There are too many vague pronouns in the intro. This is your introduction to the reader, so make sure you are concise and to the point. If the reader is lost here the essay is lost.
“Millions people around the world pray to one or more gods. They practice their religion, and believe that the whole reason they were on this planet is because of them and their doings. Although there might be people saying there is no such thing as God and supernatural beings, there isn’t any proof to back that up and explain. This evidence can be backed up, because many landmarks and parts of nature said to have relation with some part of God or supernatural being. Also, there can be proof that there wasn’t any form of God that existed on our planet.”
However, you do seem to make more sense as you proceed and the conclusion is better, but it seems to disagree with the intro claim, but I do not understand your thesis.
*Sorry guys I clicked wrong*
However, I fully understand those who are skeptical of a God. In fact, I agree that the notion of a bearded old man with a white robe and a cane as our God is ludicrous. There are also radical sects of any religion which believe in some odd things. However, we mustn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Dismissing all forms of a God and settling with the notion of “Everything is random and nothing really matters” (nihilism) is as ridiculous as the radical religious sects. I refuse to believe that the universe just popped out of nowhere, with no rhyme or reason, and against all odds. It also, I think, a sad way to go through life, believing that every wonderful moment you have is meaningless and pointless.
So, in sum, I don’t agree with this statement. Rather, I don’t fully agree. I believe that most organized religions have some silly aspects to them. I also concede that there is no proof towards a god existing. However, in terms of theories about the overall meaning of life, it’s all a guessing game. It’s not something easily debunked, like a fairy or Santa Claus. In truth, we will not know what happens until we die and ultimately find out. So, I’m not ready to dismiss the notion of a God. There is no other alternative with a myriad of “evidence” to support it.
I like your writing style; excellent use of a high school level voice. Your essay is engaging and catches the reader’s attention. However, it is light on supporting evidence and the body begins with the rebuttal to a counterargument. Start with your strongest positive argument in favor for the body paragraphs. Also, the outline doesn’t follow a clear roadmap. The body paragraphs provide more claims that themselves will require evidence and additional opinions which are not substitutes for evidence like, “I refuse to believe that the universe just popped out of nowhere,” or “a sad way to go through life.” In fact, there is no more proof against fairies and dragons than there is proof against God. None of them can be disproven, but why would you believe in any without any evidence, and none have evidence in support — or at least that is the claim in the prompt.
When you think about what can prove a god doesn’t or does exist, what would give an answer that is certainly correct, not something that would give an educated guess. People that are deceased would be obvious candidate. However, you won’t get an answer from the deceased. Why, because they’re dead. Nothing can 100 percent back up that a god isn’t real.
A character from the story books that is an idea brought to life by someone isn’t the same thing as a god/\. To find this difference, think to yourself “who does this effect and what is its purpose?” A character like the tooth fairy is targeting little kids , and sends an image of happiness, it gives money for a child’s tooth. As a child, losing your teeth would be absolutely horrifying, but with the story of the tooth fairy in place kids welcome the thought of losing your teeth for some money. This idea was designed to comfort children. A god isn’t exactly the same. It is the explanation of how or why the world came to be. It targets everyone from the age of 90 to the age of seven.
There isn’t any scientific proof that a god does exist. However, this doesn’t mean that a god doesn’t exist. There has been no sightings, discoveries, photos, etc. of a god. Yet, this is the same of many of the the Earth’s species. Millions perhaps billions of undiscovered species roaming the earth today. saying there hasn’t been any sightings, discoveries, photos, etc. of god, provides no strong argument that a god doesn’t exist.
There is a chance that a god is watching over us controlling our every move. No piece of evidence definitively proves that a god isn’t real. A fictional character is not the same thing as a god, there is in fact, a fine line between them. Finally, having no sightings or proof of a god is a weak argument. Therefore, there is a chance that a god does exist.
Hi Ryan,
That is a well written essay for such a short time period. I think you write in a high school level voice with few errors and you try to organize your ideas in a logical fashion to make your case; the ideas get a little mixed here, but it is a difficult topic. I think you will be in good shape for the essay. Stay on topic with your thesis and don’t forget to use the evidence in the text to provide evidence for your case.
