Are Atheists using Intellectually Dishonest Arguments?

[Silver]

I've always personally believed the burden of proof was the responsibility of the one making the positive claim.

So if I change my phrasing to make it a negative claim, is it all of the sudden exempt?

Also even a negative claim is still making a positive claim about what is true. If you check the Wiki article on this, it calls this pseudo-logic.

I didn't say stating "god does not exist" wasn't a positive claim.