(November 20, 2010 at 11:49 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: It is a lot easier to say, "God does not exist," than to say, "Given the complete abscence of any proof or any reasonable argument for a god, I believe that it is unlikely that a god or gods exists."
It might be easier to say, but it subjects the atheist to a heavy burden of proof. Moreover, the statement "God does not exist" means that God's existence has zero probability, which is quite different from what the atheist really means, that God's existence has a very low probability; ergo, that atheist is engaging in disingenuous sophistry.
Man is a rational animal who always loses his temper when
called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.
(Oscar Wilde)
called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason.
(Oscar Wilde)
