> David A Musick wrote:
>
> > I have no problem with people ignoring theories involving God, but I view
> > *rejecting* those theories as flawed thinking. Denying something without
> > evidence or reason is just as bad as asserting something without evidence
> > or reason.
>
> The claim that a god exists has as much scientific proof as the claims
> that there exists Dragons, unicorns, witches, magicians, sireens etc.
Um, minor objection: there is absolute proof that witches exist.
Of course, the witches don't claim that the common
Christian-propaganda-against-nonChristian image of witches bears any
relation to real witches; for that matter, not even many Christians
make such a ridiculous claim.
(Although a lot of witches *do* have fun with that parody.)
> That a lot of people believes something, and has been believing it for a
> long time, doesn't make it the truth.
>
> Why do those of us that doesn't believe in a gods existence, have to
> prove that he doesn't exsist? The evidence is such that a case held in
> any western court would rule that god doesn't exist.
Sorry, but you are quite mistaken on the latter claim.
First, quite a few western courts are obligated by law to acknowledge
the existence of some specific God; and quite a few others are
legally bound against taking a position on the subject.
Second, I can't think of a sort of court case where a blanket
judgement against the existence of any god would be appropriate.
> People who makes a claim holds the burden of proof.
Isn't "there is no god" a claim?
"I am not aware of any evidence of a god and I don't see any
particular need for one" -- the agnostic position -- is merely an
observation. But it does NOT assert that there is no god.
> Why doesn't this
> work for religion, only for everything else?
My opinion is that THOSE WHO WISH OTHERS TO ACCEPT A CLAIM bear a
burden of proof. That would include the evangelical theists, the
evangelical atheists, and the evangelical agnostic (I have never
encountered one of the latter - it seems a truly odd position to me).
But it would not include the non-evangelical theist or the
non-evangelical atheist.
>
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