Philosoraptor

Watching football is not a sport either... Playing football is

It's probably not helpful to say the phrase "atheism is a religion."

However, I'm pretty sure the main reason that atheists object to that accusation is not because they feel their stances or views are being mischaracterised and they want to put it right. I think it's much more likely the case that they want to be able to put forward their beliefs in the public sphere without having the scrutiny that would come from having the burden of proof on them. I'm pretty sure that's why they hide behind the "atheism isn't a belief/religion/etc" card.

Thanks! Anyway I'm not trying to shift the burden of proof, just putting it back where it rightfully is.

There is no "burden of proof" on God, because a) he's God, b) his existence is self-evident, c) logic would have no meaning/purpose if God didn't exist, so you can't talk logically without implicitly assuming his existence, and d) no doubt a whole host of other reasons which I'm not smart enough to mention here.

Hence the burden of proof is never on God, and since believers are just proclaiming God's message then as long as they stick within those reasonable bounds the burden of proof is never on them, either.

The burden of proof in matters of the existence of God is always on the unbeliever.

Atheism isn't a religion. It's a group of religions, most of them disorganized and united

*united only by their beliefs regarding the nature of the world.

I don't practice atheism, I just choose not to believe. It's no practicing to it.