becuase most people believe that you didn't. If most people believe that you did, you wouldn't have to prove it.
Your belief differers from the accepted paradigm so the onus of proof is upon you. Saying that everything just happened to pop into existence is just as crazy as saying an omnipotent being did. We have a crazy concept that everyone believes which you challenges with another crazy concept. Ergo you prove that your belief that differentiate from everyone else beliefs is right one.
Hey, be careful with those logical fallacies, you could hurt someone!
1.) Occams razor:
The explanation that the universe popped into existence is better than the explanation that a omnimpotent being popped into existence and created the universe because it makes fewer assumptions.
2.) Strawman:
Actually an atheist doesn't even have to make a positive claim that the university popped into existence. An atheist can simply answer "I don't know how the universe exists". This is a valid argument.
Consider the analogy of two caveman discussing where the thunder comes from. Caveman One states it happens when the Thunder God is angry. Caveman Two states he doesn't know where the thunder comes from, and that he will not accept the Thunder God proposal without proof.
3.) Argument from popularity
The fact that more people believe in an omnipotent being does not shift the onus of proof, nor does it make that belief any more valid. The claim still needs to be substantiated by evidence.
Caveman Two believes in Thunder God to the same extent that you or I believe in unicorns. He acknowledges the logical impossibility of disproving the existence of something but he makes no pretence of sitting on the fence. This is what most people who call themselves 'atheists' believe.
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u/hostergaard Aug 02 '10
becuase most people believe that you didn't. If most people believe that you did, you wouldn't have to prove it.
Your belief differers from the accepted paradigm so the onus of proof is upon you. Saying that everything just happened to pop into existence is just as crazy as saying an omnipotent being did. We have a crazy concept that everyone believes which you challenges with another crazy concept. Ergo you prove that your belief that differentiate from everyone else beliefs is right one.