ATHEIST VERSUS THEIST: How to FAIL at 'One Question Atheism Can't Answer'

I pretty often explore Youtube, searching for videos from theists who have questions that atheists supposedly cannot answer. Because the world is a messy place and sometimes I need to experience some comedy. And there is no greater comedy than theists who take themselves very seriously, and think they have come up with the greatest question ever, that atheists cannot answer, and then of course this turns out to be a complete and hilarious failure.

And last week I found a video that ticked all the boxes and I thought it would be entertaining to share it with you and to discuss it. The video is called “One question atheists can't answer - How to Destroy Atheism”.

And of course, that video destroys itself before it even started because of the totally silly title. Because there are a billion questions that both theists and atheists can't answer. Like: is their life on other planets or what will the world look like 1000 years from now? There are a billion of questions that nobody can answer. So, to make a big deal out of the idea that you found ONE question that atheists can't answer, seems pretty laughable and totally meaningless. Anyone can make a video with loads of questions that nobody can answer.

And from there on it goes ever more south. The actual super smart counter-question that is supposed to 'destroy' atheism, turns out to be such a silly and clumsy question that I thought it needed to offer theists and alternative to what this guy is telling them to do. Because I don't even think it is safe for theists to show the kind of attitude this guy is proposing.

Well, I am curious as to what you think of this guys super smart question that will 'destroy' atheism. And do you have additional proposals on how to counter it? Let me know in the comments...

[Anglomachian]

Atheism is the easiest thing to refute. All you have to do is present a god for examination.

[grahvis]

I had someone try something similar recently. When I asked for evidence of their God, they demanded I had to prove they had an obligation to show evidence.
I simply pointed out that anyone making a claim and wants another person to believe them, has the burden of proof. Assertions without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.

[TallSilentGuy]

"I'm so confident that atheists won't be able to answer this question that I've disabled the comments."

[yvo]

"What time is it?" "By whose authority do you ask me that question?"

[chrisose]

"By whose authority...." translates as "I can't not defend my fantasy."

[Lupinemancer]

If you ever wonder why Aliens have yet to visit us, the answer is, due to the existence of Theists, they have yet to discover intelligent life on this planet.

[robg]

When I was a committed Christian, I would accept everything I was told. Sometimes I would doubt what was being said, but I would push my doubts to the back of my mind in order to comply with my religious faith. It was only when I did actually begin to ask questions, that I found out that the people preaching to me were more than capable of lying to me. As soon as I realised that they were prepared to lie in support of their religion, I also realised that I had been fooled into believing a load of rubbish with no supporting evidence whatsoever. For me, Christianity was like a house of cards. As soon as I began to remove some of the cards, the whole thing eventually crashed.

[hansverhaegen]

I can answer any question.
"I don't know." IS a good and decent answer.
Theists don't like it and view it as a failure but that's their issue. Often I don't like it, but then it only spurs me on to learn.

[ajaxlewis]

"Apologetics". That term means: "I apologise for the mistakes you've discovered".

Incredible they haven't changed the name.

[brianlawson]

The answer to his "unanswerable" question is: By MY authority, I demand evidence for your claims. It is by MY authority as a real and thinking being with My standards of morality, based upon human well-being that I judge the supposed actions of all proposed gods. I have said it a hundred times; "Bring thy god before me and I shall weigh him."

They will retort that those are the words of Satan, of course. They'll cry that it's a trick being played by their imaginary boogeyman. None of these supposed beings, neither gods, nor angels, nor spirits can ever be demonstrated to exist by any of the methods we use daily to determine the nature of our temporal existence.

[pandora]

A: Do you have any evidence for what you're saying? [note, I've rephrased this initial question from his own opening gambit, because it's a transparent attempt to poison the well by painting the atheist as aggressive and demanding]

T: By whose authority are you going to determine the validity of the "truth" claims I present to you?

A: I'm the one you're trying to convert, so I'm the one who'll assess your evidence and decide if it *convinces me*. Authority doesn't enter into this. So, any evidence? Or just evasion?

T: By whose authority are you demanding that I give you evidence that GAWD exists?

A: I'm not demanding. You're making claims, I'm pointing out that you've shown no evidence for what you claim. So, any evidence? Or just evasion?

T: By whose authority [crap about contradiction]

A: Mate, I'm still asking for evidence. If you show me some, then we can move on to contradictions. So, any evidence? Or just evasion?

T: By whose authority are you claiming that GAWD is immoral or a tyrant?

A: Stop trying to sidetrack. Once you've shown me evidence that it exists, then we can talk about its nature. So, any evidence? Or just evasion?

T: By the way, we need to ban gay marriage, abortion, contraception, trans healthcare, and interracial marriage, and maybe bring back slavery, marital rape, and child brides, and confine women to the kitchen.

A: By whose fucking authority? And if you say GAWD, you're going to need some fucking good evidence that it exists, that it wants those things, and that it has any fucking say in how a secular society functions.

[paulspringwood]

Atheist: “Holy shit, the Holocaust was one of the most horrific events in human history.” Theist: “It’s bad? By whose authority??”

[bruceforest]

I give theists a simple task to prove their deity. It has simple rules: 1) No bible, 2) no personal experience, 3) no faith, 4) everything must be provable and repeatable. Many have tried this weak argument idea and I proceed to call them out on it.

[jaclo]

By who's authority does he deem his version of his chosen god any kind of authority?

The silly christian man sounds like a presup. Hence his display of the arrogance, ignorance and inability ask a logical question. We need more christians like these to present themselves to the world so we can all see them for what they are.

[planswalkr]

-By whose authority do you ask "By whose authority do you do XYZ"?
-By the authority of my god!
-I do not recognize your god's existence, nor his authority. Try again.

[lme]

Literally anyone can pull the whole “ by who’s authority…?” for any situation.

This is simple question dodging and about as terrible as the whole “can you prove you exist?” response I get when asking people for their god’s evidence.

[stubbyhawk]

He wants others to accept his religion, but is unwilling or unable to even answer the most basic questions 🤔...makes him look so confident. Smh

[Mewse]

I laughed so hard at his big "Gotcha" question. That is a GREAT example of an answer given by someone who either lied, is hiding something, or just wants to dodge the question.

It doesn't make you look very good. Or asynwife just said "that's sus."

But to answer his question "My own authority"

[gerboiremoncopaing]

"If someone asks you to present them with evidence of the existence of god, answer them in kind with this question: you to the existence of
Yes, that's literally the reasoning of this guy in a nutshell: don't you dare questioning the existence of god, just shut up and believe.

[Anonymous-mdqp]

“The atheist world view”. Where do theists learn this phrase from? I see it often in the YT comments. Are they taught this in religious schools or in churches?