Ateister behøver ikke bevise at det ikke fins noen gud. Det er teistene som har bevisbyrden fordi det er teistene som påstår at det fins en gud. Det er alltid den som påstår at noe eksisterer som må bevise det, og ingen behøver bevise at noe ikke eksisterer. Hvis jeg påstår at det eksisterer gule elefanter på andre planeter i universet kan jeg ikke kreve at du skal bevise at jeg tar feil. Jeg kan ikke kreve at du skal reise rundt i hele universet og kontrollere at det ikke fins planeter med gule elefanter. Eller hvis jeg påstår at julenissen eksisterer og bor på nordpolen kan jeg ikke kreve at du skal reise til nordpolen og kontrollere at det ikke fins noen julenisse der. Det er jeg som må begrunne min påstand. Det samme gjelder påstanden at det eksisterer en gud; det er teistene som må begrunne sin påstand.

Teister kan ikke kreve at folk skal tro blint. Blind tro er ikke en kilde til kunnskap. Blind tro er kun nødvendig hvis man vil forsvare oppfattninger som ikke kan forsvares. Troen må være blind hvis det vi skal tro på ikke fins! Derfor må teistene bevise guds eksistens hvis de vil bli tatt på alvor. Men er det mulig å bevise guds eksistens? Det første vi må gjøre er å definere gudsbegrepet.

“The burden of proof lies with the person who asserts the truth of a proposition. If the evidence is not forthcoming, if there are not sufficient grounds for accepting the proposition, it should not be believed. The theist who asserts the existence of a god assumes the responsibility of demonstrating the truth of this assertion; if he fails in this task, theism should not be accepted as true.” – George H. Smith

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George H. Smith: Atheism, The Case Against God. George H. Smith sets out to demolish what he considers the most widespread and destructive of all the myths devised by man, the concept of a supreme being. With painstaking scholarship and rigorous arguments, Mr. Smith examines, dissects, and refutes the myriad "proofs" offered by theists - the defenses of sophisticated, professional theologians as well as the average religious layman. He explores the historical and psychological havoc wrought by religion in general - and concludes that religious belief cannot have any place in the life of modern, rational man. "It is not my purpose to convert people to atheism . . . but to demonstrate that the belief in God is irrational to the point of absurdity. If a person wishes to continue believing in a god, that is his prerogative, but he can no longer excuse his belief in the name of reason and moral necessity."

Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion. Dawkins attacks God in all its forms, from the sex-obsessed, cruel tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign, but still illogical, Celestial Watchmaker favoured by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the ultimate improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry and abuses children. In The God Delusion Dawkins presents a hard-hitting, impassioned rebuttal of religion of all types and does so in the lucid, witty and powerful language for which he is renowned. It is a brilliantly argued, fascinating polemic that will be required reading for anyone interested in this most emotional and important subject. “The God Delusion is written with all the clarity and elegance of which Dawkins is a master. It is so well written, in fact, that children deserve to read it as well as adults. It should have a place in every school library – especially in the library of every “faith” school.” – PHILIP PULLMAN

David Mills: ATHEIST UNIVERSE - The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism. Makes the case against Intelligent Design. Is there really a god? Or does God exist only in our heads? Is the Bible truly God's word? Or is it a jumble of fanciful myths? Atheist Universe details why God is unnecessary to explain the universe's diversity, organization and beauty. Using simple, straightforward logic, this book rebuts every argument that claims to "prove" God's existence. A comprehensive primer for countering today's relgious dogma, Atheist Universe addresses all the historical and scientific questions. "An admirable work." – Richard Dawkins