God doesn't believe in atheists
The slogan "God doesn't believe in atheists" is a rhetorical tactic. It is neither a rational conclusion nor an argument in support of one.
Counter-arguments[edit]
God is not omniscient[edit]
The retort, "God doesn't believe in atheists," could be interpreted to mean that the god under consideration does not know about the billions of people who don't believe he exists. Regardless of the faith of the theist, this statement implies that his or her god is not omniscient. Further, it implies that the theist believes himself or herself to know the limits of God's mind. Is the theist omniscient?
Atheists are lying[edit]
- Main article: There are no atheists.
This claim can also be interpreted to mean, "Atheists secretly believe that there is a god, and God, who is omniscient, knows this." It comes across as dismissive and ignorant when used against an atheist who truly doesn't believe in any gods.
If the theist believes the atheist must be lying, does he or she also insist that every person of every other faith secretly believes in the correct god (i.e., his or her own god), yet worships the wrong god? For instance, if the theist is Christian, does he or she believe that two-thirds of other people on the planet are lying about their beliefs? Why just the atheists?
Similar Arguments[edit]
The atheist can point out that an equally facile slogan would be, "Batman doesn't believe in people who don't believe in Batman." This should illustrate that the structure of the slogan makes for a silly claim.
Another response for the theist might be, "Vishnu doesn't believe in people who don't believe in Vishnu." This, of course, does not impress the theist unless he or she is Hindu. One could point out that atheists treat all such claims like the theist (if he or she is not Hindu) treats the Vishnu claim--with dismissal.