Who Has the Burden of Proof?

[jenny1972]

It’s generally agreed that the burden of proof rests on the party who makes the positive statement.  Yet, it’s not always clear who’s making the positive statement when both parties claim that the burden of proof lies on the other guy. It would be nice if one party says it is and the other party says it ain’t. But that’s not always the case.  

Think of yourself as a totally disinterested party who is witnessing a co-belligerent engagement between two parties. One party says Europe and Asia are two separate continents. The other party says there is only one continent. By what criteria can we determine where the burden of proof lies? Remember, your task is not to decide who’s right and who’s wrong, nor is it to solve the dilemma. Your task is to determine which party bears the burden of proof.

the burden of proof lies with the party who is trying to do the convincing . for example if a theist tells an atheist there IS a God then the burden of proof is then on the theist to prove his theory , however if it is the atheist who challenges the theist and tells the theist " there is no God " , then the burden of proof lies with the atheist to prove his theory that there is no God .  whoever brings a claim no matter what it is should be prepared to back it up