The place where I thought you get mixed up is that you say a God cannot be proven and a God cannot be disproven. That is actually correct. God is a non-falsifiable or as of yet verifiable concept. This essay is really about evidence. There is no claim herein of proving God false in the prompt. That is impossible. The claim is that you need evidence to know anything, and why would you believe in something for which there is no evidence? This is a core STEM idea also. There is no evidence for God and there is no evidence for unicorns or Santa Claus or leprechauns. In that regard, they are all alike. There is no reason to believe any of them until the one making the claim can show evidence. The burden of proof is on the claimant for God or any other scientific or non-scientific claim. Including God only serves to confuse the notion because most people are taught from day one to believe a certain thing long before they think about the burden of proof or evidence.
When you think about what can prove a god doesn’t or does exist, what would give an answer that is certainly correct, not something that would give an educated guess. People that are deceased would be obvious candidate. However, you won’t get an answer from the deceased. Why, because they’re dead. Nothing can 100 percent back up that a god isn’t real.
A character from the story books that is an idea brought to life by someone isn’t the same thing as a god/\. To find this difference, think to yourself “who does this effect and what is its purpose?” A character like the tooth fairy is targeting little kids , and sends an image of happiness, it gives money for a child’s tooth. As a child, losing your teeth would be absolutely horrifying, but with the story of the tooth fairy in place kids welcome the thought of losing your teeth for some money. This idea was designed to comfort children. A god isn’t exactly the same. It is the explanation of how or why the world came to be. It targets everyone from the age of 90 to the age of seven.
There isn’t any scientific proof that a god does exist. However, this doesn’t mean that a god doesn’t exist. There has been no sightings, discoveries, photos, etc. of a god. Yet, this is the same of many of the the Earth’s species. Millions perhaps billions of undiscovered species roaming the earth today. saying there hasn’t been any sightings, discoveries, photos, etc. of god, provides no strong argument that a god doesn’t exist.
There is a chance that a god is watching over us controlling our every move. No piece of evidence definitively proves that a god isn’t real. A fictional character is not the same thing as a god, there is in fact, a fine line between them. Finally, having no sightings or proof of a god is a weak argument. Therefore, there is a chance that a god does exist.
Hi Ryan,
That is a well written essay for such a short time period. I think you write in a high school level voice with few errors and you try to organize your ideas in a logical fashion to make your case; the ideas get a little mixed here, but it is a difficult topic. I think you will be in good shape for the essay. Stay on topic with your thesis and don’t forget to use the evidence in the text to provide support for your case.
The place where I thought you get mixed up is that you say a God cannot be proven and a God cannot be disproven. That is actually correct. God is a non-falsifiable and, as of yet, a non-verifiable concept. This essay is really about evidence. There is no claim herein of proving God false in the prompt. That is impossible. The claim is that you need evidence to know anything, and why would you believe in something for which there is no evidence? This is a core STEM idea also. There is no evidence for God and there is no evidence for unicorns or Santa Claus or leprechauns. In that regard, they are all alike. There is no reason to believe any of them until the one making the claim can show evidence. The burden of proof is on the claimant for God or any other scientific or non-scientific claim. Including God only serves to confuse the notion because most people are taught from day one to believe a certain thing long before they think about the burden of proof or evidence.
Thank you! I’ll be sure to try and improve my essay!
For many years now, people have been categorized with a certain religion. Religion has been a big controversial topic in today’s world because of how much it influences us. I don’t believe that religion should determine how we see each other, whether or not we should accept that person into our lives based on their beliefs. However, I don’t believe that the idea of god or the idea of religion should be so quickly dismissed due to the lack of evidence.
Why people believe in god from the start usually has to do with satisfaction and safety. The thought of someone looking over us, protecting us, not letting the world go crazy brings satisfaction to a person’s mind. The definition of god according to the passage is, “A being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers”. This definition does not give specification to god, it doesn’t say that God lives on Earth or the clouds. It just says that God is a form of something that possesses power. So perhaps God is a state of mind, something that influences our actions because of what god represents to people, like safety. Which is why many people don’t think god exists. Those people are looking for something or someone when in reality it could just be a feeling, a thought, a state of mind.
