³1username³2LarrySanger³2name³2text_default³2version³21³2ts³2982096787³2ip³2209.66.79.109³2data³2newauthor³31³3minor³30³3text³3<The following is a portion of LarrysText, further expansion of this section is greatly encouraged> 

If one is an atheist who desires to hold onto one's atheism ''rationally,'' one would appear to need some arguments <i>that</i> <i>God</i> <i>does</i> <i>not</i> <i>exist</i>.  Many theists maintain that it would not do simply to refute arguments that God exists.  That would--many theists maintain--only show that there was no good reason to believe that God exists.  It would <i>not</i> show that there was good reason specifically to believe that God <i>does</i> <i>not</i> exist.  Theists see this and sometimes say: you can’t prove that God <i>does</i> <i>not</i> exist, because you can’t prove a negative; so atheism requires just as much faith as theism does; so at least you should be <i>agnostic</i>.
³3summary³3*³2tscreate³2982096787³2keepts³2982096821³2id³21001³2host³2cobrand.bomis.com³2revision³21³1username³2LarrySanger³2name³2text_default³2version³21³2ts³2982096821³2ip³2209.66.79.109³2data³2text³3<The following is a portion of LarrysText, further expansion of this section is greatly encouraged> 

If one is an atheist who desires to hold onto one's atheism ''rationally,'' one would appear to need some arguments <i>that</i> <i>God</i> <i>does</i> <i>not</i> <i>exist</i>.  Many theists maintain that it would not do simply to refute arguments that God exists.  That would--many theists maintain--only show that there was no good reason to believe that God exists.  It would <i>not</i> show that there was good reason specifically to believe that God <i>does</i> <i>not</i> exist.  Theists see this and sometimes say: you can’t prove that God <i>does</i> <i>not</i> exist, because you can’t prove a negative; so atheism requires just as much faith as theism does; so at least you should be <i>agnostic</i>.

See also TheProblemOfEvil and FaithAndRationality.
³3minor³31³3newauthor³30³3summary³3*³2tscreate³2982096787³2keepts³2982096861³2id³21001³2host³2cobrand.bomis.com³2revision³22³1username³2LarrySanger³2name³2text_default³2version³21³2ts³2982096861³2ip³2209.66.79.109³2data³2newauthor³30³3minor³31³3text³3<The following is a portion of LarrysText, further expansion of this section is greatly encouraged> 

If one is an atheist who desires to hold onto one's atheism ''rationally,'' one would appear to need some arguments <i>that</i> <i>God</i> <i>does</i> <i>not</i> <i>exist</i>.  Many theists maintain that it would not do simply to refute arguments that God exists.  That would--many theists maintain--only show that there was no good reason to believe that God exists.  It would <i>not</i> show that there was good reason specifically to believe that God <i>does</i> <i>not</i> exist.  Theists sometimes say: you can’t prove that God <i>does</i> <i>not</i> exist, because you can’t prove a negative; so atheism requires just as much faith as theism does; so at least you should be <i>agnostic</i>.

See also TheProblemOfEvil and FaithAndRationality.
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