Why do theists ask for proof from atheists?

The proof of God is present.

But yes, both the theist and the atheist should be able to give good positive reasoning for their positions. The atheist position of non-belief due to lack of proof is nothing but a side step because to believe in a lack of God is also to believe that the world we live in is nothing but material.

And I agree that God cannot be arrived at by "god of the gaps" approaches, but must be reasonably concluded from reasoning. But the same approach must be applied to materialism.

Good question. Part of it is meeting atheists where they are. That's their world of seeking proof. It's limited, though, because it only focuses on the physical. And the physical points to the spiritual, but both are very different.

Asking proof of the spiritual from atheists is an exercise in futility because they can't prove what they have not experienced. Nor can they understand when we supply spiritual proof for the same reason.

Theist ask for proof from atheist for the same reason that atheist ask for proof from theist. Both sides know that none exists. Theism is faith based..no proof is necessary. I find the whole thing tedious.

@christian sinner..I will gladly burn in hell rather than worship or in any way help the kind of sadistic immoral bastard that you describe as your god.

I think a part of the problem is that there are many Christians who think God loves e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y. And I find h doesn't. So I expect atheists to go to hell. What God was raising them for might include making our blessings at the end seem even better (Romans 9), so that his word can come true in the alternate perspective; i.e. God has many promises on the books for certain curses he means to exact on people, including atheists. He also causes certain things to happen with cultures; they need to have a certain reaction to things so that God's word is fulfilled, and finally he needs to challenge the redeemed as he said he would. Using atheists to do that is his perfect word coming true.

So carry on. Right on schedule.

It is impossible to "prove" a negative. Much easier for theists to prove their "positive" but then, I suppose that is what faith is all about.

Mo

Atheist

PS Christian Sinner - just read your reply. Are you suggesting that your God wld be so petty as to create "atheists" so that when they are cursed and go to Hell, theists will realise how much better their lives are? What an idiotic thing to say. I hope for your sake, "he" is not listening to you because he would very angry with you for thinking he wd be so small-minded. What happened to the god of love - the accepting god who would forgive anybody anything? So glad I opted out.

Since there is no evidence that any gods exist, all gods are imaginary.

That's enough for me.

If people want to imagine gods exist I have no problem with it as long as they understand that holding a belief doesn't give them the right to legislate other people's behavior based solely on that belief.

the funny thing is no side will ever have proof of their argument, you cannot prove or disprove god. although atheists can disprove the wild claims of deists that only hurts their cause. any good religious debate comes down to faith. thats why i stopped watching debates on youtube... other than the funny mismatched ones. christopher hitchens destroys everyone lol.

This principal applies to both sides. Man is a god. Some choose to go up to God; others do not and 'worship' god or God' on their level.

"When they need no proof to worship their own deities"

Atheists have no deities- question flawed.

Because they can't think of their own arguments and are reduced to flipping our arguments around.