Proof of the soul?

[Clueless Morgan]

Why do atheists not rely on what people say?

Because people lie. Especially people who have an overt agenda to convert you to their way of thinking.

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Here's a link to what anecdotal evidence is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anecdotal_evidence

The expression anecdotal evidence refers to evidence from anecdotes. Because of the small sample, there is a larger chance that it may be unreliable due to cherry-picked or otherwise non-representative samples of typical cases.[1][2] Anecdotal evidence is considered dubious support of a claim; it is accepted only in lieu of more solid evidence. This is true regardless of the veracity of individual claims.
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Introduction
In all forms of anecdotal evidence, its reliability by objective independent assessment may be in doubt. This is a consequence of the informal way the information is gathered, documented, presented, or any combination of the three. The term is often used to describe evidence for which there is an absence of documentation, leaving verification dependent on the credibility of the party presenting the evidence.

Theists accept anecdotal evidence because they have absolutely no other evidence to support the crap they're spewing. Also, because an anecdote about a thing that doesn't exist cannot be falsified (proven false) and they mistakenly think that if you can't prove something false than it's automatically true.

Atheists check the ancedote against known reality to determine whether what the person is saying comports with the findings of science. If the anecdote is unfalsifiable, the atheist maintains their skepticism of the claim. If the claim is demonstrably false, the atheist is justified in rejecting the claim until positive empirical evidence is presented.

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Why should I believe what anyone says then?

Believe it if you can verify that it is true. Anecdotes about the existence of a god are largely anecdotes about personal experiences that are unverifiable. Be highly dubious of such anecdotes.




You know what, JL1? Check out Brain Games on the National Geographic channel (link below). In this show they have interactive games you can play along with and teaches you about your brain, how it works, and how it can be fooled.
http://braingames.nationalgeographic.com/episode/1/