What is Atheism?

[Cephus]

This is a little obscure and esoteric, but there is a scene from an early episode of Steptoe and Son in which Harold, the son, challenges Albert, his dad, to show him the shrapnel wounds he claims to have received in WW1 and which he often uses as an excuse to get out of any hard work. Albert keeps prevaricating, throwing out red herrings and threats of violence. Anything to avoid having to actually back up his claim. As a last resort he says "I've got medals in that drawer", as though it's incontrovertible proof.

Long story short, that's what I picture whenever we get logical acrobatics and other smokescreen tactics in place of the evidence for which we ask.

I see little point in continuing until people stop using the word 'evidence' in a way that begs the question, i.e. as something already proven. This, as opposed to something evident (obvious, apparent, plain) presented to support an assertion.

But it's not evident, that's the problem.  Just because you leap to an absurd conclusion based on emotion doesn't mean that the claims that you make actually make any sense.  That's why we demand evidence.  It is something that doesn't depend on your wishful thinking, it can be objectively examined and conclusions can be drawn based on that.