My dear fellow atheist, let's get something straightened up here because I've noticed you guys mix things up a whole lot.

A claim can go either way - Negative or positive.

God exists - is a positive claim for which one can rightly assert demands evidence, either logically deductive or empirical, which ever way you think is necessary.

God does not exist - Is a negative claim for which one should also have evidence for, either logically deductive or at least empirical falsification.

God does not exist isn't a response to God exist, it is in itself a counter claim, not a response.

There is a difference between responsorial unbelief and outrightly claiming the negate.

"I have a ball"

"I don't believe you" - This is a response to my claim demanding substantiation.

But

"I have a ball"

"No, you don't" - this isn't a response to my claim, it is in fact outrightly making a counter claim on the negative.

There is no God or God(s) isn't a response to "There is a God" it's a counter claim.

So, please, remember that the burden of proof falls on either side of a claim.

"I don't believe you" is a more appropriate term for a non-negating unbelief.

You people seem to conflate these things a lot. Absolving yourselves of the burden of proof of your counter claim while using arguments for a responsorial unbelief.

You can't have it either way.

It is either you say, I don't believe there is a God as a response to the claim that there is one.

Or you use, "there is no God" as a direct claim otherwise requiring evidence or reason on your part.

Academic thrash

Of no use in the real world

MrPresident1:
Academic thrash

Of no use in the real world

That's why we have you watching out and waiting for Christ's second coming.

What could be more useful than that?

So, why not go back to being useful while we wallow in the canal useless academic trash?

Fair?

I can agree.

How do you see these views:

I don't believe that God exists
I believe that God does not exist.

Do you feel they're same - atheism?

johnydon22:


That's why we have you watching out and waiting for Christ's second coming.

What could be more useful than that?

So, why not go back to being useful while we wallow in the canal useless academic trash?

Fair?

No. I will not have you litter the forum with academic trash with no use in the real world

MrPresident1:


No. I will not have you litter the forum with academic trash with no use in the real world

It is already done. Would you have me delete the post?

DeSepiero:
I can agree.

How do you see these views:

I don't believe that God exists
I believe that God does not exist.

Do you feel they're same - atheism?

I don't feel they can be called same. Yes, both positions are atheistic but the steps differ.

Unbelief is the absence of belief.
Belief is an act of acknowledging a contingent.

One is an atheist by an inaction. Absence of.

One is an atheist by active excercise. Presence of.

Johnydon22 I've being trying to point this out for a while now.Certain atheists should be accountable for proof against theistic gods when they're certain such gods don't exist.Not all atheists just lack the belief and such folks are gnostic atheists.

What I see quite often is an attempt to foist unto the atheist that is saying "I don't believe you", the counter claim "god does not exist" and then requiring proof. Example:

Buhari is Jubril
How do you know?
Because they have the same type of nose
That does not prove Buhari is Jubril
Why don't you prove Buhari is not Jubril?
Because I didn't claim Buhari is not Jubril
You don't want to prove that Buhari is not Jubril

LordReed:
What I see quite often is an attempt to foist unto the atheist that is saying "I don't believe you", the counter claim "god does not exist" and then requiring proof. Example:

Buhari is Jubril
How do you know?
Because they have the same type of nose
That does not prove Buhari is Jubril
Why don't you prove Buhari is not Jubril?
Because I didn't claim Buhari is not Jubril
You don't want to prove that Buhari is not Jubril

Cc emperorharry

LordReed:
What I see quite often is an attempt to foist unto the atheist that is saying "I don't believe you", the counter claim "god does not exist" and then requiring proof. Example:

Buhari is Jubril
How do you know?
Because they have the same type of nose
That does not prove Buhari is Jubril
Why don't you prove Buhari is not Jubril?
Because I didn't claim Buhari is not Jubril
You don't want to prove that Buhari is not Jubril

I have seen this too.It's funny. I simply remind the person that my position is of a skeptical nature to his not a counter claim. If he insists on the folly, I ignore the whole thing.

I'm only on this post addressing the atheistic part of the mistake.

Not realising that "There is no God" is a counter claim that requires "Reason" (proof) as much as "There is a God"

LordReed:
What I see quite often is an attempt to foist unto the atheist that is saying "I don't believe you", the counter claim "god does not exist" and then requiring proof.

This is an observation that is valid due to the conscious/unconscious ignorance of theists. JohnyDon has clearly explained what statements require proof and the one's that don't. Your God is just as real as the invisible pink unicorn, because your God doesn't exist,would be a claim that requires proof against the existence of such a God.
Theists automatically believe that anybody that doesn't believe in a God/gods should have some logical reason(s)/evidence for disbelief.To them only a "fool" says there's no God cos it's clearly evident that even in their sleeping and waking up,God exists.So the lack of belief is absurd and preposterous and even worse,if they believe in Satan's mission to bring about disbelief in God and lead many to eternal damnation.So they'd ask you for proof,just so they know you have valid reasons(they most prolly think you don't but just cause) and not controlled by evil forces to accomplish Satan's purpose on earth.They may then try to convince you using scriptural evidences that seem very logical to them. This is wrong and should be avoided.
cc Michellekabod

P.S. I don't intend to generalize.