by Jack Roviere

Created on: September 06, 2008

If someone does not believe in unicorns, does this mean he is simply rebelling against the unicornist establishment in a childish way? Does this mean he has been wronged by a subpar follower of unicornism and uses this improper behavior as a dismissal of the entire unicornist movement? Is he so sure of himself that he necessarily wants to reject anything that can be more magical than he is? Does he want to believe that things are random and have no point? Does he want to live life without recognizing that he will be accountable for his actions at the last day to the great Unicorn?

Why can't there be a simple conclusion? Maybe a person who doesn't believe in unicorns is simply unconvinced about unicorns.

Maybe atheists are just unconvinced by all the alleged evidence of gods and higher powers and the truth claims of various kinds of theism.

First, let's consider the definition of atheism. Atheism actually comprises a much greater idea than most are willing to give credit for. Atheism is the disbelief in gods. What is disbelief? Well...disbelief isn't necessarily a belief in the lack of gods. Rather, it's just a lack of belief in gods.

Are there atheists who actively state there are no gods? Well, of course. But certainly, there are just as many, and most likely many more, who simply state they don't believe in any gods, regardless of if they exist or not.

Why might a person take this position? That's where the idea of evidence comes into play. God isn't a being that affects our lives in a way everyone can clearly recognize. In the past, different religious scriptures allege that God talked with and to people...he wrought big miracles to show people his existence. Wow! How impressive! Unfortunately, that was in an era long past. Now, we find that God doesn't seem to speak that much to us...and when he does, it's in a much quieter manner...it's in a much more dubious manner. It's in a manner that could be explained by many, nonspiritual means. Making matters worse, some people say that God actually cannot fully reveal himself because instead, he requires us to believe by faith and to empirically reveal himself would be counterintuitive to his entire plan.

So obviously...for someone who's looking for concrete evidence...faith is not a good substitute. It offers nothing to compel to belief. Even worse...over time, as we learn more, we come to realize that many of the things that were historically attributed to deities actually have natural explanations. Deities go out

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