Beginner's Guide to Atheism.

[drfuzzy]

"There almost certainly wasn't a god" isn't a claim.

And I think we can all agree that non existent beings can't speak.

That most definantly is a claim, you're stating something with a degree of certainty, where's the evidence to back it up?

What ever happened to 'I don't know' being the default position as atheists claim?

Well, I can't speak for Valkyrie.  But for myself - I find that if I say "I don't know" some theists see it as an invitation to POUNCE - it seems like any admission of uncertainty means that they can convince the atheist otherwise.  Am I CERTAIN that there is no deity of any sort?  No, I just think that the lack of acceptable evidence, plus the history of religion, leads me to hold the position that a deity does not exist.  Or if one does, it has no relevance to my day-to-day existence.  And, if the deity does exist in the form described by many religions, it is not worth my time.  All of these explanations are not required when you simply say "gods do not exist".

Not only that, but if a person claims that a deity exists, the burden of proof is upon them.  This is something that most theists upend the moment their assertion is questioned.  "I don't have to prove it exists, YOU have to prove it doesn't exist!"  Which, of course, is - as they know - impossible.  You cannot prove that a purple space dragon isn't watching the earth.