If I were an Atheist

[Drew_2013]

Because the preponderance of evidence favors the theistic hypothesis.

No.

In my opinion. As an atheist I assume you'd believe otherwise.

God has no such burden... he just works in mysterious ways, huh?

Not at all, theists claim God caused, designed and created the universe and life. Atheists claim mechanistic unguided forces minus plan or intent caused all we see in some mysterious fashion.

Well, look what the cat dragged in.... Welcome back, Drew!

I'll try not to wear out my welcome...

Because the preponderance of evidence favors the theistic hypothesis.

Laughably incorrect.

Make your case...I've made mine.

And many untrue things with no evidence behind them at all are believed because they are attractive, and have a large amount of cultural and historical inertia behind them. The difference is that only one of us recognizes that the growth rate of a belief in no way affects the truth of it.

There are many popular beliefs which in light of strong evidence to the contrary slowly in some cases die out. Initially there was a lot of resistance among scientists to the idea the universe began to exist but now nearly all accept it in some form or another. I know many think of atheism as not a belief in anything but a disbelief only but that is rather a shallow view point. To be intellectually honest if atheism is true that no God exists then we owe the existence of the universe, life and mind to mechanistic forces that never intended such to occur including their own existence but it all came together unplanned through sheer happenstance. That is an incredible claim and without a whole lot to support it. Certainly no less incredible than the claim we owe the existence of the universe to a Creator. I agree popularity has no bearing on the truth of a matter.

So basically what you're asking is, why hasn't atheism reversed hundreds and thousands of years of contiguous religious belief, across multiple cultures and gods, often defended violently or emotionally... in a couple of decades?

If belief in God were as absurd as belief in Santa Claus you wouldn't have to make a case, it would collapse upon its own weight. You don't know of any Santa debate forums do you?

Atheism hasn't gained as much traction as you'd like because it's an uphill battle, while being pushed back downhill all the way.

Its an uphill battle in part because its leaves the mystery of our existence and that of the universe in as much of a lurch as ever. Secondly what evidence is there that mechanistic forces could bootstrap themselves into existence and then minus plan, intent or engineering degree could cause exacting laws of nature to produce stars, galaxies, solar systems, planets and ultimately produce something utterly unlike itself, life and mind. Most atheists will shrug and say we don't know how we got here or why that happened we just hold the notion it was a Creator in disdain and contempt. That is why its a non-starter and non-seller. However, atheists could make their point of view more palatable by changing their tactics which have been disastrous.

And if parents didn't continue to press god belief on their children, if they didn't threaten their children with hell for expressing disbelief, if parents actually treated the idea of god like they do the idea of Santa, you might have a point. As it is, they allow one belief to fall by the wayside once the child matures, while they reinforce the other belief daily through more means than I care to count. You're drawing an entirely false equivalency here.

Perhaps you don't have a teenager but I can assure they test and often rebel against everything a parent says. I have met some atheist parents who were mortified there off spring became theists. Where did they go wrong? Do you think parents could persuade children to continue believing in Santa Claus?

Why would I do that, [drop the weak atheist strategy] if it's an accurate reflection of my belief? You're essentially asking that I lie to people when I represent myself, and this is supposed to help me make my case?

If you lack belief God exists and are justified in that lack of belief then why wouldn't you also have (just as an opinion) the belief God doesn't exist? Over all its a losing strategy because as a theist I don't deny God exists but as a weak atheist you don't deny God exists either. We can't even debate the existence of God because you don't deny God exists. If the case in favor or atheism is so weak, so tepid that you can't even bring yourself to opine God doesn't exist how weak is that?

The problem is that you're attributing the wrong position to us. The weak atheist position isn't that god doesn't exist, it's that there is a severe lack of evidence for the god proposition, and that one should not believe claims that don't have enough evidence behind them.

By the same token, evidently there is a severe lack of evidence in the non-existence of God so you won't render the opinion God doesn't exist. You're not only an a-theist you are an a-atheist as well. And its not that you reject the idea God doesn't exist...you just lack the belief God doesn't exist. See what I mean? That an absurd position (IMHO).

Oh, you know that? How do you know that?

I've debated this issue for a long time.

Well, I don't think you get to dictate what we really think unless we tell you, Drew. Good to see you haven't dropped that complete lack of awareness of other people's boundaries you had the last time we spoke.

I don't get to dictate, I do get to voice my opinion. That's what a discussion board is for no?

Though the level of evidence for both propositions is the same, the god claim has a manipulative support mechanism that simply does not exist for the Santa claim.

Then your implying that parents actually know that God doesn't exist also but continue with the charade anyway. Is there enough evidence for you to render the opinion Santa doesn't exist or do you also just lack that belief due to lack of evidence of Santa's existence but maintain that Santa may in fact exist. Do you believe that if parents didn't drop the Santa charade children would grow up into adults and continue to believe in Santa?

If someone comes in bible quotes blazing, what are we supposed to do? One of the reasons why we are atheists is that the bible isn't convincing and certainly not evidence for the existence of god.

I agree...it isn't.

I doubt that. Losing one's faith is not something a person wants to do, and it was a pretty fearful experience. Given that, I could easily see how a believer would cling even more tightly to his beliefs.

That's not historically how it goes all kinds of beliefs about how the world works have been abandoned. You don't see too many people worshiping the rain god or god of fertility even though it was incredibly popular.

That, of course, assumes that the atheist is trying to change the reader's mind ... and faith. I don't post here arguing with theists in order to change their minds. I already know that they are incapable of apostasy. They have gone out of their way to avoid educating themselves about the issues at hand, and often I've seen outright dishonesty from them; both those facts, and they are facts, indicate a refusal to subject their beliefs to any challenge.

I've subjected my belief in theism to the harshest critics around. Born again atheists...

You seem to have a problem with the so-called weak atheist position because it isn't a positive claim in the form of 'God does not exist'. But there is a hidden positive claim in the weak atheist position. It is: Theists have consistently failed to adequately present good evidence in support of their case that God exists; therefore, I do not accept their claims.

Its your fellow atheists who should have a problem with the weak atheist position. If they can't convince fellow atheists to opine God doesn't exist then it must be a terribly weak case.