However, that doesn’t mean that all the people that believe in God, who follow a certain religion are just making God up. I’m not saying that God is a delusion. The thought of God, where it is, how it works is all very confusing. But if God were in our minds then I think it has something to do with the fact that humans never use 100% of their brain. So not only have people been looking in the wrong spots for god but they have been looking in the wrong spots for evidence of how God works as well.
A final reason to why I think the idea of God should not be dismissed is because of how much knowledge humans know about the world. We as humans don’t know much of the marine species, we don’t know everything in the deep sea. We also don’t know anything about space either. The thought of god somewhere in the world seems unusual to people but think of the perspective of other species out there in the world. The thought of us, humans, a highly intelligent species launching rockets, using phones, writing, reading, speaking, and etc can see unusual. It might not seem this way because of how accustomed we have become of this lifestyle but just the thought of humans in unusual. So why should we dismiss the thought of God as well?
The theory of God is so big, with many twists and turns. God has influenced our world so much, good and bad. Yes, we might not have solid evidence to god. But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t exist, that the whole idea is ridiculous. People get frustrated at the fact that they don’t know anything about god. However, no one thought of this as a good thing. If we uncover facts about God, people would argue over which religion is “correct”. More people will give up on this belief. In this case not having any evidence is good, but again, that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t exist which is why I disagree with this passage.
Really interesting replies. You do a good job of pulling together an argument, which will be useful for your exam. Watch the passive sentences, however. I am curious. As you progress to a STEM school, you will learn to not accept any theory or claim that lacks evidence. That unbiased observation is the core reason why humans have developed rockets, machines, phones, medicine etc. Why do you treat the claims of god(s) any differently? Or do you see evidence? Remember, the absence of knowledge does not mean a god(s) is the explanation–that conclusion is a logical fallacy. You might want to read about the dragon in Carl Sagan’s garage. If nothing else, it is an interesting thought exercise.
Thanks for the feedback! Is there any major problem or weakness in my essay that I should work on? Such as structure, grammar, stronger points, etc.
My exam is very soon so I was wondering if I could get feedback on my essay as soon as possible, so that way I know what I have to work on. Also, I wrote this in 40 minutes.
Millions of people laying down in front of the altars full of flowers, goods, and other accessories, put their hands together and pray for faith from their gods. The amount of faith, songs, prayers resonate throughout the entire hall at once. These different locations are the sites of places where people believe God resides. God is not a reality because it is a theory, there is no concrete evidence, and this helps them believe that there must be something to it.
God is not a reality because there is no concrete evidence. For example, there are no visual representations of God himself. Numerous people only have statues and idols. Additionally, there are numerous altars to worship them, but no godly forms or representations. Consequently, there are no sightings that there are forms of this god. Usually, when any sighting appears, or is recorded, there are numerous documents; however, it has been years, and there are no figures of this matter. Furthermore, many people state that “Santa Claus streaks the night sky in 24 hours.” Travelling the world with this inexplicably dangerous endeavor exhibits that there have been no mathematical calculations to this variation of transportation. Clearly, due to the inadequate amount of evidence, there is no proof that these supernatural beings are existing in our world.
God is not a reality because citizens contend that these beings are responsible for theories that have not been solved. For instance, the evidence that there was a world before the Big Bang has not been confirmed, therefore, allowing people to assume that God or a supernatural being created this universe. Although scientists contend that there has been matter from the start of any occurrence, they are not confident about their answer. Additionally, inexplicable incidents were reported–not one single human being had the capability and the power to venture on a trek on Mountain Kailash. Numerous citizens argue that this is the power of the Hindu mountain god–Shiva. Being devoid of reports and documents, supernatural believers assert that the inexplicably strong aura and power of this god prevents climbers to venture the mountain. Furthermore, a case that has been solved–the Bermuda Triangle–was predicted as a powerful exit to the alien universe of supernatural beings. As countless vehicles of the U.S. and other countries suddenly disappeared within the high velocity winds, scientists desperately attempted to solve the mystery with scientific applicable solutions–this was the gateway for numerous people to believe that it was a portal to the alien world filled with supernatural beings that are unknown of. Distinctly, the belief of supernatural beings through unsolved theories signifies that God is not a reality.
God is not a reality because it is a theory. For example, there are evident mathematical calculations of the Big Bang theory; however, scientists contend that this theory evidently occurred in the universe. Despite containing numerous explanations and discoveries, it has been numerous decades and the confirmation that the universe was created by this massive explosion is uncertain. The investigation is still occurring; however, we lack evidence for the theory that God is a reality–how are we going to solve that? Scientists posses proof and calculations; however, there is confirmation–if there is no confident assertion that God is real, how is there a possibility? The theory lies in the hands of supernatural sightings of distinct UFOs and ghosts–the accurate reason for the belief that many people clutch today. Numerous people have recorded these apparent occurrences and believed that they were all accurate; however, there is no definite confirmation. There have been countless cases of hoaxes and fraudulent incidents. Evidently, the theory that is in the hands of many, proves that there is no definite confirmation of supernatural beings.
The lack of concrete evidence, theories, and the belief of that there must be a validation for every occurrence or incident proves there are no supernatural beings. Although authorities contend that inexplicable events occurred that God and supernatural creatures could be responsible for, there is a lack of evidence leading to a theory, and a reason that people want to believe God is alive. The countless believers of God desire to meet the supreme beings, that reside in their altars, in the natural world. The tradition of supernatural beings reside in their hearts despite the evidence of no God, proving their faith. Although the God may not presently walk, converse, and work in front of their eyes, he may peacefully reside like a lotus blooming inside of their faithful hearts.
***ANSWER ASAP!! EXAM THIS WEEK!!
I wrote this in about 40 minutes (i improved on time limits a little but look at the quality of the essay and give feedback compared to my other responses please):
Imagine a world where beliefs did not exist. People’s beliefs have a huge influence to how society is defined. From imagination to religious practices, there are always theories about various topics in which some people choose to believe or not. It expands the diversity in the world, allows the society to be open-minded towards distinct ideas, and assists in giving an overall structure towards society.
Primarily, take the American Revolution as an example. Great Britain refused to give the Americans a voice to express their opinions, which caused a war and ultimate separation. IN the new colonies, diverse opinions were heard, which formed the cultures known in the United States today. The Americans’ beliefs created new possibilities.
Furthermore, individuals are able to employ their opinions at any given moment on controversial topics. This is what the judicial system conveys when declaring, “innocent until proven guilty”. Even though there is no evidence “Santa Claus streaks across the night sky to billions of people inside 24 hours driven by reindeer” who is to say there is no alternate universe where everything believed to be fiction is true and vice versa? Therefore, even though “belief is not knowledge”, beliefs have a possibility to be true in the future, or may be currently undiscovered. The world is dynamic. always changing as proved throughout the last centuries. In the 1700’s who had ever dreamed of computers, television, and many more gadgets that we have today? Overall, beliefs expand diversity in the world and inspire people to create something new.
Moreover, beliefs are all about people choosing if something is correct or not. There is constant controversy in daily life; however, if there is a strong claim with supporting facts, beliefs are subject to change. It depends on the person, topic, and arguments. To exemplify, someone can say in a passive tone “The world is round”while someone argues against this with a clear voice, confidently stating their rebuttals, and chances are many people who initially believe the world is round will doubt their opinion.
In conclusion, beliefs are based on evidence and the other side of the argument. The quote “That which can be asserted without evidence can be just, as quickly rejected without evidence” is true. The world is constantly changing, there are diverse people with distinct opinions, and people are able to open their minds to new possibilities when deciding what is true and what is not.
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Please tell me what I have to improve on and what I am doing well. Also, will the exam be like this, kind of opinionated prompt because I thought it would be more like “Eleven” or “All Summer in a Day”. If so, what is the point of putting these prompts on the website when it will be more of a story? (not trying to be rude, just curious).
Thank you!!
The purpose of this exercise is to get you to think about a topic and form a reasoned argument that answers the prompt.
Nothing in the prompt suggests denying you the right to believe. You can choose to believe anything you like. I have an invisible pink dragon in my garage. Do you believe me without evidence?
Your beliefs have nothing to do with whether you are correct or not. Science does not get to choose what is true or not.
Your writing is improving. Watch out for passive sentences (diverse opinions were heard) and wrong prepositional idioms. Make sure to answer the prompt and stay focused.
This doesn’t relate to the essay, but does anyone by any chance know what scores they count as passing for the person to go to the interview step? Say if you got 25 or 28 questions right on the math section out of 40, would you go to the interview step?